Operating Systems and Application Software

Between the raw hardware and the programs a user runs sits the operating system (OS), the master control program that manages the computer's resources and provides services that applications rely on. Without an operating system, every application would have to control the hardware directly, which would be impractical and unsafe. This lesson looks at what an OS does and how software is categorized.

What an operating system is

An operating system is system software that manages a computer's hardware and software resources and provides common services for application programs. Familiar examples include Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. The OS acts as an intermediary: applications ask the operating system for resources such as memory or file access, and the OS grants and coordinates tho