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Commonly Used Operating System

Last Updated : 01 Sep, 2023

There are various types of Operating Systems used throughout the

world and this depends mainly on the type of operations performed.
These Operating Systems are manufactured by large multinational
companies like Microsoft, Apple, etc. Let's look at the few most
commonly used OS in the real world:

1. Windows
2. UNIX
3. LINUX
4. BOSS
5. SOLARIS

Windows
Generally referred to as Microsoft Windows, these OS are
manufactured and developed by the tech-giant Microsoft and are the
most commonly used OS for personal computers and to some extent in
mobile phones or the Windows phone. Microsoft Windows is a
collection of many graphics-oriented operating systems, first developed
and launched in 1985 by the name Windows 1.0. When it started it had
the aim to provide a graphical shell to the then-famous MS-DOS which
had a character user interface, but it didn't gain much popularity then.
Slowly with the implementation of innovative features, the OS gained
popularity and soon dominated the market of the Computer Industry,
owing to its freedom of use and user-friendly environment. Let's look at
the advantages and disadvantages of using Microsoft Windows.

Advantages of Windows
1. Hardware compatibility: Almost every computer hardware
manufacturing industry supports Microsoft Windows. This makes the
users buy any random computer manufacturing brand and get the
latest version of pre-loaded Microsoft Windows 11 in it.
2. Pre-loaded and available Software: Windows comes with much
more user-friendly software to make everyday task easier and if the
software is not available then one can easily get it from the Internet
and run it.
3. Ease of Use: Microsoft Windows has developed by far the most
user-friendly OS in the market, keeping in mind that it serves the
purpose of most types of markets in the world. It's the most
preferred OS for personal computers.
4. Game Runner: Windows supports a plethora of games
manufactured till date and comes with all the supporting base
software to drive the game engine. So it's the most popular OS
among the game lovers.

Disadvantages of Windows

Expensive: Microsoft is a closed-source OS and the license cost is

really high. It's not possible for every class of society to buy a new
license every time one is expired. The latest Windows 11 costs
around 8000 to 12000 INR.
Poor Security: Windows is much more prone to viruses and malware
in comparison to other OS like Linux or Mac in the market (microsoft
defender antivirus is also introduced in the nwe version).
Not reliable: Windows starts to lag with time and eventually needs
booting every time and now to get back the initial speed.

There are many versions of Windows that have been developed since
1985, but few that revolutionized the industry of Operating Systems
are:

1. Windows 95
2. Windows 98
3. Windows NT
4. Windows XP
 5. Windows Vista
6. Windows 7
7. Windows 8
8. Windows 8.1
9. Windows 10
10. Windows 11(latest version)

According to Net Applications, which tracks use based on web use,

Windows is the most-used operating system family for personal
computers as of July 2017 with close to 90% usage share and rising.

UNIX
Developed in 1970 in the Bell Lab research center UNIX became a
multitasking and multiuser operating system, reaching numerous
platforms for use. It was developed by Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie,
and a few others and later AT&T licensed UNIX to the development of
many variants of Unix, serving academic and business purposes at the
University of California, Berkley Software Distribution, IBM, Microsoft,
and Sun Microsystem. The OS is totally written in C language allowing
it to serve in various platforms. It provides a set of simple and dedicated
tools to perform a well-defined task using basic functions, shell
scripting, and command languages. As of 2014, the Unix version with
the largest installed base is Apple's macOS.

Advantages of UNIX

The OS is available on a wide variety of machines that are the most

truly portable operating system.
It has a Very efficient virtual memory system, which allows many
programs to run simultaneously with a modest amount of physical
memory and time.
The OS was primarily built to serve the complete multitasking
purpose without crashing of data, and it served well along with the
protected memory.
Has a high-level authentication system along with a fully secured
environment.
Disadvantages of UNIX

This OS was primarily designed for programmers and techies and not
for personal and casual use.
It is a command-driven OS with commands being supplied by the
shell kernel and often has cryptic names which normal users find
difficult to keep up with.
To work comfortably with the UNIX system, one needs to understand
the main design features and how to command and interact with the
OS.

Linux
Primarily derived from the concept of Unix, Linux became the most-
prominent free and open-source OS available to everyone in the world.
It is built around the Linux kernel and served for both desktop and
server use. Linux was originally developed for personal computers
based on the Intel x86 architecture but since then it was ported to more
platforms than any other operating system. Linux has the largest
installed base of all general-purpose operating systems. It is also the
leading operating system on servers and other big iron systems such as
mainframe computers, and the only OS used on TOP500
Supercomputers. The top Linux OS are Ubuntu, Fedora, OpenSUSE,
RedHat, and many more.

