Operating systems

Question 1

What’s an operating system?

Answer 1

Manages computer memory and processes everything including software and hardware.

Question 2

Functions of an operating system

Answer 2

• Allows communication between internal & external hardware using drivers
• Supplies user with interface, to interact with the PC.
• Imitates multi-tasking by managing the memory, resources and CPU
• Functions file and disk management
• Functions user account control

Question 3

Communication features

Answer 3

• Each piece of hardware need drivers, to translate between OS & hardware.
• Booting up, OS software will choose the right device software for hardware it detected.
• OS installs updates to prevent bugs.

Question 4

Interface features

Answer 4

Types of interfaces:

1. GUI = visual, interactive and intuitive.
   - WIMP = windows, icons, menus, pointers.
   - post WIMP = is for android and iOS for touch screen.
2. Command line interface = text based -user enters commands to complete tasks. Not easy for daily use, advanced users may find it efficient + powerful.

Question 5

Multi-tasking features

Answer 5

• OS provide a base to run apps, hardware is configured & gives access to CPU + memory, forms base.
• OS helps the CPU carry out multiple tasks by managing memory + CPU processing time.

Question 6

File and disk management features

Answer 6

• OS responsilbe for file management + organising saved data into a usable structure
• OS manages the hard disk, keeps track of free space on disk and where to store it.

Question 7

User account control features

Answer 7

• user accounts allow different users to access, specific data or resources.
• each user has their own personal data
• anti-theft measures, data secure.

Question 8

Command Line Interface + and -

Answer 8

+ Use of CLI is more more efficient if user is able to function commands well.
+Requires less RAM compared to others and doesn’t need windows to function
- CLI is hard for new users.
- If command are entered & error has been made from the wrong input, command fails.
- Large amount of commands to learn, time consuming.

Question 9

Graphical User Interface + and -

Answer 9

+ Easy to use, don’t need to learn complicated commands,& help system included with WIMP.
- GUI takes a lot of hard disk space, uses more processing power - this may be slow for experienced programmers to use.

Question 10

What’s a multi-user operating system?

Answer 10

• Found on Mainframe/ supercomputers.
• Designed for people running many programs at once.
• Commonly used in firms/offices, when many need to access the same resources. - resources can’t be installed on every system.

Question 11

What does an operating system manage?

Answer 11

• Manages all user log ins on the system.
• OS allocate resources to the jobs they want to run.
• OS keeps record of processing time & resources used.
• OS detects best computer processing cycles.
• OD maintain security.

Question 12

What’s a single user operating system?

Answer 12

This system only has to manage one person at a time, running one user app at a time.

Question 13

What does a single use operating system manage?

Answer 13

• Handles a n.o of different tasks

- Manages memory use, resources, hardware connectivity & execution of other apps.