Operating System is described as an interface between the peripherals and the user programs. It is a platform upon which other programs can be installed i.e., it sets up an environment for loading software.

The basic functions of Operating System are :

1. To manage hardware and software resources.

2. To supervise the system’s resources.

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3. To help in executing the instructions.

4. To co-ordinate between various peripherals such as keyboard, printer and monitor.

The various types of OS are:

Disk Operating System (DOS)

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Unix

Linux

Windows 95

Windows 98

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Windows NT

Windows XP

Windows ME

Windows 2000

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At the time of authoring this book Microsoft Corporation released win2k3.