The normal situation for a home computer user is to have a physical machine in the home, that has a copy of a software operating system installed on it. The operating system is then loaded in order to allow you to run your computer, and to load any other applications that you wish to run.

Google hopes to change that situation, and in fact hopes that eventually the normal situation will be for a user to run on a cloud computing system.

This is almost a throwback to earlier days of computing, where schools and networks would have terminals rather than actual computers.

These would put a call into a server when they were turned on, and would request a copy of the operating system be distributed to them. It would load into memory, allowing a student or other user to work as normal on the machine.

Any work that they did would not be able to be saved on the local machine as there would be no hard drive. Instead it would be sent back over the network to a central storage machine.

It allowed users to access their work no matter where they were on the network, rather than being restricted to using a single machine.

It also served to limit the things that a user could do on a machine, as it was easier to lock down the permissions of a single, large, central machine.

Google has created a new operating system that runs on the same principle. The system is called Chrome OS, and is based on cloud computing.

The home computer itself only needs to have a small file, which is used to turn on the networking capabilities of the computer, and then to load a small and very limited operating system.

The operating system looks like a browser that you would use to view websites, and in fact has nothing else. There is no way to install other programs, but you can access online applications that will offer some of the functionality that would normally be installed. These include word processing, photo storage and manipulation facilities and even games.

There are a lot of possibilities for this system. Like a work place network allows easy access, it could allow a user to access their documents and files anywhere in the world.

Over time, if it were to become more popular there is a good chance that a wider variety of applications would be made available online, in larger numbers.

Security is one of the biggest concerns that people have with cloud computing. All too often we hear of a new case of a major website being hacked, with its users log in details and passwords being stolen.

If all of your personal and private computing information were to be stored on distributed servers, it would then become vulnerable to the kind of attacks that are currently all too common.

If privacy and security can be assured, it is possible that this kind of operating system may become more popular. The advantages in accessibility, not to mention the potential for offering very cheap systems to people, are huge.

Cloud Computing as Your Operating System is a post from: Computer Spot

The words disk operating system refers to system software used in most computers that provides the abstraction and management of secondary storage devices and the information on them.

For example, you have several files systems meant for organizing data files of all sorts. Such software is referred to as a disk operating system when the storage devices it manages are made of rotating platters such as hard disks or floppy disks.

In the early days of micro computing, memory space was often limited so the disk operating system was an extension of the operating system.

This component was only loaded if it was needed. Otherwise, disk access would be limited to low-level operating such as reading and writing disks at the sector level.

Examples of disk operating systems that were extensions to the main operating system include Apple DOS for Apple computers, Commodore DOS for Commodore computers, and Disc Filing System or DFS

Sometimes a disk operating system can refer to the entire operating system if it is loaded off a disk and supports the abstraction and management of disk devices. Disk operating systems are often referred to as DOS. Some examples would include DOS/360 and Free DOS. On the PC compatible platform, an entire family of operating systems was called DOS.

Microsoft used the disk operating system as a basis for their first marketable operating system on the computer market. MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) was the first of its kind although it wasn’t exactly user-friendly. It required the entry of commands manually by the user to manipulate data and navigate the computer. This proved to be confusing for the everyday user.

DOS, however, would prove to be the basis for many of the operating systems we now know today. Some versions of Windows still contain ways for a user to bring up the MS-DOS system from the GUI which can be good when trying to fix system errors or to activate system restore.

The disk operating system runs in the background and lets the computer know what to do upon start up, where to store files, what to name those files, and formatting disks to name just a few of the functions of this system.

DOS has helped bring personal computing into our homes and businesses on a new level. Prior to the invention of the disk operating system, using a computer was too complicated for most people.

Today, thanks to the technology that the disk operating system has offered, we can work on computers with ease and not worry about what’s going on when we push the “Power” button. The disk operating system does it for us! Now that’s productive!

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In 1998, Microsoft Corporation released their latest update of the popular Windows operating system – Windows 98.

It was a successor to the previous version of Windows 95 and was an improvement on technology contained in its predecessor.

One of the great advantages to Windows 98 was that it required relatively low system requirements making it easier to gain its full potential even on older machines.

This version of Windows gave full support to DOS applications because it could be switched between DOS mode and Windows mode.  Being able to do this allowed the user to fix certain system errors manually.

