Operating systems

Operating systems have two major functions:

1. Controls information flow between input devices, secondary memory and output devices:

The operating system interprets information from input devices such as mice and keyboards, and sends this to output devices such as the screen. It also controls which information is written to and accessed from the hard drive. This includes programs which perform user-orientated tasks, as well as utility functions.

2. Allocate processor time and RAM space:

The operating system controls which applications can use the processor and for how long. It also controls the distribution of RAM.