Operating Systems

The operating system stops the open programs on the RAM reading and writing to the memory areas of the other programs becuase it ensures that each program has its own space on the RAM.

Operating systems provide the user interface so that users can interact with the computer

When you want to save a file in a program, the opperating system provides memory management to save it. This brings the application to the RAM

A GUI is a Graphical User Interface. This uses windows, icons, menus and pointers to control thee computer.

Anoperating system prevents a computer from being open to abuse or sabotage from its users by asking for usernames and passwords as well as giving different users different permissions. This means that one user many be given permission to install new programs whereas other cannot.

A peripheral device is something that is attached to the computer

The operating system controls the peripheral devices and gives programs access to them.

A GUI differs from a command line interface because a GUI uses different ways to contol the computer whilst the command line interface used to be the only way to interact with a computer before the 1980's

The word interface means coming together.

A menu driven interface differs from a GUI a GUI uses because windows, icons, menus and pointers whereas a menu driven interface only uses menus.

The three major interfaces the operating system provides are the GUI, the menu driven interface and the command line interface.

Modern computers appear to have several programs working at the same time because the CPU's are so quick.

The program does not know how to communicate with a printer because it doesn't know how to talk to the printer or even if there is one installed

The OS stops the open programs on the RAM reading and writing to the memory because it ensures that each program has its own space on the RAM

The OS can allow several users to use the same PC. This is done by giving users usernames and passwords so data is kept secure

The most common type of interface used by a PC is a GUI

An OS enables several programs to run at the same time when a CPU core can only actually deal with one process at a time. It does this by either allowing processes to take it in turn or getting the shortest job done first.

Multi-tasking is managing the CPU's processes so that several programs can run at once.