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> Ask 100 IT people or developers what an operating system does and you'll get 100 different ones An operating system represents the abstraction layer between
by bad_user 13y ago
> Ask 100 IT people or developers what an operating system does and you'll get 100 different ones
An operating system represents the abstraction layer between hardware and software applications, its purpose being to provide on userlevel the APIs needed for efficient interaction with hardware. Modern operating systems also provide higher-level components or services that apps can reuse, plus bundled junk because an OS is perfect for achieving vendor lock-in and for shoving apps and services down on people's throats, being a natural monopoly that can be easily abused.
I learned the above in high-school. Of course, just like in any other profession and industry, you'll get 100 different answers because many "IT people" are simply incompetent.
- noja 13y agoYour own explanation admits that the problem of defining an operating system is that a modern OS bundles a bunch of stuff that has nothing to do with an operating system. I don't think the attitude that people are "incompetent" because they don't have the same definition as you is helpful.
- bad_user 13y agoMy attitude is not towards normal people that aren't technically knowledgeable - they have other problems to worry about and technology is meant to make their lives easier, not harder. But people being paid for being IT-knowledgeable have no excuse for not knowing things as basic as what an OS is. And they do exist, I've met them. Imagine being treated by medical personnel that do not know where the vital organs are or their basic function.