An operating system is a program that acts as an intermediary between a user of
a computer and the computer hardware. The purpose of an operating system is
to provide an environment in which a user can execute program.
An operating system is an important part of almost every computer system. A
computer system can be divided roughly into four components: the hardware, the
operating system, the applications programs, and the users)
The hardware ñ the central processing unit (CPU), the memory, and the input /
output (I/O) devices - provides the basic computing resources. The applications
programs ñ such as compilers, database systems, games, and business
programs ñ define the ways in which these resources are used to solve the
computing problems of the users.