Learning About Operating Systems

What are the different types of operating system? Single-tasking An operating system that only allows one process (task) to be running at a time Some examples are DOS and Windows 3.x Multitasking The ability of a computer operating system to effectively support more than one process running at a time Examples are Windows and Mac OS Most operating systems today are multitasking

What are the different types of operating system? (continued) Network operating system An operating system designed to provide strong network services The capabilities to configure and manage networks of computers Some examples are NetWare, UNIX, Windows 2000 Server, and Windows Server 2003 Multiprocessing The coordinated processing of a process by more than one processor at the same time UNIX is also a good example of multiprocessing

Related terms User Interface- a program that controls a display for the user (usually on a computer monitor) and that allows the user to interact with the system. Deadlock- when each program is waiting for a resource to become available that will never become free. Command Language- a source language consisting of procedural operators that invoke functions to be executed Compute bound- refers to a condition where the time to complete a computation is determined principally by the speed of the central processor and main memory Parallel Processing- The simultaneous processing of different tasks by two or more microprocessors, as by a single computer with more than one central processing unit or by multiple computers connected together in a network.

Sources so far: Invitation to Computer Science Third Edition By: G. Michael Schneider and Judith L. Gersking Connecting with Computer Science By: Greg Anderson, David Ferro, and Robert Hilton Dictionary.com