operating system

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operating system

An operating system (abbreviated OS) is the program that, after being initially loaded into the computer, manages all the other programs on the computer. An OS performs basic tasks such as recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to the display screen, keeping track of files and directories on the disk, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers. Examples of operating systems are Windows XP, Linux, and Macintosh OS X.



Related terms: OS, Windows XP, Linux, Mac