From the course: Help Desk Handbook for End Users: PC Basics, Hardware, Operating Systems, and Applications

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Operating system functions

Operating system functions

- Let's state what we know so far. One, computing devices come in all shapes and sizes from handheld to desktop, from gas pumps to supermarket checkout machines. Two, every computing device has an operating system. When it comes to personal computing devices we have Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, Linux, iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. Let's push this now a little farther. Every operating system offers the same four features. It provides a user interface, it provides coordination among hardware components, it monitors health and functionality, and it provides a way to store and retrieve data. Let's spend the rest of this episode looking at examples. An operating system enables the input, output, and processing hardware to work together to get stuff done. A tablet computer provides a perfect example. The operating system and the hardware are intimately entwined. It's all one unit, right? Every operating system provides some way for you to interact with the machine. That's pretty obvious…

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