Smoooooooth, Operator

What is an Operating System?

All desktops, laptops, and smartphones run on an operating system. The OS navigates between the hardware and software components of your computing device. They consist of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that allow for user-friendly interaction. Operating systems give the user options to organize their data, secure this data, and accommodate other software applications.

The Big 3

Operating Systems usually come on your computer, but some are available for download. The three main ones you should know, and probably already do, are the following:

• Windows – for PC’s
• Linux – for anything and everything
• OS X – for Macs

Linux is a particular system that is different from the previous two. Unlike OS X and Windows, Linux is an open-source software that has been adapted by hundreds of developers around the world. Programmers have collaborated on many Linux-based operating systems to create what are called "Linix Distros", a.ka. Linux distrubtions. For any of you budding software developers who want to learn more, check out this video.