Windows 98 was never as stable as regular computer users needed.  This was due to many reasons.  Often the software developers of drivers and applications had insufficient experience with the creation of programs for the new system.

This caused many errors generally described as system errors by the user even if the error was not cause by parts of Windows or DOS.

Microsoft realized these problems and released many patches that allowed the operating system to gain extreme stability comparable with higher versions of Windows through the use of the most current device drivers and careful installation of the operating system.  Many older computers still run Windows 98, so having these patches has proven to be a great advantage for them.

The biggest advantage to Windows 98 as an operating system is its compatibility.  It can safely handle very old applications or hardware from the late 80’s and early 90’s while running most newer applications at the time without problems.  Its software environment is very similar to Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

Windows 98 had a limitation in the area of hardware handling.  This operating system did not support more than 512 megabytes of RAM as an internal limitation of the system.  RAM over this limit could be used by applying patches and changing the system settings natively.  What this means is that high-end graphics cards and peripherals will probably not work properly.

Windows 98 also contained many system tools for the computer user to take advantage of.  These tools include scan disk, disk defragmentation, scanreg, and msconfig among others.

All of these tools help the computer system run much more efficiently and eliminate problems that may arise due to Internet use and possible infection with viruses.

Eventually, Windows 98 would be succeeded by other versions of Windows that would improve on other areas of functionality, but at the time, it was very well received as a technological advancement in the area of operating systems in general.

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Do you still remember windows98? It was my favorite operating system from windows. Here is the brief history of windows 98.

Windows 98 – codenamed Memphis – was released by Microsoft Corporation on June 25, 1998.  Windows 98 was the successor to Windows 95 and presented a hybrid 16-bit/32-bit monolithic product which was based on MS-DOS.

It was quickly followed by an updated to the operating system with Windows 98 SE (second edition) as Microsoft attempted to fix many bugs that were present in the original version.

Among the newer features of Windows 98 were better AGP (accelerated graphics port) support, functional USB (universal serial bus) drivers, and support for multiple monitors and Web TV.

It also featured support for the FAT32 file system allowing it to support disk partitions larger than the two gigabyte maximum accepted by Windows 95.  It was also the first version of Windows to support ACPI (advanced configuration and power interface.

Windows 98 was also the first operating system to use Windows Driver Model which standardized device driver programs and allowed for more peripherals to runs smoothly on the system.

When Windows 98 was released, this fact was not well published and device manufacturers continued to develop devices with drivers under the old system which would make them incompatible with the new operating system.

One huge advantage of Windows 98 as an operating system was that the system requirements were low.  That means that even older machines can effectively and efficiently run Windows 98 and users can take advantage of the new updates to the system.

Windows 98 also offered up full support for DOS applications because it can easily be switched to DOS mode.  In doing this, DOS based applications can handle the system in their native environment.  Having DOS mode available also provides for easier ways to fix system errors without having to enter into the graphical user interface.

Like other previous versions of Windows, this operating system wasn’t without its problems.  Windows 98 was never as stable as common users had hoped.

Often, the software developers of drivers and applications had insufficient experience with the creation of programs for this new system.  This caused many errors generally described as system errors by users even if the error was not caused by parts of Windows or DOS.

Newer versions of Windows would fix these problems, and Microsoft worked quickly to provide patches to the Windows 98 system for users to download and make their system much more stable.

As with most operating system, Windows 98 was updated soon after its release and improved upon.  It did provide some great updates that would serve as models for subsequent versions of Windows.

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The first Linux systems were completed in 1992 by combining system utilities and libraries from the GNU project which is another operating system we’ll address next.

Predominantly known for its use in servers, Linux is used as an operating system for a wider variety of computer hardware than any other operating system including desktop computers, super computers, mainframes, and embedded devices such as cell phones.

Linux is packaged for different uses in Linux distributions which contain the kernel along with a variety of other software packaged tailored to its intended use.

Linux alleges that people regard the system as suitable mostly for computer experts because mainstream computer magazine reports cannot explain what Linux is in a meaningful way as they lack real-life experience using it.

Furthermore, the frictional cost of switching operating systems and lack of support for certain hardware and application programs designed for Microsoft Windows have been two factors that have inhibited adoption.

