What is an operating system?

 An operating system (sometimes abbreviated

as "OS") is the program that, after being initially loaded into the computer by
a boot program, manages all the other programs in a computer. The other
programs are called applications or application programs. The application
programs make use of the operating system by making requests for services
through a defined application program interface (API). In addition, users can
interact directly with the operating system through a user interface such as a
command language or a graphical user interface (GUI).
An operating system performs these services for applications:

 In a multitasking operating system where multiple programs can be

running at the same time, the operating system determines which
applications should run in what order and how much time should be
allowed for each application before giving another application a turn.
 It manages the sharing of internal memory among multiple applications.
 It handles input and output to and from attached hardware devices,
such as hard disks, printers, and dial-up ports.
 It sends messages to each application or interactive user (or to a system
operator) about the status of operation and any errors that may have
occurred.
 It can offload the management of what are called batch jobs (for
example, printing) so that the initiating application is freed from this work.
 On computers that can provide parallel processing, an operating system
can manage how to divide the program so that it runs on more than one
processor at a time.
All major computer platforms (hardware and software) require and
sometimes include an operating system. Linux, Windows, VMS, OS/400, AIX,
and z/OS are all examples of operating systems.
Operating System types

As computers have progressed and developed, so have the operating systems. Below is a
basic list of the types of operating systems and a few examples of operating systems that
fall into each of the types. Many computer operating systems will fall into more than one of
the below types.
GUI - Short for Graphical User Interface, a GUI operating system contains graphics and
icons and is commonly navigated by using a computer mouse. See the GUI definition for a
complete definition. Examples of GUI operating systems are:
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 different times. See the multi-user definition for a complete
definition. Examples of operating systems that would fall into this category are:
Linux Unix Windows 2000
Multiprocessing - An operating system capable of supporting and utilizing more than one
computer processor. Examples of operating systems that would fall into this category are:
Linux Unix Windows XP
Multitasking - An operating system that is capable of allowing multiple software processes
to run at the same time. Examples of operating systems that would fall into this category
are:
Linux Unix Windows 8
Multithreading - Operating systems that allow different parts of a software program to
run concurrently. Examples of operating systems that would fall into this category are:
Linux Unix Windows XP