What’s OS - A Plain English Explanation
Reviewed by Bram P
What is an operating systemIn this article I’m going to clarify common but frequently confused computer terminology: “operating system“, or “OS”.
Maybe you’ve found yourself with questions and wonder what OS means, if so, you’re not the only one.
This is actually a fairly simple idea to grasp when it’s explained right, as you’ll discover by the time you finish reading this computer dictionary article.
Now an operating system, or OS, is a type of software. To repeat my explanation from a previous article, here’s how you can think of software: “Software” refers to all of the parts of the computer that you really can’t observe or touch directly. Software would include things like Microsoft Word, a Web browser, Windows or the Mac OS, and all of your personal files like specific emails, photos, songs, etc.
