Page 66 - DLIS108_INFORMATION_AND_COMMUNICATION_TECHNOLOGY_APPLICATIONS

VED1
e\L-lovely-eng\comm7-1.pmd IInd 16-9-11 IIIrd 27-12-11 IVth 4-1-12

Unit 7: Windows Operating Systems

Notes
The operating system makes these interfacing functions along with its other functions
operate smoothly and these functions are mostly transparent to the user.

7.3 Operating System Concerns

An operating system is a computer program. Operating systems are written by human programmers
who make mistakes. Therefore there can be errors in the code even though there may be some
testing before the product is released. Some companies have better software quality control and
testing than others so you may notice varying levels of quality from operating system to operating
system. Errors in operating systems cause three main types of problems:
• System Crashes and Instabilities: These can happen due to a software bug typically in the
operating system, although computer programs being run on the operating system can make
the system more unstable or may even crash the system by themselves. This varies depending
on the type of operating system. A system crash is the act of a system freezing and becoming
unresponsive which would cause the user to need to reboot.
• Security Flaws: Some software errors leave a door open for the system to be broken into by
unauthorized intruders. As these flaws are discovered, unauthorized intruders may try to
use these to gain illegal access to your system. Patching these flaws often will help keep your
computer system secure. How this is done will be explained later.
• Sometimes errors in the operating system will cause the computer not to work correctly with
some peripheral devices such as printers.

7.4 Operating System Types

There are many types of operating systems. The most common is the Microsoft suite of operating
systems. They include from most recent to the oldest:
• Windows XP Professional Edition: A version used by many businesses on workstations. It
has the ability to become a member of a corporate domain.
• Windows XP Home Edition: A lower cost version of Windows XP which is for home use only
and should not be used at a business.
• Windows 2000: A better version of the Windows NT operating system which works well both
at home and as a workstation at a business. It includes technologies which allow hardware to
be automatically detected and other enhancements over Windows NT.
• Windows ME: A upgraded version from windows 98 but it has been historically plagued
with programming errors which may be frustrating for home users.
• Windows 98: This was produced in two main versions. The first Windows 98 version was
plagued with programming errors but the Windows 98 Second Edition which came out later
was much better with many errors resolved.
• Windows NT: A version of Windows made specifically for businesses offering better control
over workstation capabilities to help network administrators.
• Windows 95: The first version of Windows after the older Windows 3.x versions offering a
better interface and better library functions for programs.
There are other worthwhile types of operating systems not made by Microsoft. The greatest problem
with these operating systems lies in the fact that not as many application programs are written for

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 61