However, as of early 2007, significant progress in hardware compatibility has been made, and it is becoming increasingly common for hardware to work “out of the box” with many Linux distributions.

Proponents and analysts attribute the relative success of Linux to its security, reliability, low cost, and freedom from vendor lock-in.

The primary difference between Linux and other contemporary operating systems is that the Linux kernel and other components are open source software.

That means that users have permission to study, change, and improve the software.  They can then redistribute it in modified or unmodified form.

This is usually done in a public and collaborative manner. Linux is not the only such operating system, although it is the most well-known and widely used one.

Some open source licenses are based on the principle of “copy left”, a kind of reciprocity:  any work derived from a copy left piece of software must also be copy left itself.

One of the advantages of open source is that it allows for rapid software bug detection and elimination which is important for correcting security exploits.

Another advantage of Linux as an operating system is inter-operability.  That means, it can run software from other companies such as Mac and Windows.

This makes it hugely advantageous to the open market as inter-operability in an operating system is rather uncommon as of late.

People have actually taken on the promotion of Linux in what might be considered almost a cult-like following.

In many cities and regions, local associations known as Linux Users Groups.  They seek to promote Linux and, by extension, the notion and reality of free software.

They actually hold meetings and provide free demonstrations, training, technical support, and operating system installation to new users.

There are also many Internet communities that seek to provide support to Linux users and developers.  Most distributions and open source projects have a chat room on the freenode IRC network.

These chat rooms are open to anyone with an IRC client.  Online forums are another means for support with notable examples being www.linuxquestions.org.

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The UNIX operating system was developed in the 60’s and 70’s by a group of AT & T employees at Bell Labs.  Unix is used by both servers and workstations and is the basis for a wide variety of other operating systems.

The operating system under UNIX consists of many of the utilities listed above along with the master control program which is called the “kernel”.

The kernel helps start and stop programs, handle the file system, take care of other common high level tasks that most programs share and schedule access to hardware to avoid conflicts if two programs try to access the same resource or device simultaneously.

Besides the main kernel, UNIX systems also had micro-kernels which tried to reverse the growing size of kernels and return to a system in which most tasks were completed by smaller utilities.

In an era where a “normal” computer consisted of a hard disk for storage and a data terminal for input and output, the UNIX file model worked quite well as most input/output was linear.  However, modern systems include networking and other new devices.

Describing a graphical user interface driven by mouse control in an “event driven” fashion didn’t work well under the old model.

Work on systems supporting these new devices in the 1980’s led to facilities for non-blocking input/output forms of inter-process communications other than just pipes, as well as moving functionality such as network protocols out of the kernel.

Just as with other operating systems, the programming was updated periodically to add other features and to streamline processes that the system would run.

Ironically, the importance of the UNIX system is quite far-reaching.  In fact, some experts call it the most important system you’ll never use.

UNIX is mostly used by Internet servers and database servers.

It is a very efficient multi-user, multi-tasking operating system traditionally used by large companies and educational institutions.

It is scalable from a small system right up to a mainframe-class system (all you need to do is add extra hardware), which makes it suitable for anyone looking for a low cost, reliable operating system.

For programmers it has a wonderful set of built-in utilities, a programmable shell (command/user interface) and a straight forward structure that makes it very easy to quickly produce quite complex programs.

For end users, UNIX has a friendly graphical interface (called X Windows) and many business applications and games.

As we said, UNIX is used as a basis for other operating systems.  One of those is Linux.

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In 1984, Apple Computer introduced the Apple Macintosh personal computer.  The first version was the Macintosh 128K model which came bundled with the Mac OS operating system then known as the “System Software”.

The Mac is often credited with popularizing the graphical user interface (GUI).

The Mac OS has been pre-installed on almost every Macintosh computer ever sold.  The operating system is also sold separately from the computer just as with Microsoft Windows.

The original Mac OS was heavily based on the Lisa OS previously released by Apple for the Lisa computer in 1983.  It also used concepts from other operating systems previewed by Apple executives.

In 1984, Apple partnered with Microsoft in an agreement that would have Microsoft creating versions of Word and Excel for the Mac OS.

For the majority of the 1980’s, the Mac OS lacked a large amount of compatible software, however, the introduction of System 7 saw more software becoming available for the platform.

