Operating System as User Interface

 

Easy IT Notes

Operating System

An operating system is software that manages computer hardware and software.

Operating System acts as an interface between a user of the computer and computer hardware.

It is considered as the brain of the computer system. It controls the internal activities of the computer hardware and provide user interface.

Types of Operating System:-

Following are the types of operating system.

·         Single User Operating System

·         Multi User Operating System

·         Single tasking Operating system

·         Multi tasking Operating System

·         Real time Operating System

·         Network Operating System

·         Distributed Operating System.

Operating as User Interface

The OS provides a user interface (UI), an environment for the user to interact with the machine. A user interface of any operating system can be classified into one of the following types:

1. Graphical user interface (GUI)
2. Command line user interface (CLI)

Graphical user interface (GUI)

·         Operating System Provides a GUI Interface for the users in the form of menu, icons and buttons.

·         This type of interface is called the graphical user interface (GUI) because the user interacts with images through a mouse, keyboard or touch screen.

·         Example: Microsoft Windows and Mac OS..

·         Most of the modern application in electronic gadgets interacts with user through GUI.

·         GUI’s are combination of graphical and textual interactions that uses buttons , menus, message boxes etc.

·         The Interaction is mainly done by using a pointing device like a mouse.

·         User interact work on it by clicking the icons without write any command.

 

Command line user interface (CLI)

·         An OS also provides a method of interaction that is non-graphical, called the command line interface (CLI).

·         This is a text-only service with feedback from the OS appearing in text.

·         User Work on it by typing commands to the open file, delete file and any other wok.

·         Using a CLI requires knowledge of the commands available on a particular machine.

·         To perform any action a command is required. Most modern computers use GUI and not CUI. 

• Experienced users who know the commands can work very quickly without having to find their way around menus.

 

Difference between GUI and CUI

GUI	CUI
1.      GUI stands for graphical user interface.	1.      CUI stands for command line user interface.
2.      User interacts with computer using Graphics like images, icons	2.      User interacts with computer using commands like text.
3.      GUI is very friendly and easy to use.	3.      CUI is very Confusing and difficult to use.
4.      In GUI, more than one task can run at same time.	4.      In CUI, only one task can run at same time.
5.      Minimum use of Keyboard.	5.      Maximum use of Keyboard.
6.      It required more memory.	6.      It required less memory.
7.      Example: Windows.	7.      Example: MS-DOS.

 

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