Edenne

THE OPERATING SYSTEM

The operating system is the most important program of the computer. It helps both the hardware and software components of the computer to perform their functions. 

This lesson will introduce you to computer operating systems and help you figure out the difference between application and operating system software. Also, we will learn the difference between a desktop and wallpaper.

|The System Software | |

|The system software of a computer is a program that runs on top of hardware components in a computer. Without the system software, it is | |

|extremely difficult to make use of the computer. One of the basic functions of the system software is to save information from the | |

|computer memory to an external device and to recognize text from external devices, such as the keyboard, onto the monitor. There are | |

|different kinds of system software programs that make the computer a fascinating and complex device. | |

Application vs. Operating System

When I ask someone what version of Windows they're using, I often get a comment similar to, 'I thought software was just software.' The truth is there are two main categories of software: applications and operating system software.

Application software is the software that lets us do something with our computer. In other words, the software you use to do the things you like to do, things like playing games, going online, listening to music and typing papers or creating presentations. The operating system software, or operating system or OS, is the software your computer uses to process start-up instructions, interpret and communicate between applications software and devices used and to maintain your system.

When you listen to your music, your player application software works to take your music from its...