5 Tips You Should Learn About Operating Systems Software

Introduction

PC users tend to take the operating systems software for granted, but people should give Microsoft Windows and other players in this market more consideration. During the research and prospecting phase of obtaining a new computer, people may only focus on the version and edition of an operating systems software and then stop there. For example, most shoppers want the most recent version of an operating system on the market, such as Microsoft Windows 7 or Apple Mac OS X 10.6. After confirming that a new system has the most recent version, some may then go further and look at the edition, such as Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate. That's it.

If you are in the market for new PC, there are few other aspects of the operating systems software that you should learn about and then keep in mind going forward as your personal and professional life becomes increasingly reliant on your understanding of computing technology.

Step 1

Operating systems software is upgradeable. This is important for shoppers who assume that at the time of purchase, that they are buying the most recent operating system. Later, they find out that Microsoft or Apple has released a newer version of their OS, that has actually been in development for years.

Luckily, after you buy a PC, which includes the license and product key for the operating systems software, you can upgrade to newer versions. You can buy a discounted version of the upgrade from a local or online computer retailer. The only hurdle is making sure the hardware that exists on your PC is compatible with the newer version of the OS.

Step 2

Operating systems software can be updated. Microsoft, Apple and other OS developers have made a point of programming their software to automatically download update files and patches that fixes problems with the original operating system. However, PC owners should make a habit of manually updating the operating system.

In many cases, the OS developer does not have access to updates to third-party software and hardware components on a PC. Instead owners must venture to the original equipment manufacturer's website, such as Lenovo, Toshiba or HP to retrieve updates. Getting into the habit of updating your PC is a great way of keeping it working trouble free.

Step 3

Operating systems software can match other productivity and utility programs. In the early years, consumers had no choice but to purchase third-party software applications that made up for what the operating system was lacking. For example, people purchased PC maintenance and performance utilities that fixed problems with the OS. Today, Microsoft includes utilities free of charge in the Windows OS that can remedy these problems, such as the "Troubleshooter" utilities in Windows 7.

Step 4

Operating systems software is cross compatible with other competitors. For example, you can run a Windows on a Mac OS X system, or Linux on a Windows system.

Step 5

Operating systems software on mobile phones and other handheld computing devices is very similar to that on desktops and laptops. The only major difference is that the company has to remove some aspects of the OS so that the installation files fit on devices with smaller storage space.

Tips

• You can backup the entire operating system, which includes the hundreds of personalized settings that you have made over the months and years.

Comments