What is the defenition of what an operating system is and what is its purpose?
The operating system is the most basic program in a computer. All computers have an operating system along with other things used for starting the computer and running other programs (application programs). The operating system performs important tasks like receiving input from the keyboard and mouse, sending information to the screen, keeping track of files and directories on the disk, as well as controlling the various units such as disks, printers, etc. An operating system also offers a user interface, giving the user the possibility to control the computer. Examples of operating systems are: Windows95/98, Windows NT/2000, Novell Netware, Mac OS, UNIX, Linux.