System 6 was the first major revision of the operating system, although the Mac OS kernel was kept the same from the System 7 revision until Mac OS 9.

The Macintosh project started in early 1979 with Jeff Raskin who envisioned an easy-to-use low-cost computer for the average consumer.  In September of ’79, Raskin was given permission to start hiring for the project.

When version OS 7.6 was released, the stability of the operating system was much better.  People began to fully embrace the Mac OS and their legitimacy returned as a popular operating system.

System 7 also saw the introduction of an interactive help application, and the addition of “Stickies” which were basically virtual Post-It notes.  Many Mac users still have OS 7 on their Apples.

Two other versions would follow in OS 8 and OS 9 each improving on the previous version.  Apple continued to develop updates to their operating system making it more stable and capable of more tasks working efficiently to bring Mac into the 21st century.

The most recent version and one that is used on new systems today is Mac OS X.  This version provides a stable operating environment for the Mac PC and offers more flexibility than other systems.

The graphics are updated with lots of color and a flashier look.

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Back in the late 1970’s, two enterprising young computer programmers named Paul Allen and Bill Gates developed an adaptation for the BASIC computer language that would help run newly created personal computer just coming on the technology market.

As with any technology, their original creation changed and grew.

The two friends decided they had the product and the capability to become successful, so they formed a company now known as Microsoft.

Over the years, Microsoft has grown to a giant in the computer industry with successes never before seen by a “from scratch” endeavor.

Microsoft was responsible for the development of not only several computer languages like COBOL and PASCAL, but also for the development of the earliest operating system MS-DOS.

In partnership with IBM, who was just introducing the personal computer to the individual consumer, all of the IBM computers used MS-DOS on their systems.  The year was 1981.

Windows 3.1 was the first product to fully utilize graphical user interface for ease of controlling what the computer would do.

Windows also now allowed the user to multitask, meaning the user could now run multiple applications at once without having to close out of each program before running another.

2001 – saw the release of Windows XP which is the version most users have to date.  The XP stands for experienced and combined the two major Windows operating systems into one.  It is available in both a home as well as a professional edition.

Windows XP is designed more for users who may not be familiar with all of Windows features and has several new abilities to make the Windows experience easier for those users.

Windows XP includes various new features not found in previous versions of Microsoft Windows. Below is a listing of some of these new features.

• New interface – a completely new look and ability to change the look.
• Updates – new feature that automatically obtains updates from the Internet.
• Internet Explorer 6 – Includes internet explorer 6 and new IM.
• Multilingual support – added support for different languages.
• In addition to the above features, Windows XP does increase reliability when compared to previous versions of Microsoft Windows.

Finally, the most recent upgrade of Windows was just released in 2007.  Called Windows Vista, this new version is intended as an upgrade to XP and 2000 users.

While it does have many new features, this version is intended to give computer users an overall better experience with a dramatic new look.

Added features over previous Windows versions include:

• Windows Aero, a completely new GUI and unlike any previous version of Windows.
• Basic file backup and restore.
• Improved DVD support with the ability to easily create custom DVD movies.
• Easy transfer, a feature that allows you to easily transfer files from an older computer to the new computer.
• File encryption.
• Instant search available through all Explorer windows.
• Support for DirectX 10.
• Self-healing, the ability to automatically detect and correct problems that may be encountered on the computer.
• Shadow copy, a feature that allows you to recover deleted files.
• Improved photo gallery and control of photographs.
• Windows Sidebar and gadgets that allows you to add an almost endless list of different gadgets.
• More parental control.
• Improved Windows Calendar, with the ability to set tasks and appointments.
• And much more.

Some people who are Windows enthusiasts hail this new product as a step into a new technological era.  Windows Vista is flashy, pretty, and impressive, but it comes with its own unique faults as well.

Reviewers report that there are many device drivers lacking in the software and that its size requires a large amount of memory which can cause your computer to run slower and less efficiently.

All versions of Windows do come with the original MS-DOS operating system included in the background for those “old-schoolers” who will want to enter their own computer commands.

All versions also come with a basic word processing program and Internet Explorer for surfing the net.
You will find standard games such as solitaire in Windows as well.

