LeftyGuitar Posted April 17 Report Posted April 17 Hi all, I'm going to give a brief overview of operating systems and the the three main ones used today. There are actually a handful of Operating systems out there. However you have probably heard of these, Windows OS, MacOS and GNU/Linux. Note OS is often short for operating system when it comes to computing. Keep in mind this is just a basic overview of Operating Systems. When you turn on your computer, the BIOS does a basic check and makes sure your computer components are all good, then it will boot into the OS. Usually the bootable device will be the HDD/SSD. Windows - Probably the best known OS. Its often pre-installed on prebuilt computers. The newest version of Windows at this time of writing is Windows 11. Windows originally started as a GUI for DOS(Disk Operating System). It is probably the easiest OS to use. Of course it is not without is problems. It has gotten better with its security issues over time. MacOS/OSX - Apple's OS for Mac based systems. I don't have much experience with it as I've never really used a mac. Haven't used an Apple computer since the Apple II back in elementary school. If anyone has more to add, feel free. GNU/Linux - Do you want full control over your OS? Well Linux may be for you, its fully open source and you can cusotmize it to your heart's content. Linux is often offered in formats called distros, each one has their own unique take on the Linux formula. Some are easier to learn/use than others, while others give you more control over your computer. Linux Mint is a popular choice for newcomers to Linux. 3
Cutestfishinthesea703 Posted Thursday at 09:21 PM Report Posted Thursday at 09:21 PM What does BIOS mean? Why would someone want full control over their OS? What is the purpose of an OS? like what do they do (ik this is a dumb question but I need you to draw it out for me please ðŸ˜) 1
NR_Daddy Posted Thursday at 09:40 PM Report Posted Thursday at 09:40 PM (edited) The link below explains in detail what a BIOS is. What it is in very basic terms is a set of instructions on a small chip that checks the basic running of the PC and allows the Operating System to load https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/glossary/what-is-a-bios/?orgRef=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&srsltid=AfmBOooncHKbJJQxFPh2BNsxFZMYcGftejJ9iYRnC_nA1mFvM6ypq3cb Some people don't like that some OS (Operating System) providers, like microsoft, force their changes on users. Sometimes they take good things away and add functions of little to no use for most users. The link below explains what an OS is. It basically allocates computer resources like memory, graphics, processing power or storage space (hard drive) to software you might install. It is what allows you to interact with the programs you install. It also attempts to keep you and your data safe in a world where threats exist. https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/operating-systems Edited Thursday at 10:45 PM by NR_Daddy 2 1
LeftyGuitar Posted Friday at 01:31 AM Author Report Posted Friday at 01:31 AM To help answer the questions some more. BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System. It does a basic check of your computer when you turn it on. After everything is okay, it boots into the OS. Note that BIOS has been superseded by Unified Extensible Firmware Interface or (UEFI) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFI. It's still the BIOS, but like a more advanced and user friendly BIOS. If you're a computer geek, you probably want full control over your computer and OS. A OS is what basically makes a computer usable. Without a OS, a computer is basically usesless. If you're just a casual user of a computer, you'll probably be familiar with Windows. 1
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