Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 75 Chapter 2 Operating Systems CHAPTER SUMMARY What Is an Operating System? ■ An operating system is the underlying software that provides a computer user with all the basic services of resource management on the machine, including a fi le system structure and a means of communicat- ing with the computer hardware. ■ Th e core of any operating system is referred to as the kernel. Operating System Characteristics ■All operating systems have a user interface, a fi le system structure, a fi le table, confi guration fi les, and the ability to multitask. ■ Operating systems, hardware devices, and software applications are identifi ed using the terms 32-bit and 64-bit, which refer to how much data can be processed at once by the CPU or how much total memory the operating system can access. ■ Th ere are two dominant user interfaces used to issue commands on a computer system: graphical user interface and command-line interface. ■ Examples of fi le systems include FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, and NTFS. Microsoft Windows Operating System ■ Th e most widely used operating system is Microsoft Windows. ■ Th e most signifi cant diff erences between Windows 8 and earlier Windows operating systems are its user interface, user account settings, and the incorporation of cloud access. ■ Windows 10 brought back the traditional Start menu. ■ Cmd.exe is a compact program that allows the user to interact with the computer using commands entered at the command prompt. ■ Most versions and editions of Windows have a simi- lar set of features. Microsoft Windows Installation ■ An upgrade means that you can install Windows on an existing operating system and retain fi les, settings, and applications. A clean install means that the previous operating system is completely replaced and you will lose all fi les, settings, and applications. ■ Carrying out a Windows installation calls for knowledge of an operating system’s hardware requirements and determining whether an upgrade or clean install should be performed. Microsoft Windows Boot Sequences ■ A cold boot, also called a hard boot, means that the electrical power switch is used to turn on the com- puter. A warm boot, or soft boot, is used to restart a computer that is already running. ■ Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 share a similar boot sequence: POST, initial startup phase, Windows Boot Manager phase, Windows Boot Loader phase, kernel-loading phase, and logon phase. Windows 10 supports the UEFI in place of the BIOS for a faster, more fl exible boot process. ■ Th e power-on self-test (POST) is a simple diagnostic program that is initiated when electrical power is applied to the computer system and is common to all operating systems. ■ In a BIOS-based system, the POST is initiated by the bootstrap program in the fi rmware. Th e boot sequence is slightly diff erent for a computer equipped with UEFI, or EFI. Apple Macintosh OS ■ MacOS is the operating system developed by Apple, Inc. to run on their Macintosh line of computer systems. ■ MacOS is derived from NextSTEP, which itself was based off the Mach kernel from CMU and the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) of the Unix operating system. ■ Often, Macs are not found in traditional offi ce-type work environments, but they are used almost exclu- sively in industries that fi t their creative features. Common Mobile Devices and Operating Systems ■ Common mobile devices are cell phones, tablets, and some gaming hardware common portable device tasks are Internet access and collaboration activities. Cloud Computing ■ Examples of cloud computing shared resources and services are storage, application software, instant messaging, e-mail, and database support. ■ Th e term cloud is synonymous with the Internet symbol used in network drawings.