What Is an Operating System? How Is It Different from an Application

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The Answer is Every computer has an operating system, which is a program that controls that computer's resources. The functions of an operating system are to read and write data, allocate main memory, perform memory swapping, start and stop programs, respond to error conditions, and facilitate backup and recovery. In addition, the operating system creates and manages the user interface, including the display, keyboard, mouse, and other devices. Although the operating system makes the computer usable, it does little application-specific work. An application program is any program designed to perform a specific function for a user or for another application program. Both clients and servers can process application programs and the application's design determines whether the client, the server, or both, process it. If one wants to check the weather or access a database, he or she needs application programs such as an iPad weather application or Oracle's customer relationship management (CRM) software. Some application programs are general purpose, such as Microsoft Excel or Word. Other application programs provide specific functions.

What Is an Operating System? How Is It Different from an Application

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