To run any device, we need system software. The system software controls the hardware and gives instructions to the hardware to perform an action.  This system software is known as the ‘Operating System’ of the device.

The operating system is one of the most important intangible parts for any device like computers, laptops, tablets or mobiles. No device can perform any task in absence of operating system.

So, we can say that an operating system is life of any device.  In this article, we will tell you about the different types of operating system. Without much ado here we go.

Different types of operating systems

We use so many devices like laptops, desktops, tablets, mobile, in our daily life. All of these devices run on the operating system. The examples of operating systems are Windows 8, Windows 10, MacOS, Android, iOS, and Linux etc.

Like all the devices your smartphone also runs on OS. Their OS is either Android (developed by Google) or iOS (developed by Apple). Most of the desktops and laptops run on Windows OS and laptops and PCs from Apple run on MacOS.

So, let’s start to know more about the different types of operating systems.

Microsoft Windows

Windows is the most popular operating system. This OS is developed by the Microsoft Corporation. It was designed to run on PCs (Personal computers). It was the first OS featuring GUI (Graphical User Interface). The GUI allows the user to view files and folders in the computer. This made windows a well-known and most used Operating System. Approx 90% of PCs run on Windows.

The earlier version Of Windows

The first version of windows named windows 1.0 was launched in 1985 with GUI. This version was user-friendly so it attracted many users.  In 1993 Microsoft launched the first business-oriented windows version. It was named Windows NT 3.1, which was followed by the Windows 3.5, 4.0, and Windows 2000.

Window XP was a very successful OS of Microsoft. It was launched in 2001 followed by Windows Vista and Windows 7. By that time Microsoft had started to launch the different editions of Windows based on the user expectation and requirement. For personal use, different range of OS was available and for business use, a different type of OS was used.  In 2012, Microsoft launched Windows 8. This version of Windows had a smart start screen. The applications appear as the title on a grid at the start screen.

The latest version of Windows

The latest version of windows was launched in 2015 with Cortana, a digital personal assistant. In this version internet explorer was also replaced by the new web browser of Microsoft, Microsoft Edge.  Microsoft also announced that Windows 10 would be the last version of Windows.

Macintosh Operating System (Mac OS)

Mac OS is designed by Apple for its own devices. It was launched in 1985 by Apple. Initially, Mac OS was known as system software. Mac OS was GUI based operating system. Microsoft’s windows were inspired by Apple’s Mac OS only. Mac OS was an innovation that changed the world of technology on its own way.

Before Mac OS, users used to type the commands to give instructions to the computer.  Mac OS brought the innovation of mouse and GUI which made working on computers really easy. The GUI interface used by Microsoft’s windows was a matter of dispute between Microsoft and Apple.

Also Read – What is Operating System (Os)?

The earlier versions of Mac OS

Apple launched the first version of Mac OS in 2000 to gain feedback from the users. Since 2001 Apple launches the updated versions of Mac OS every year. The names of its versions are based on the name of the big cats like its 10.0 version is named ‘Cheetah’. The earlier version of Mac OS was slow and compatible on very few applications. But Apple really improved in the later years and its 10.1 version was better than earlier ones. Now Mac OS is considered one of the best OS.

The latest versions of Mac OS

In later years Mac OC also introduced features of multiple account users, internet files sharing and networking browsing.  Mac OS is designed only for the Apple’s computers and PCs.  The current version Mac OS is Mac OS 10.13: High Sierra. Its upcoming version, Mac OS 10.14: Mojave is available in beta mode.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a Linux based operating system. It’s a free OS for professionals as well as personal users. Ubuntu has three official editions; Ubuntu Desktop for personal users, Ubuntu Server for servers and Ubuntu Cloud.

Out of these three versions, Ubuntu cloud is the most popular one. Its Desktop version is also amazing and gives a different experience to the users.  It was launched in 2004 and its latest version is Ubuntu 18.04.1.

The main goal of Ubuntu is to use ‘out of box’ techniques for the security of your device and data. With a strong security, Ubuntu offers faster software installation. The system update also occurs once in every six months and the support from the Linux community works like the icing on the cake.  In a short note, Ubuntu is an excellent option for the windows users.

You can have Ubuntu and Windows in the same PC but you will have to install Ubuntu in a different drive. At the time of booting, your PC will ask you about your preference of OS.

So you can give a try to Ubuntu and it deserves it too.

UNIX

Developed in the early 1970s by A&T, UNIX is a well-known multi-user operating system. UNIX was written in C language. It was first of its type of OS. UNIX was developed for the users who need flexible, multitasking and multiuser computer operating systems. The portability and flexibility of UNIX made it very popular OS for the workstations. It was less popular in the market of personal computers.

UNIX was the first large freeware with many extensions provided in a variety of versions of UNIX by different companies or individuals.

The earlier versions of UNIX

UNIX was originally written in assembly language but its most popular version was written in ‘C’, a high-level programming language. It made UNIX compatible for any device that supports C language. UNIX was majorly liked by the universities because of its low cost and portability.

UNIX ruled the OS market from early 80’s to mid-80’s. In 1987 A&T announced a pact with SUN Microsystems.

The latest version of UNIX

There is no single version or product of UNIX, in fact, it is a family of different types of products. IBM AIX, Hewlett-Package HP-UX, and Apple Mac OS are UNIX Certified.

Few people believe that UNIX lost its popularity because of Windows NT and Linux because Linux was free but UNIX was not, this fact reduced the popularity of UNIX.  But UNIX is still alive in the world of technology.

The bottom line

Operating system is the king of any device. All the Operating Systems have their own specialties and USPs but the best part of any OS is its user-friendliness.

If you have any question regarding any Operating System you can ask us through the comment section. We will be happy to help you.