Operating System
Interface
The User Interface
Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs)
GUI Tools
Applications and the Interface
Menus
Dialog Boxes
Command-Line Interfaces
An interrupt is generated
whenever a key is struck, and also
when one is released.
The User Interface
- Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs)
Most modern operating systems, like Windows and
the Macintosh OS, provide a graphical user interface
(GUI).
A GUI lets you control the system by using a mouse or
other device to move a cursor and click graphical
objects on screen. Mouse sends a message to the
computer containing x and y.
A GUI is based on the desktop metaphor. Graphical
objects appear on a background (the desktop),
Icon
Program
s
running
Desktop
in
Window control
buttons a window
Start menu
Start
Dialog
button
Taskbar
box
The User Interface - GUI Tools
Icons are pictures that represent computer resources,
such as printers, documents, and programs.
You double-click an icon to choose (activate) it, for
instance, to launch a program.
The Windows operating system offers two unique
tools, called the taskbar and Start button. These help
you run and manage programs.
The Windows start
button can be used
to launch
programs.
Or, icons can be
double-clicked to
launch programs.
The User Interface
Applications and the Interface
Applications designed to run under one operating
system use similar interface elements.
Under an OS such as Windows, you see a familiar
interface no matter what programs you use.
In a GUI, each program opens and runs in a separate
windowa frame that presents the program and its
documents.
In a GUI, you can run multiple programs at once, each
in a separate window. The application in use is said to
Titlebar
Scroll
Menuba
Click
the
Minimize
button
to
reduce
Click the Maximize
buttonbutton
to
Click the Close
to
arrow
rto a button on the
the
program
taskbar.
restore close
Toolbar
Scroll
the window
its previous
size.
thetowindow
altogether.
box
Scroll bar
The User Interface - Menus
GUI-based programs let you issue commands by
choosing them from menus.
A menu groups related commands. For example, the
File menu's commands let you open, save, and print
document files.
Menus let you avoid memorizing and typing command
names.
In programs designed for the same GUI, menus and
commands are similar from one program to another.
The User Interface - Dialog Boxes
A dialog box is a special window that appears when a
program or the OS needs more information before
completing a task.
Dialog boxes are so named because they conduct a
"dialog" with the user, asking the user to provide
more information or make choices.
The User Interface - Command-Line Interfaces
Some older operating systems, such as DOS and
UNIX, use command-line interfaces.
In a command-line interface, you type commands at a
prompt.
Under command-line interfaces, individual
applications do not need to look or function the same
way, so different programs can look very different
The DOS Prompt is not seen much these
days!
Running Programs
Basic Services
Sharing Information
Multitasking
Running Programs - Basic Services
The operating system manages all the other programs
that run on the PC.
The operating system provides services to programs
and the user, including file management, memory
management, and printing
To provide services to programs, the OS makes system
callsrequesting other hardware and software
resources to perform tasks.
Running Programs - Sharing Information
Some operating systems, such as Windows, enable
programs to share information.
You can create data in one program and use it again in
other programs without re-creating it.
Windows provides the Clipboard, a special area that
stores data cut or copied from one document, so you
can re-use it elsewhere.
1
2
3
Information is clipped
from one application
(Excel)the clipboard Viewer
Using
to
examine
theinformation
information
Pasting the
into another application
Running Programs - Multitasking
Multitasking is the capability of running multiple
processes simultaneously.
A multitasking OS lets you run multiple programs at
the same time.
Through multitasking, you can do several chores at
one time, such as printing a document while
downloading a file from the Internet.
There are two types of multitasking: cooperative and
preemptive.
PC Operating Systems
in
Review
OUTLINE
UNIX
DOS
The Macintosh Operating System
Windows 3.x
OS/2 Warp
Windows NT
Windows 95 and 98
Linux
Windows 2000
UNIX
UNIX is the oldest operating system used on PCs.
UNIX was the first multi-user, multiprocessor,
multitasking operating system available for use on
PCs.
Most versions of UNIX use a command-line interface,
but some versions offer a GUI.
DOS
DOS dominated the operating system market during
the 1980s.
DOS is a single-user OS that supports only 640 KB of
memory.
DOS features a command-line interface, and does not
support multitasking or multiprocessing.
Because DOS provides no interface restrictions, DOS
applications can look and function differently.
The Macintosh Operating System
The Macintosh OS supports the graphical nature of
the Macintosh computer.
The Mac OS brought the first truly graphical user
interface to consumers.
The Mac OS also brought interface conformity to the
desktop. All applications running under the Mac OS,
therefore, provided the same "look and feel" to the
user.
Windows 3.x
Windows 3.0, 3.1, and 3.11 are called the Windows 3.x
family.
Windows 3.x brought a GUI and multitasking
capabilities to PCs running DOS.
Windows 3.x is an operating environment because it
ran on top of DOS, which was the actual OS.
OS/2 Warp
OS/2 Warp was the first true GUI-based operating system
for Intel-based PCs.
OS/2 is a multitasking OS that provides support for
networking and multiple users.
It was the first PC OS to feature built-in speech
recognition capabilities.
Windows NT
Microsoft's Windows NT was meant as a replacement
for DOS, but was too resource- intensive to work on
most PCs at the time of its release.
Microsoft issued two versions of Windows NT
Windows NT Workstation and Windows NT Server.
NT is a very powerful and robust OS, resistant to
system crashes.
Windows 95 and 98
Windows 95 was Microsoft's first true GUI-based, 32-
bit operating system for Intel PCs.
Windows 95 supports multitasking and can run older
DOS and Windows 3.x programs.
Windows 98's features include advanced Internet
capabilities, an improved user interface, and
enhanced file system performance, among others.
Linux
Linux is a recently developed version of UNIX, which is
available for free or at a very low cost from various
sources.
Linux is a very powerful 32-bit OS that supports
multitasking, multiple users, networking, and virtually
any application.
Linux can run on nearly any type of computer.
Because of its power and openness, Linux is attracting
many users, including students, teachers, Internet
service providers, and others.
Windows 2000
Windows 2000 features the same interface and
features of Windows 98, with the file system,
networking, power, and stability of Windows NT.
Several versions of Windows 2000 are available, each
targeting a specific user or computing environment,
from home PCs to large enterprise networks.
