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Chapter 4 System Software
Chapter 4
System Software
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Presentation Overview
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The Function of System Software
The Function of the Operating System
Software User Interfaces
Personal Computer Operating Systems
Server Operating Systems
Operating Systems for Handheld Devices
Utility Programs and Translators
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The Function of System
Software
What is the function of
system software?
– To tell the computer
what to do and how to
do it
– To issue instructions to
perform actions in a
certain order, allowing
hardware to process
data into information
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The Function of System
Software
There are two main categories of system
software.
– Application software includes programs that
perform a single task.
– System software controls the operations of a
computer system.
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The Function of the Operating
System
What is the function of the operating system?
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To manage main memory, or RAM
To configure and control peripheral devices
To manage essential file operations
To monitor system performance
To provide a user interface
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The Function of the Operating
System
Commonly Used Operating Systems for Personal
Computers
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The Function of the Operating
System
Booting a computer involves a series of steps that
culminates with the display of the OS desktop on the
screen.
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The Function of the Operating
System
Managing Memory
– Throughput is a measure of the computer’s
overall performance.
– Buffers hold information and data waiting to be
transferred to or from an input or output device.
– Print spooling holds a document in a buffer
until the printer is ready.
– Multitasking allows an individual user to work
on two or more applications at the same time.
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The Function of the Operating
System
• Configuring and Controlling Devices
– A driver enables the operating system to
communicate with peripheral devices.
• Managing Essential File Operations
– A file manager is a program that maintains a
record of all stored files and their locations.
• Monitoring System Performance
– A performance monitor checks the
computer’s speed, efficiency, and performance.
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Software User Interfaces
Command line
interfaces require
users to type a line of
code at a prompt
telling the computer
what to do.
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Software User Interfaces
Graphical user interfaces use pictures or text symbols
(icons) to stand for complex commands.
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Software User Interfaces
Features of Graphical User Interfaces
– Desktop – the screen on which graphical
elements are displayed
– Display window – an area of the screen used to
display a program or data
– Menu – set of options that can be activated
with the click of a mouse
– Command icons – represent common actions
such as opening, saving, and printing files
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Personal Computer
Operating Systems
Windows Operating System
– Windows 2000 – used for business and
network computers
– Windows XP – designed for fast, powerful
computers with much memory and hard disk
space
– Windows 7 – released in late 2009; requires
powerful hardware to run; features faster boot
and shut down times
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Personal Computer
Operating Systems
Macintosh Operating System
– Mac OS – first commercial GUI; has
impressive graphics and ease of use
– Mac OS 9 – offers better speech recognition
than OS; supports files up to 2 terabytes;
provides for multiple users
– Mac OS X – introduced an interface called
Aqua; uses UNIX operating system foundation
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Personal Computer
Operating Systems
• IBM OS/2
– runs programs written for DOS and Windows
systems
– used mainly for business applications
• Linux
– an open-source software program
(programming code is free to the public)
– praised for stability, flexibility, security, and
low cost
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Server Operating Systems
Novell Netware and Open Enterprise Server
– Netware was widely used for local area
networks; it was replaced by OES in 2005.
– Both operating systems
• Allow retrieval or saving of files from server’s
shared hard disk
• Allow printing using a shared printer
• Offer the option of working with or without network
resources
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Server Operating Systems
Windows
– Windows 2000 Server – provided for Internet
access and the development of Web pages
– Windows Server 2003 – offered in four
editions to support different sizes of businesses
– Windows Server –has Windows Vista benefits
and offers server-specific tools, protocols, and
utilities for network management
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Server Operating Systems
UNIX and Linux
– UNIX – a cross-platform system that runs any
type of computer from PC to supercomputer
– Linux – an open-source software program
designed for use with servers and large
computer systems, including midrange servers
and mainframes
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Operating Systems for
Handheld Devices
• Palm OS
– provides a graphical user interface used in
various versions of Palm PDAs, Sony PDAs,
and smartphones
• Windows Mobile
– used in wireless devices and other systems with
embedded processors, such as smartphones and
PocketPC PDAs
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Utility Programs and
Translators
Utility Programs and Their Functions
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Utility Programs and
Translators
Utility Programs and Their Functions (continued)
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Utility Programs and
Translators
Utility Programs and Their Functions (continued)
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Utility Programs and
Translators
Firewalls prevent
unauthorized users
from accessing a
personal computer or
network connected to
the Internet.
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Utility Programs and
Translators
• Shown is a simple
payroll program
written in DOS
BASIC, a high-level
language.
• High-level languages
must be translated into
machine-language
format before the CPU
can execute them.
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On the Horizon
Based on the information in this chapter and
your own personal experience, what do you
think is on the horizon?
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