What is an operating System (O.S)?
An Operating system (OS) is a software which acts as an interface between the end user and computer hardware. Every computer must have at least one OS to run other programs. Applications like Chrome, MS Word, Games, etc needs some environment in which it will run and perform its task. It is not possible for the user to use any computer or mobile device without having an operating system. It was developed by Microsoft Corporation of USA. Without an operating system, a computer is useless. The three most common operating systems for personal computers are Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux. The first OS built by Microsoft was DOS in 1981. The present-day popular OS Windows first came to existence in 1985 when a GUI was created and paired with MS-DOS. There have been many different versions of Windows, but the most recent ones are Windows 10 (released in 2015) List of Microsoft windows version and date of release is as given below:-
 |
| Operating System |
|
Name |
Date
of release |
|
Windows
1.0 |
1985 |
|
Windows
2.0 |
1987 |
|
Windows
3.1 |
1992 |
|
Windows
95 |
1995 |
|
Windows
98 |
1998 |
|
Windows
XP |
2001 |
|
Windows
Vista |
2006 |
macOS (previously called OS X) is a line of operating systems created by Apple. It comes preloaded on all Macintosh computers, or Macs. Some of the specific versions include Mojave (released in 2018), High Sierra (2017), and Sierra (2016). Linux (pronounced LINN-ux) is a family of open-source operating systems, which means they can be modified and distributed by anyone around the world. This is different from proprietary software like Windows, which can only be modified by the company that.
owns it.AS Operating systems for mobile devices: -
Mobile devices such as phones, tablet computers, and MP3 players are different from desktop and laptop computers, so they run operating systems that are designed specifically for mobile devices. Examples of mobile operating systems include Apple iOS and Google Android