The Essential Guide to Operating System Types

Operating systems are the foundation of computing, managing hardware resources, and providing services to applications. Many types of OS exist for different needs. This comprehensive guide to the types of operating systems examines popular operating system categories and examples in detail.

What is an Operating System?

Think of an operating system (OS) like a manager for your computer. It helps your software and hardware work together without issues. It enables you to interact with the computer, run your apps, and makes sure everything inside the computer works well together. 

The OS handles critical tasks like:

• User Interface for interaction and administration.
• Application Management – Launching apps, scheduling, multi-tasking.
• Hardware Access – Provide standard interfaces for devices like storage, network, graphics.

Without an OS, apps would need massive complex code to handle devices directly. The OS makes software development easier by providing common hardware services through consistent APIs. This abstracts the physical hardware from software.

The OS identifies devices, loads drivers, and routes application requests to physical resources. This enables portable software not coupled to specific devices. The OS is a fundamental layer between hardware and applications.

Major Operating System Functions

The main jobs of an operating system are to let you interact with the computer, manage your apps, and ensure all the ‘inner parts’ of your computer talk to each other.

Key functions provided by the operating system include:

User Interface

The OS presents an interface for users and admins to set up, access, and troubleshoot the system. Interface types:

• Command Line Interface (CLI) – Text-based console for typing commands
• Graphical User Interface (GUI) – Visual desktop with icons, windows, pointers

Casual users tend to prefer a GUI because it looks more like what you’d see on a smartphone. But CLI offers more detailed control and automation for advanced users.

Application Management

The OS handles launching applications, scheduling resources between apps, and multi-tasking.

Key aspects include:

• Processor scheduling – Share CPU time between applications
• Memory allocation – Assign RAM to apps as needed
• Multi-tasking – Run multiple apps concurrently for responsiveness
• Interrupt handling – Respond to application requests immediately
• Process control – Start, pause, resume, terminate apps smoothly

Careful application management ensures stability and optimal utilization of finite hardware resources.

Hardware Access

The OS provides a standard interface for applications to use hardware without knowing device details. It identifies, configures, and loads the required drivers.

Hardware resources made available include:

• Processors
• Memory and cache
• Storage like hard disks
• Peripheral devices
• Networking ports and protocols
• Graphics cards and displays
• Other components like chipsets, buses, sensors

Standardization enables portable application software instead of hardware-specific code.

General-Purpose Operating Systems

General-purpose OS are the ‘jack of all trades.’ They can run many different kinds of apps and are designed to work well on most personal computers.

Common Examples

• Microsoft Windows – Windows dominates the desktop OS market and provides a highly graphical and intuitive user experience optimized for ease-of-use and productivity. Windows has gone through many consumer and enterprise versions since its release in 1985.
• Apple macOS – macOS powers Apple’s Macintosh personal computers and workstations. It features tight integration between software and Apple PC hardware components. macOS focuses on simplicity, aesthetics, and consistent user experience.
• Linux – Linux is a popular open-source operating system based on Unix. It is known for efficient resource management, stability, speed, and configurability. Linux is widely used from desktops to servers, mobile devices, supercomputers, and embedded systems.
• Unix – Unix pioneered many modern OS concepts like multi-user support, multitasking, portability, and high-level languages. Originating at Bell Labs in 1969, it inspired other influential operating systems. Unix remains widely deployed across workstations, servers, and supercomputing.

Mobile Operating Systems

Mobile OS are designed for the unique constraints of portable devices like smartphones and tablets. They are optimized for:

• Touchscreen interfaces instead of mice/pointers
• Prolonged battery life
• Cellular, WiFi, and Bluetooth connectivity
• GPS, accelerometer, camera, and other integrated sensors
• App marketplaces and ecosystems

Major Examples

• Apple iOS – iOS is Apple’s proprietary mobile OS powering iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch devices. It offers seamless integration between software and Apple mobile hardware. iOS focuses on simplicity, visual polish, and intuitive user experience.
• Google Android – Android is an open-source mobile OS managed by Google and used across countless smartphone models from many manufacturers. It is highly customizable and supports a vast marketplace of 3+ million apps on the Google Play store.

