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Operating system
hideAn operating system (commonly abbreviated to either OS or O/S) is an interface between hardware and user; an OS is responsible for the management and coordination of activities and the sharing of the resources of the computer. The operating system acts as a host for computing applications that are run on the machine. As a host, one of the purposes of an operating system is to handle the details of the operation of the hardware. This relieves application programs from having to manage these details and makes it easier to write applications. Almost all computers (including handheld computers, desktop computers, supercomputers, video game consoles) as well as some robots, domestic appliances (dishwashers, washing machines), and portable media players use an operating system of some type. Some of the oldest models may however use an embedded operating system, that may be contained on a compact disk or other data storage device.
Operating systems offer a number of services to application programs and users. Applications access these services through application programming interfaces (APIs) or system calls. By invoking these interfaces, the application can request a service from the operating system, pass parameters, and receive the results of the operation. Users may also interact with the operating system with some kind of software user interface (UI) like typing commands by using command line interface (CLI) or using a graphical user interface (GUI, commonly pronounced “gooey”). For hand-held and desktop computers, the user interface is generally considered part of the operating system. On large multi-user systems like Unix and Unix-like systems, the user interface is generally implemented as an application program that runs outside the operating system. (Whether the user interface should be included as part of the operating system is a point of contention.)
Common contemporary operating system families include BSD, Darwin (Mac OS X), GNU/Linux, SunOS (Solaris/OpenSolaris), and Windows NT (XP/Vista/7). While servers generally run Unix or some Unix-like operating system, embedded system markets are split amongst several operating systems.
For more information about Operating system, read the full article at
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This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with operating system
Google out to shake up the smart-phone industry
Dec 17, 2009 |
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Google, already a disruptive presence in the mobile phone industry, seems to be itching to reshape it once more. As early as January, the company plans to sell directly to consumers a new smart-phone that will not be "locked" ...
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Doctors' bedside skills trump medical technology
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Dec 18, 2009 |
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Sometimes, a simple bedside exam performed by a skilled physician is superior to a high-tech CT scan, a Loyola University Health System study has found.
A new generation of computer tablets is on its way
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
Dec 17, 2009 |
3.7 / 5 (7) |
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I may have caught a glimpse of the future last week. In San Francisco, a startup company called Fusion Garage showed off the JooJoo, a touch-screen device that looks like the iPhone's big brother. The JooJoo ...
NASA Tests Unique Jumbo Jet with Opening in Side; Plane's Airborne Telescope Will Be Used to Study Cosmos
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Dec 21, 2009 |
5 / 5 (4) |
2
(PhysOrg.com) -- A NASA jumbo jet that will help scientists unlock the origins of the universe with infrared observations reached a milestone Friday when doors covering the plane's telescope were fully opened ...
Intel Announces Next-Generation Atom Platform (w/ Video)
Dec 21, 2009 |
2.6 / 5 (5) |
3
Intel Corporation announced new Intel Atom processors today that feature integrated graphics built directly into the CPU, enabling improved performance and smaller, more energy-efficient designs in a new generation ...
Google phone revolution or misdirection?
Dec 19, 2009 |
3.8 / 5 (4) |
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Google smartphones are either a daring foray into the telecom world or a misunderstood test of the next-generation of the Internet giant's Android mobile operating system.
National Robotics Engineering Center Demonstrates the Future of Smart Work
Dec 21, 2009 |
5 / 5 (3) |
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The National Robotics Engineering Center, (NREC) at Carnegie Mellon University is at the forefront of partnering man with technology to improve safety and costs. Among the completed projects are, the Caisson ...
China issues new rules on Internet domain names
Dec 22, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
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China's Internet watchdog issued a new set of rules on domain name registration this week in a bid to curb pornography and illegal content.
Next-generation Intel products to be launched in January; Include first 32-nm Core i3, i5 processors
Dec 18, 2009 |
3.7 / 5 (13) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Intel has announced it will launch over two dozen new products next month, including new processors, chipsets, and a number of wireless components.
The next medical frontier: nano-surgery
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
Dec 21, 2009 |
5 / 5 (4) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Engineering professor's nanorobot could be performing non-invasive surgical procedures on patients with tumors within the next decade.
Dutch researchers explore advanced brain diagnostic techniques
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Dec 21, 2009 |
4 / 5 (1) |
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At present the task of diagnosing brain disorders using electroencephalography (EEG) is still performed by humans, but in years to come it will increasingly be taken over by computerized systems. This will ...
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