Overview
Welcome to the Compare Different Operating Systems and Functionalities Lab. In this lab, you will receive the instructions and devices needed to develop your hands-on skills.
Learning Outcomes:
In this lab, you will learn to:
Use Disk Management.
Use task and process management.
Use Device Manager.
Use access control.
Key terms and descriptions
Operating System (OS)
A system software that manages computer hardware and software resources and provides common services for computer programs.
Interface
A shared boundary across which two or more separate components of a computer system exchange information, such as between applications and hardware.
Windows API
A set of application programming interfaces available in Windows OSs that allow programs to interact with hardware and OS services.
Disk Management
The process and tools used by the OS to manage disk drives and partitions, including formatting, resizing, and assigning drive letters.
Device Driver
A specialized software component that allows the OS to communicate with hardware peripherals like printers, keyboards, and video cards.
Task management
The OS function responsible for managing the execution of multiple processes or threads by allocating CPU time and managing process states.
Process
A running instance of a program that is being executed by the computer, managed by the OS with its own memory and resources.
Application management
The capability of the OS to install, update, and manage software applications, including their interaction with system resources.
Device Manager
A Windows tool that allows users to view and control the hardware attached to the computer, including updating drivers and troubleshooting issues.
Access control
A security feature that limits access to system resources and data to authorized users, based on permissions and authentication.
Mobile operating systems
An OS designed for smartphones and tablets that emphasizes touchscreen input, battery management, and app ecosystems (e.g., Android, iOS).
Server operating systems
A full-featured OS intended for personal or business use on laptops and desktops (e.g., Windows 11, macOS).
Embedded operating systems
A compact OS designed to operate within embedded systems such as ATMs, kiosks, and smart appliances (e.g., Windows IoT Core).
File system
The structure and method used by the OS to store, retrieve, and organize data on storage devices (e.g., New Technology File System [NTFS] in Windows).