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System Advantages of an Operating System User Interface and Graphical User Interface How to use Windows operating system
The relationship between the modern computer system and user can be shown as follows. User
Bank Management Systems Compilers Office Softwares Editors Operating Systems Hardware Figure - 5.1 Web Browser Command Interpreters
The lowest layer of this system is hardware. All the physical appliances belong to this. Operating Systems, Editors, Command Interpreters, Compliers and Utility Software belong to the layer of System Software. Software such as Bank Management Systems, Office Software and Web Browser belong to the next layer; Application Programs. The user fulfils his requirements using the Application Programs.
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1. Memory Management
Operating systems operate memory when the computer software needs memory. This is called Memory Management. Another function of an operating system is to create space for memory to do various tasks. Computer memory is managed by the operation system when several processes are done simultaneously so that there will be no clash. Another function of an operating system is to release the memory to do a new task when the previous task is totally completed. It is a responsibility of an operating system to manage memory to avoid clashes when there are many users.
2. Process Management
The basic concept of a modern operating system is processes. A process is an operating collection of Program Instructions. Things such as a collection of symbols, relevant data, other relevant tools and the Central Processing Unit are used in a process. Imagine the user needs to input data from a keyboard or to get data by reading a file. Compared the speed of the Central Processing Unit, the speed of data input is very slow. So, the Central Processing Unit is in an idle state during this time. What happens in a multi - processing environment is another process is started during this time. When the data input of the first process is over, a remaining part of the first process is being operated. Therefore, it seems that two systems are running parallel. But what actually happens is the controlling of the processes using the methods like time allocation.
3. Device Management
The biggest challenge a computer operating system faces can be the device management. An operating system has to handle various devices in various ways. Some examples for these can be the hardware of a computer such as the printer, memory and the mother board. The factors such as the speed of the process, amount of information, its purpose, direction where information flows, protocol used to transfer information and communication rules affect the management of devices.
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For example, if you want to read a letter in the hard disk, accessing the hard disk will appear to be a very simple task. But this can be considered a collection of a number of small processes. This task will be fulfilled by the coordination of I / O Hardware and I / O Software input output devices and the software.
When you prepare a letter using Word processing software and print it, the input signals given to the computer by the Assignment 5. 1 keyboard is sent to the operating system by the input output software. The operating system identifies the relevant signals and sends it to the Word processing software so that it can displays the relevant letters on the computer screen. Discuss how the input output software is used here.
4. File Management
You may have used Files to save information in computer and retrieved those you have saved without any issue. It is very important for a computer to save files in a place we want and to manage those properly. Think of a file in an office for example. There is a file which includes the personal details as well. Likewise, there is a file which includes official matters and sales details. If these three files are saved in three different places in the hard disk, it will be a difficult, time consuming task for us to find a particular document which includes these details. If all the three files are saved in the same place, the task will be very easy. File management is very useful here. Operating system manages the processes of organizing, naming, protecting, accessing and using the files. This is called the file management. File management programme gives oppertunity to create, delete, copy, move or rename files and folders.
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Assignment 5.2
Study several operating systems used in micro computers and prepare a list of the advantages and disadvantages of the micro computers to its users.
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1. Windows
Rectangular area of a computer screen which uses to do some functions is called Windows. Various software programmes or files can be displayed in each Window. Further, these Windows can be dragged here and there on computer screen. We can even change the sizes of these as well.
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2. Icons
Small pictures which represent commands, files or Windows are called icons. We can operate the commands or software by double clicking these icons.
3. Menu
The list of commands and options in software is called the menu. We can operate the commands by selecting the commands in the menu. The menu consists of the Menu Bar and Sub Menus.
4. Pointer
This is a movable symbol on the computer screen which is used to select the commands and objects displayed on the computer screen. Mostly this is shown in a small arrow (E.g.: Mouse Pointer) and the letter I shows the Beam Pointer. This can be moved anywhere on the computer screen and commands can be operated by dragging the pointer to the icon.
Computer Screen
The Desktop where all the icons are organized is called the computer screen. The first thing we can see when we operate the computer is the computer screen.
Quick Lounch
Quick launch access can be seen on the right of the button in K in K Desktop environment In some Ubuntu and Knopix systems (these operation systems are based on Linux) and on the right of the Start Button in Ms Windows operation system. You can get the shortcuts here to reach the software which you frequently use. The first GUI Interface was designed in 1970s by Xerox Corporations Palo Alto Research Centre. However, this remained unsuccessful till Graphical User Interface became popular in Apple Macintosh computers.
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Assignment 5.3
The main menu is the highest layer of this Windows Explorer window. There are three toolbars below that. 1. Standard Button. 2. Address Bar. 3. Links.
1. Standard Button
You can change this as you wish. Some commands can be operated using the tools in the Toolbar. You can change the tools as follows;
View Toolbars Customize
2. Address Bar
Apart from accessing internal and external data storages, this enables us to access the outside web pages. The Address Bar can be used as a Command Line as well.
3. Link
You can change the links as you wish using the short cuts for the web pages you frequently browse. 1. Explore your folder saved in My Documents using Address Bar. Assignment 5.4 2. Prepare standard buttons as you wish. 3. Add the short cuts of the search engines you browse frequently to links tool bar. The area below the toolbars mentioned above is called the data area. This is normally divided into two. However, this can be changed as one or two columns as well.
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Explorer Bar
This is the left, vertical column of the Windows Explorer. This shows a hierarchical view of the memory storages of your computer. You can see the content of this folder by clicking on + mark which is with on the folders. Further, you can unfold the content of the folder by clicking the mark with the folder. When you click on the folders or sub folders on Task Pane, the content is displayed on the right side of the screen.
Drives
The memory storages displayed on the Windows Explorer can be called the drives. In Windows XP, A: and B: show floppy disk drives while C: and D: show the partition of the hard disk. After naming those partitions, the next English letters are used to name CD / DVD drives and an English letter which comes after that is used to name USB Port which is connected externally.
Assignment 3.5
Prepare a list of the extensions you see in your computer and mention the features of the files which have extensions.
Recycle bin
When a file is deleted, it is removed from the hard disk and it goes to the folder called recycle bin. Therefore, there is a chance of getting it back. However, if you delete the file even from the recycle bin, you cannot retrieve the file again.
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Unlike Windows Operating system, there are various interface set-ups created to use in Linux. Among them, Gnome, KDE3, KDE4, XFCE4 and Enlighten can be stated into the descending order of popularity. Figure 5.5 depicts the screen of Gnome interface setup. Through it was inconvenient to use Linux for the users in the past; the increasing number of common users at present proves it to be convenient now. By using Gnome interface setup Its clearly seen that windows users to use Linux conveniently.
Figure: 5.5
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