Transcript Enhanced Guide to Managing & Maintaining Your PC, 3e

CMOS Configuration Chip
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Jumpers
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Software
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The intelligence of the computer
Computer programs, or instructions to
perform a specific task
Determines what hardware is present
Decides how hardware is configured
and utilized
Uses hardware to perform tasks
Three Types of Software and
What They Do
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Firmware (BIOS)
• Controls computer’s input/output functions
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Operating systems (OSs)
• Provide instructions to hardware to perform
tasks
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Applications software
Functions of BIOS and OS
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Firmware or BIOS
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Provides basic instructions to hardware
Often serves as the interface between
higher-level software and hardware
Software Layers
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A hierarchy determines how software
interfaces so that high-level software can
depend on low-level software to manage the
hardware for it
Applications software depends on the OS to
interface with hardware
• Instructs hardware directly
• Uses BIOS to provide the instructions
• Uses device drivers
Software Layers
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How Software Manages and
Shares Information
Operating Systems
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Different operating systems are written
to support different types of hardware
systems and user needs
Functions of Operating Systems
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Manage BIOS
Manage files on secondary storage devices
Manage primary memory (RAM)
Diagnose software and hardware problems
Interface between hardware and software
Perform housekeeping procedures requested
by user
Starting Up the Operating
System
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OS programs must be copied from
secondary storage into RAM (memory)
CPU then reads from one memory
location in RAM to another to receive
and follow instructions
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Starting Up the Operating
System
Interfacing with the Operating
System
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Command-driven interface
Menu-driven interface
Icon-driven interface (graphical user
interface or GUI)
Command-driven Interface
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Menu-driven Interface
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Icon-driven Interface
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Survey of Operating Systems
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Terms
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Multitasking
Cooperative multitasking (task switching)
Preemptive multitasking
Environment
Windows 3.x operating environment
Multitasking Environment
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Windows 3.x Operating
Environment
Comparison of Operating
Systems
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What kind of user interface is provided?
Can the OS support multitasking?
Can the OS easily manage large quantities of
primary memory (RAM) and secondary
storage?
How many and what kinds of applications are
written to work with the OS?
How powerful must the hardware be to make
efficient use of the OS?
How does the OS perform in a network?
Well-known Operating Systems
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DOS (disk operating system)
DOS with Windows 3.1 and 3.11 operating
environments
Windows 95 and Windows 98
UNIX operating system
Windows NT
Windows 2000
OS/2
Macintosh operating system
Disk Operating System (DOS)
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First OS used by IBM microcomputers
Disk Operating System (DOS)
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