As you know, windows is now developing new operating system, windows 7. You can try the beta version. I haven’t tried it yet. I will wait until the final version released.

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As a user, you normally interact with the operating system through a set of commands. For example, the DOS operating system contains commands such as COPY and RENAME for copying files and changing the names of files, respectively.

The commands are accepted and executed by a part of the operating system called the command processor or command line interpreter.

Graphical user interfaces allow you to enter commands by pointing and clicking at objects that appear on the screen.

But that really doesn’t address the various ways that operating systems make your computer work easier and more efficiently.

Their specific capacities are what make them help your computer operate as a user-friendly device.  Let’s look specifically at what an operating system does.

Process Management

Every program running on a computer whether it is a background service or an application is called a process.

As long as von Neumann architecture is used to build a computer, only one process per CPU can be run at one time.

Older computer operating systems such as MS-DOS did not try to bypass this limit with the exception of interrupt processing and only one process could be run under them.

Mainframe operating systems have had multi-tasking capabilities since the early 1960’s.  Modern operating systems enable concurrent execution of many processes at once via multi-tasking even with one CPU.

Process management is an operating system’s way of dealing with running multiple processes at once.

Since most computers contain one processor with one core, multi-tasking is done by simply switching processes quickly.

Depending on the operating system, as more processes run, either each time slice will become smaller or there will be a longer delay before each process given a chance to run.

Process management involves computing and distributing CPU time as well as other resources.  Most operating systems allow a process to be assigned a priority which affects its allocation of CPU time.

Interactive operating systems also employ some level of feedback in which the task with which the user is working receives higher priority.

Interrupt driven processes will normally run at a very high priority.  In many systems, there is a background process such as the System Idle Process in Windows which will run when no other process is waiting for the CPU.

What Does an Operating System Do ? is a post from: Computer Spot

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The earliest of computers didn’t have an operating system.  By the early 1960’s, commercial computer vendors were supplying quite extensive tools for streamlining the development, scheduling and execution of jobs on batch processing systems.

Through the 1960’s, several concepts were developed which drove the development of operating systems.

The IBM System 360 produced a family of mainframe computer that served consumers with differing capacities and prices.

A single operating system was planned for these computers rather than developing generic programs for every individual model.

This concept of a single OS that will fit an entire product line was crucial for the success of System 360.

In fact, IBM’s current mainframe operating systems are distant relatives of this original system.  The advantage to this is that applications written for the OS 360 can still be run on modern machines.

The OS 360 system also contained another important advance affecting today’s computers:  the development of a hard disk permanent storage device which IBM called DASD.

A second key development was the concept of time sharing.  Time sharing involves sharing the resources of expensive computers among multiple computer users interacting in real time with the system.

That essentially means is that all of the users have the illusion of exclusive access to the machine.  The most famous of time sharing system was called Multics.

Multics served as an inspiration to a number of operating systems developed in the 1970’s.  Most notably was the Unix system.  Another commercially popular mini-computer operating system was VMS.

The first microcomputers did not have the capacity or need for the elaborate operating systems that had originally been developed for mainframes and minis.  Smaller operating systems were developed and often loaded from ROM and known as Monitors.

One notable early disk-based OS was CP/M which was supported on many early micro-computers and was largely cloned when MS-DOS was created.  MS-DOS became wildly popular as the operating system chosen for the IBM PC.

The successive operating systems that came from MS-DOS made Microsoft one of the most profitable companies in the world with the development of Windows.

The only other alternative throughout the 1980’s was Mac OS which was tied intimately to the Apple McIntosh computer.

By the 1990s, the microcomputer had evolved to the point where it became increasingly desirable.  Everyone wanted a home computer.

Microsoft had already come out with Windows 95 and 98, but people longed for more power and more options.

Microsoft’s response to this change was the development of Windows NT which served as the basis for Microsoft’s desktop operating system line that launched in 2001.

Apple was also rebuilding their own operating system on top of Unix core as Mac OS X also released in 2001 developing one of the business world’s greatest rivalries.

Today, our operating systems usually have a graphical user interface (GUI) which uses a pointing device such as a mouse of stylus for input in addition to the keyboard.

Older systems – and we mean REALLY OLD – use a command line interface asking for commands to be entered via the keyboard.

History of Operating Systems is a post from: Computer Spot

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