What Is a Computer Operating System?

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Computers use low-level software called an operating system (O/S) to help people build and run their own programs. Operating system software runs not just on laptop computers but also on cell phones, network routers and other so-called embedded devices. Types of Operating Systems The best-known operating systems are those used on personal computers: • Microsoft Windows • Mac OS X • Linux Some operating systems are designed for certain types of equipment, such as • Google Android (a variant of Linux), and Symbian - for cell phones • Solaris, HP-UX, DG-UX, and other variants of Unix - for server computers • DEC VMS (Virtual Memory System) - for mainframe computers Other operating systems enjoyed a period of notoriety but are of only historical interest now: • Novell Netware was a popular O/S for PCs in the 1990s • IBM OS/2 was an early PC O/S that competed with Microsoft Windows for a time but had limited success • Multics was an especially innovative operating system created in the 1960s for mainframes, that influenced the later development of Unix