Advantages of LINUX

The OS is open-source and available free of cost to every computer

user. There are large repositories from which anyone can freely
download high-quality software for almost any task.
Linux provides high performance for a longer time and does not
require a periodic reboot to maintain the system.
It is one of the most secure OS and does not permit any unwanted
malware and virus into the system.
It is designed to multitask and can perform multiple processes at the
same time, without hampering the performance of the OS.
 The OS is highly compatible and flexible to run on all modern PCs
and networks.

Disadvantages of LINUX

It is not as user-friendly as Windows and users need to struggle for a

few days before adapting to the behavior of OS.
It is not meant for gamers since it does not support any high graphics
game.
Since there are no standard editions available for Linux, it comes with
many versions, confusing the users about what to adapt and what
not.

Solaris
This OS was originally developed by Sun Microsystems and is a type of
Unix OS. Solaris was developed as proprietary software. Solaris is
known for its scalability, especially on SPARC systems, and for
originating many innovative features such as DTrace, ZFS, and Time
Slider. It is registered as compliant with the Single UNIX Specification.
As of today, Solaris is supported by HP, Dell, Intel and Fujitsu Siemens
architecture. OpenSolaris is the available open-source version of Solaris
OS. Oracle Solaris 10 is the latest version of Solaris OS.

Advantages of Solaris

It provides good and high performance.

It provides complete protection against viruses and malware.
It is a multitasking OS and allows multiple tasks at the same time.
Known for its good and powerful backup tools.

Disadvantages of Solaris

Although the OS provides a graphic interface, it is not as good as

other graphical user interfaces.
The OS is available free of cost but the updates are not available for
free, so not completely open-source.
 The OS is not user-friendly.

BOSS
It stands for Bharat Operating System Solutions designed specifically
by India for Indians. It was developed by C-DAC(Centre for
Development of Advanced Computing), Chennai, to benefit the
Free/Open Source Software in India. It has an enhanced Desktop
Environment integrated with multiple Indian language support and
other software. This project has been approved, supported, and
endorsed by the Government of India. The OS is the product of Linux
Distribution and has been derived from Debian Linux. BOSS Linux
provides advanced features such as a web server, proxy server,
database server, mail server, network server, file and print server, SMS
Service, and many more. The latest versions are called BOSS 5.0
(ANOKHA) and BOSS 6.0 (ANOOP).

Advantages of BOSS

It is easily available and free to install and use.

It is a very stable OS and provides free access to many software.
It supports multiple Indian languages, so user-friendly at least for
Indian society.

Disadvantages of BOSS

Since it is Linux OS, it does not support Windows programs and

shares the same disadvantages as other Linux-based OS.

Other Commonly Used Operating Systems

1. Microsoft Windows: This is the most widely used operating system
for personal computers. Windows is known for its user-friendly
interface and compatibility with a wide range of hardware and
software.
2. macOS: This operating system is used exclusively on Apple's
Macintosh computers. It is known for its sleek design and integration
with other Apple products, such as the iPhone and iPad.
3. Linux: Linux is an open-source operating system that is popular
among programmers and developers. It is highly customizable and
can be used on a wide range of devices, from smartphones to
supercomputers.
4. Android: This operating system is designed specifically for mobile
devices such as smartphones and tablets. It is based on the Linux
kernel and is open source, which means that it can be modified and
customized by anyone.
5. iOS: This is the operating system that runs on Apple's iPhone, iPad,
and iPod touch devices. It is known for its security and ease of use.
6. Chrome OS: This is an operating system developed by Google and is
designed to be used with the company's Chromebook laptops. It is
based on the Linux kernel and is optimized for web browsing and
cloud computing.

These are just a few examples of commonly used operating systems,

and there are many others available as well. Overall, the choice of the
operating system depends on the specific needs and preferences of the
user, as well as the device being used.

Features of OS
Various tasks are carried out by an operating system. Let's research
them. These are a few of the OS's features:

1. Memory Control

It is the control of the primary or main memory. Furthermore, the main

memory must contain the program that is being run. Consequently,
more than one program may be active at once. Consequently, managing
memory is necessary. operating system memory is allocated and
released.
keeps track of who uses which area of primary memory and how
often.enables memory distribution while multiprocessing.

2. Management and Scheduling of Processors

When a system has multiple processes running, the OS determines how
and when each process will use the CPU. So, CPU Scheduling is another
name for it.

3. File Management

The files on a system are stored in different directories. The OS:

1. Keeps records of the status and locations of files.

2. Responsible for the Allocation and deallocation of resources.

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