Why is the operating system the most important software on the computer?

Answer 1

There are many aspects of the operating system which are vital to the smooth running of your computer system, with a number listed below :-

Speed

Many people are forever demanding quicker and quicker computer systems, and while they may have the best chips in the world, ultimately it is the operating system which will dictate processing speeds and the overall performance of your computer.

Security

In basic terms the operating system is the interface between your computer and supporting hardware and software. The Kernel of any operating system is the most vital area and is the one which is afforded the most protection. Microsoft was in trouble at the launch of Windows XP because they would not allow security software companies access to this area - concerned about possible consequences.

Control

While many of us just take for granted that we can have multiple programs and multiple services running at the same time, this can often require complicated stacking and queuing systems. This is an area of your operating systems which is hardly mentioned, but one which allows you to affectively multi-task.

The fight between the likes of Linux based and Windows based operating systems has started to hot up over the last couple of years and has pushed the operating system sector to the fore. More and more people are now curious as to what the operating system controls and what it does. This in turn has seen many look into what Linux offers over Windows and other operating systems.

Answer 2

Operating System At the simplest level, an operating system does two things:

1. It manages the hardware and software resources of the system. In a desktop computer, these resources include such things as the processor, memory, disk space, etc. (On a cell phone, they include the keypad, the screen, the address book, the phone dialer, the battery and the network connection.)
2. It provides a stable, consistent way for applications to deal with the hardware without having to know all the details of the hardware.

The first task, managing the hardware and software resources, is very important, as various programs and input methods compete for the attention of the central processing unit (CPU) and demand memory, storage and input/output (I/O) bandwidth for their own purposes. In this capacity, the operating system plays the role of the good parent, making sure that each application gets the necessary resources while playing nicely with all the other applications, as well as husbanding the limited capacity of the system to the greatest good of all the users and applications. The second task, providing a consistent application interface, is especially important if there is to be more than one of a particular type of computer using the operating system, or if the hardware making up the computer is ever open to change. A consistent application program interface (API) allows a software developer to write an application on one computer and have a high level of confidence that it will run on another computer of the same type, even if the amount of memory or the quantity of storage is different on the two machines. Even if a particular computer is unique, an operating system can ensure that applications continue to run when hardware upgrades and updates occur. This is because the operating system and not the application is charged with managing the hardware and the distribution of its resources. One of the challenges facing developers is keeping their operating systems flexible enough to run hardware from the thousands of vendors manufacturing computer equipment. Today's systems can accommodate thousands of different printers, disk drives and special peripherals in any possible combination. The operating system is the interface between the hardware and the user.

If there were no O/S, the computer would be an expensive door stop or the application programs would have to include device drivers and all the functionality and services that are supplied by an operating system.

For many reasons. In simple terms, which is why it has its name, it cannot operate without one. It does lots of jobs like controlling memory, allowing you to install and run the programs you need to use, enable the computer to communicate properly with the hardware - like printers, your monitor, your keyboard. It does all these and many other little tasks. It is the most important piece of software, but doing much of its work Behind the Scenes so you don't realize it.

Answer 3

A computer does not need Windows. It does need, however, an operating system in order to do anything useful. Windows is the most popular operating system for computers, but there are others, such as Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, and OS X (for Macs).

Answer 4

The operating system is essentially a system of rules that tell the computer what to do with the information contained within a program. Think of it like a recipe for making a cake. You could be given all the ingredients to make a cake - but without the instructions on what to do with the ingredients - chances are your cake would not turn out right.

The operating system is the computers 'recipe'

Answer 5

A computer is basically just a very complicated electronic switching mechanism which, given a certain pattern of inputs will produce a defined pattern of outputs.

To make use of this switch system one needs something to set the input and read the output patterns, this is the basis job of the operating system. All else is built on top of this.

With the very first computers people had to set the input switches and read off the outputs and while this worked, it was too slow, more efficient ways were found to do this and these solutions were the first operating systems. Since then the Operating systems have become more efficient and effective, encompassing storage, input and output devices, and networking.

Answer 6

The operating system - ensures that all the installed programs work with other programs, that the computer can 'communicate' with any peripheral device that's plugged into an expansion port, and that the computer can display what it's doing to the user. It's essentially the 'brains' of the system. Without it, the computer will still switch on - but it won't actually do anything.

Answer 7

It is the program that runs all other programs under it. It also runs all the functions of a computer.