THE HISTORY OF OPERATING SYSTEMS

The First Generation (1940 to early 1950s)

When the first electronic computer was developed in 1940, it was created without any operating
system. In early times, users have full access to the computer machine and write a program for
each task in absolute machine language. The programmer can perform and solve only simple
mathematical calculations during the computer generation, and this calculation does not require
an operating system.

The Second Generation (1955 - 1965)

The first operating system (OS) was created in the early 1950s and was known as GMOS.
General Motors has developed OS for the IBM computer. The second-generation operating
system was based on a single stream batch processing system because it collects all similar jobs
in groups or batches and then submits the jobs to the operating system using a punch card to
complete all jobs in a machine. At each completion of jobs (either normally or abnormally),
control transfer to the operating system that is cleaned after completing one job and then
continues to read and initiates the next job in a punch card. After that, new machines were called
mainframes, which were very big and used by professional operators.

The Third Generation (1965 - 1980)

During the late 1960s, operating system designers were very capable of developing a new
operating system that could simultaneously perform multiple tasks in a single computer program
called multiprogramming. The introduction of multiprogramming plays a very important role in
developing operating systems that allow a CPU to be busy every time by performing different
tasks on a computer at the same time. During the third generation, there was a new development
of minicomputer's phenomenal growth starting in 1961 with the DEC PDP-1. These PDP's leads
to the creation of personal computers in the fourth generation.

The Fourth Generation (1980 - Present Day)

The fourth generation of operating systems is related to the development of the personal
computer. However, the personal computer is very similar to the minicomputers that were
developed in the third generation. The cost of a personal computer was very high at that time;
there were small fractions of minicomputers costs. A major factor related to creating personal
computers was the birth of Microsoft and the Windows operating system. Microsoft created the
first window operating system in 1975. After introducing the Microsoft Windows OS, Bill Gates
and Paul Allen had the vision to take personal computers to the next level. Therefore, they
introduced the MS-DOS in 1981; however, it was very difficult for the person to understand its
cryptic commands. Today, Windows has become the most popular and most commonly used
operating system technology. And then, Windows released various operating systems such as
Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows XP and the latest operating system, Windows 7. Currently,
most Windows users use the Windows 10 operating system. Besides the Windows operating
system, Apple is another popular operating system built in the 1980s, and this operating system
was developed by Steve Jobs, a co-founder of Apple. They named the operating system
Macintosh OS or Mac OS.
Types of Operating System

1. Batch Operating System

2. Time-Sharing Operating System
3. Embedded Operating System
4. Multiprogramming Operating System
5. Network Operating System
6. Distributed Operating System
7. Multiprocessing Operating System
8. Real-Time Operating System

Batch Operating System

In Batch Operating System, there is no direct interaction between user and computer. Therefore,
the user needs to prepare jobs and save offline mode to punch card or paper tape or magnetic
tape. After creating the jobs, hand it over to the computer operator; then the operator sort or
creates the similar types of batches like B2, B3, and B4. Now, the computer operator submits
batches into the CPU to execute the jobs one by one. After that, CPUs start executing jobs, and
when all jobs are finished, the computer operator provides the output to the user.

Time-Sharing Operating System

It is the type of operating system that allows us to connect many people located at different
locations to share and use a specific system at a single time. The time-sharing operating system
is the logical extension of the multiprogramming through which users can run multiple tasks
concurrently. Furthermore, it provides each user his terminal for input or output that impacts the
program or processor currently running on the system. It represents the CPU's time is shared
between many user processes. Or, the processor's time that is shared between multiple users
simultaneously termed as time-sharing.

Embedded Operating System

The Embedded operating system is the specific purpose operating system used in the computer
system's embedded hardware configuration. These operating systems are designed to work on
dedicated devices like automated teller machines (ATMs), airplane systems, digital home
assistants, and the internet of things (IoT) devices.

Multiprogramming Operating System

Due to the CPU's underutilization and the waiting for I/O resource till that CPU remains idle. It
shows the improper use of system resources. Hence, the operating system introduces a new
concept that is known as multiprogramming. A multiprogramming operating system refers to
the concepts wherein two or more processes or programs activate simultaneously to execute the
processes one after another by the same computer system. When a program is in run mode and
uses CPU, another program or file uses I/O resources at the same time or waiting for another
system resources to become available. It improves the use of system resources, thereby
increasing system throughput. Such a system is known as a multiprogramming operating system.

Network
Operating
System

A network
operating system
is an important
category of the
operating system
that operates on
a server using
network devices
like a switch,
router, or firewall to handle data, applications and other network resources. It provides
connectivity among the autonomous operating system, called as a network operating system. The
network operating system is also useful to share data, files, hardware devices and printer
resources among multiple computers to communicate with each other.

Types of network operating system

 Peer-to-peer network operating system: The type of network operating system allows
users to share files, resources between two or more computer machines using a LAN.

 Client-Server network operating system: It is the type of network operating system

that allows the users to access resources, functions, and applications through a common
server or center hub of the resources. The client workstation can access all resources that
exist in the central hub of the network. Multiple clients can access and share different
types of the resource over the network from different locations.

Distributed Operating system

A distributed operating system provides an environment in which multiple independent CPU or

processor communicates with each other through physically separate computational nodes. Each
node contains specific software that communicates with the global aggregate operating system.
With the ease of a distributed system, the programmer or developer can easily access any
operating system and resource to execute the computational tasks and achieve a common goal. It
is the extension of a network operating system that facilitates a high degree of connectivity to
communicate with other users over the network.

Multiprocessing
Operating System

It is the type of operating

system that refers to using two
or more central processing
units (CPU) in a single
computer system. However,
these multiprocessor systems
or parallel operating systems
are used to increase the computer system's efficiency. With the use of a multiprocessor system,
they share computer bus, clock, memory and input or output device for concurrent execution of
process or program and resource management in the CPU.

Real-Time Operating System

A real-time operating system is an important type of operating system used to provide services
and data processing resources for applications in which the time interval required to process &
respond to input/output should be so small without any delay real-time system. For example,
real-life situations governing an automatic car, traffic signal, nuclear reactor or an aircraft require
an immediate response to complete tasks within a specified time delay. Hence, a real-time
operating system must be fast and responsive for an embedded system, weapon system, robots,
scientific research & experiments and various real-time objects.

Types of the real-time operating system:

 Hard Real-Time System

These types of OS are used with those required to complete critical tasks within the
defined time limit. If the response time is high, it is not accepted by the system or may
face serious issues like a system failure. In a hard real-time system, the secondary storage
is either limited or missing, so these system stored data in the ROM.
 Soft Real-Time System
A soft real-time system is a less restrictive system that can accept software and hardware
resources delays by the operating system. In a soft real-time system, a critical task
prioritizes less important tasks, and that priority retains active until completion of the
task. Also, a time limit is set for a specific job, which enables short time delays for
further tasks that are acceptable. For example, computer audio or video, virtual reality,
reservation system, projects like undersea, etc.