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Types of Operating Systems
Types of Operating Systems
Within the broad family of operating systems, there are generally four types, categorized
based on the types of computers they control and the sort of applications they support.
The categories are:
Real-time operating system (RTOS) - Real-time operating systems are used to
control machinery, scientific instruments and industrial systems. An RTOS
typically has very little user-interface capability, and no end-user utilities, since
the system will be a "sealed box" when delivered for use. A very important part of
an RTOS is managing the resources of the computer so that a particular operation
executes in precisely the same amount of time, every time it occurs. In a complex
machine, having a part move more quickly just because system resources are
available may be just as catastrophic as having it not move at all because the
system is busy.
Single-user, single task - As the name implies, this operating system is designed
to manage the computer so that one user can effectively do one thing at a time.
The Palm OS for Palm handheld computers is a good example of a modern single-
user, single-task operating system.
Single-user, multi-tasking - This is the type of operating system most people use
on their desktop and laptop computers today. Microsoft's Windows and Apple's
MacOS platforms are both examples of operating systems that will let a single
user have several programs in operation at the same time. For example, it's
entirely possible for a Windows user to be writing a note in a word processor
while downloading a file from the Internet while printing the text of an e-mail
message.
Multi-user - A multi-user operating system allows many different users to take
advantage of the computer's resources simultaneously. The operating system must
make sure that the requirements of the various users are balanced, and that each of
the programs they are using has sufficient and separate resources so that a
problem with one user doesn't affect the entire community of users. Unix, VMS
and mainframe operating systems, such as MVS, are examples of multi-user
operating systems.
Photo courtesy Apple
Mac OS X Panther screen shot
With the different types of operating systems in mind, it's time to look at the basic
functions provided by an operating system.
Multi-user and Single-user Operating Systems: The operating systems of this type
allow a multiple users to access a computer system concurrently. Time-sharing system
can be classified as multi-user systems as they enable a multiple user access to a
computer through the sharing of time. Single-user operating systems, as opposed to a
multi-user operating system, are usable by a single user at a time. Being able to have
multiple accounts on a Windows operating system does not make it a multi-user system.
Rather, only the network administrator is the real user. But for a Unix-like operating
system, it is possible for two users to login at a time and this capability of the OS makes
it a multi-user operating system.
Embedded System: The operating systems designed for being used in embedded
computer systems are known as embedded operating systems. They are designed to
operate on small machines like PDAs with less autonomy. They are able to operate with a
limited number of resources. They are very compact and extremely efficient by design.
Windows CE, FreeBSD and Minix 3 are some examples of embedded operating systems.
The operating systems thus contribute to the simplification of the human interaction with
the computer hardware. They are responsible for linking application programs with the
hardware, thus achieving an easy user access to the computers.
As computers have progressed and developed so have the types of operating systems.
Below is a basic list of the different types of operating systems and a few examples of
operating systems that fall into each of the categories. Many computer operating systems
will fall into more than one of the below categories.
GUI - Short for Graphical User Interface, a GUI Operating System contains graphics and
icons and is commonly navigated by using a computer mouse. See our GUI dictionary
definition for a complete definition. Below are some examples of GUI Operating
Systems.
System 7.x
Windows 98
Windows CE
Multi-user - A multi-user operating system allows for multiple users to use the same
computer at the same time and/or different times. See our multi-user dictionary definition
for a complete definition for a complete definition. Below are some examples of multi-
user operating systems.
Linux
Unix
Windows 2000
Linux
Unix
Windows 2000
Unix
Windows 2000
Linux
Unix
Windows 2000
Within the broad family of operating systems, there are generally four types, categorized
based on the types of computers they control and the sort of applications they support.
The broad categories are:
Real-time operating systems:
They are used to control machinery, scientific instruments and industrial systems. An
RTOS typically has very little user-interface capability, and no end-user utilities, since
the system will be a sealed box when delivered for use. A very important part of an RTOS
is managing the resources of the computer so that a particular operation executes in
precisely the same amount of time every time it occurs. In a complex machine, having a
part move more quickly just because system resources are available may be just as
catastrophic as having it not move at all because the system is busy.
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