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Written by Tony Phelps
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Thursday, 17 November 2005 |
The computer’s “operating system” is a fundamental component – but just what is it??
If we use a car as an analogy, the operating system would be the
equivalent of the fuel you put in to make it go – even the most
expensive car, the car with the biggest engine, the car with the
grooviest tinted windows, stripes, chrome bars and stereo, is going
nowhere unless it has fuel.
So it is with the computer. The stuff you can touch and pick up and
occasionally thump in frustration, that’s the ‘hardware’. It is a
collection of electronics that is pretty much useless, even if you
provide electricity, unless there is something to make the computer go,
and be able to do useful things. And so we have the operating system,
the computer ‘fuel’ that enables it to get going.
Most operating systems actually come with a great many bells &
whistles added already. After all, a brand new car with fuel is no good
just sitting on the driveway. You need to be able to get in and drive
somewhere, transport things (like groceries or market goods) and
people, visit other people. Likewise, a computer that has just a
bare-bones operating system is ready and able to perform electronic
services but doesn’t actually have any services to provide.
So we add applications to the operating system. As mentioned, most
operating systems will come with a host of applications already
included – things like a calculator, a basic word processor, a filing
system, and commonly email and web-browsing software, amongst
many others. To again use the car analogy, this is like a car being
provided with windows that wind down, mirrors, indicators, door locks –
all the bits and pieces that you might not notice unless they weren’t
there, and which make a car more than a basic transportation device.
Operating systems come in different flavours, and can be very
different. Again using the car analogy, we can use petrol, diesel, gas,
electricity, and in Vanuatu we’re starting to use coconut oil. Each has
very different requirements to make the car successfully go. In terms
of computers, we have Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac, Linux, Unix, and
other rarer types – each quite different from the others. Which one you
go with is a matter of personal preference, budget, security, and level
of computer confidence.
At the end of the day, though, what matters is that the computer is
available to do useful stuff – the operating system is only an enabler.
The procedure for accomplishing a task on a computer may very from one
operating system to another, but the end result should be the same. So
bear in mind that you do have a choice, and if possible, have a look at
the alternatives. One of the other “fuels” may well suit you better! |