Embedded Operating Systems

Embedded OS are specialized systems for devices dedicated to specific tasks like:

• Home appliances and digital assistants
• Wearables and smartwatches
• Medical devices and diagnostic equipment
• Industrial automation, manufacturing machinery
• Automotive computers and avionics

Attributes:

• Compact – Runs on minimal hardware resources
• Deterministic – Predictable real-time responsiveness
• Reliable – Rarely fail or crash
• Single-purpose – Focused functionality

Examples:

• Embedded Linux – Open source OS for many devices
• FreeRTOS – Popular open source system
• Proprietary firmware – Custom OS tailored to the device

Embedded OS efficiently perform defined roles with stability on low-power systems.

Real-Time Operating Systems

Real-time operating systems (RTOS) are like super punctual managers. They’re used in things like factory machines and medical equipment where timing is everything.

Types

• Soft real-time – Deadlines desirable but not mandatory
• Hard real-time – Missing deadlines could have catastrophic results

Examples

• QNX – Microkernel RTOS used in surgical robots, nuclear plants, machines
• VxWorks – RTOS used in Boeing aircraft, Mars rovers, defense systems
• FreeRTOS – Popular open-source RTOS for microcontrollers

RTOS offer determinism and high throughput for mission-critical tasks where life or property are at stake.

Network Operating Systems

Network OSes are like traffic cops for data. They help your computer talk to other computers over a network. They provide services like:

• Network protocol stack
• Server access and administration
• Shared networking resources
• User authentication and access control

This enables centralized data storage and applications on servers accessed by client devices.

Examples

• Windows Server – Modern Windows OS editions support networking
• Legacy NOSes – Novell Netware, Banyan VINES, etc.
• Router OSes – Custom firmware like Cisco IOS, Juniper Junos

Today, most computers integrate networking, diminishing dedicated network OSes. But hardware networking devices often still use proprietary network OS firmware.

Time-Sharing Operating Systems

Time-sharing OS allocates computer resources efficiently between interactive users. The OS dynamically switches the processor between tasks and users so that everyone gets a turn.

This enables multiple concurrent users while maintaining good responsiveness. Mainframes in the 1960s pioneered time-sharing capabilities.

Today, most desktop and server OS use preemptive multitasking to achieve responsive time-sharing between applications. The OS can prioritize critical tasks like kernel processes first when necessary.

Distributed Operating Systems

Unlike centralized network models, distributed OS are spread across multiple networked computers in different physical locations. Instead of being grouped together in one central server, resources like processing power, storage, and applications are spread out over multiple locations.

Benefits

• Efficiency – Leverage many discrete CPUs and storage pools
• Scalability – Seamlessly add nodes with minimal reconfiguration
• Reliability – Failure of one node won’t take down the entire system
• Geographic coverage – Span long distances since nodes operate independently

Examples

• Early research projects – Plan 9, Amoeba OS, Sprite OS
• Container orchestrators – Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, Apache Mesos
• Global file systems – NFS, AFS, OCFS

Distributed systems provide flexibility, fault tolerance, and high performance at large scale through decentralized management. Cloud-based applications utilize similar concepts today.

Multi-user vs. Single-user OS

Multi-user operating systems support concurrent usage by multiple users, typically accessing a centralized system via individual terminals or remote login. Early examples include traditional minicomputers and mainframes.

Single-user OS limits usage to one user at a time. MS-DOS is an early example. Modern OS like Windows and macOS can still boot into single or multi-user modes.

Today, most personal desktops are set up for single users. However, centralized data centers, cloud platforms, and servers leverage multi-user OS accessed remotely by individual client sessions.

Multiprocessing vs Single-Processor OS

Multiprocessing operating systems manage scheduling across multiple CPUs typically clustered in a single computer system. They optimize workload parallelization across available processors.

Single-processor OS run on systems limited to one CPU so don’t provide any parallel execution across multiple cores. Early personal computers were all single CPU.

Now, practically all modern desktops, laptops, and servers run multiprocessing OS like Windows, Linux, and macOS to take advantage of multiple core/threads and optimize speed.

Operating systems have grown a lot, from primitive mainframes to power diverse computing across every field today. They’re the hidden heroes making sure our tech lives run smoothly.

The Importance of Updating Your OS 

It’s vital that you keep your operating system updated, especially if you use Windows. Here’s why.  Almost 90% of all PCs use Windows. That’s a big target, so if there is a small flaw found in Windows’ OS and hackers find out about it, they will try to exploit it with attacks.

Read more about this from What Is My IP Address founder and CEO, Chris Parker here.