Introduction
One of the most important parts of any computer system is the operating system software. It is the one program whose absence leaves your system to be nothing but a box of circuits and wires. Now for the past three decades, a number of operating systems have been introduced. Ms-DOS, Microsoft windows, Apple MAC, Linux are all great examples, but we are here to talk about the most used operating program for PC systems. Windows was introduced by Microsoft in 1985 when PC operators were getting more interested in the graphic user interface. Although Microsoft was not the pioneer of GUI, they most certainly were much more successful in implementing the technology and making their program the most commonly used in PC systems. Windows has been competing with many competent programs, especially Apple MAC OS, but there are a lot of reasons why people have been more supportive towards Microsoft.
History
Now where does one need an operating system as powerful as Windows? We most certainly do not need it in the coffee shop to simply place our order, but even the operating systems Windows has made it very possible to make placing these orders much more efficient and detailed. The trick is that every workplace in the world needs an efficient and effective communication channel. Simply shouting out an order can confuse the chef in the kitchen, because he may not hear it over the pressure cooker and other noise. Even in professional offices, too much paperwork can really stress people out. In the business environment, Windows made room for itself by proving to offer spreadsheets, word processors, mail receivers and data processing capabilities. So when you go to a coffee shop or a fast food chain and place an order on the counter, the details of your order are sent back to the kitchen in a display unit where they are read and instructions are followed accordingly, and the order is then delivered to the front counter. While doing this, the system also records the sale into its sales records, informs the storage processor what ingredients need to be used, and if the storage unit is out of ingredients, it only informs the supervisor that it has run out of stock and needs a reorder, all this is done in just a few minutes. A lot of people would compliment the program that did the processing instead of the OS, but the fact is that Microsoft Windows is the one OS that is most compatible with all programs. Most programs are only written thinking that it must be best compatible with Windows systems. Windows software update is the feature that helps your OS program to stay up to date, so even the latest programs are compatible.
Features
This was just the simplest data process in a fast food chain. Imagine its capabilities in a professional office with giant servers and heavy processing consoles every 2m of the network. Its potential can be limitless, but where does Windows fit into it? Besides the software, Windows is also the most hardware compatible OS. Thanks to the compatibility of motherboards, USB devices, SATA and PATA and disk drivers, all hardware can be configured under windows. Its plug and play compatibility makes it possible to easily run any hardware connected to the USB bus port. The Windows system automatically searches for drivers and hardware connected to the computer and enables them to run efficiently. Other than such heavy use of data processing, there is a softer side for the Windows systems. Windows GUI is extremely user friendly and is becoming even more easy to use as newer versions of Windows are being released. The latest Windows 7 system does most of your configurations automatically, as the makers understand the most common configurations that people use. For example, if you are sitting in a café with your laptop, windows will automatically search for a Wi-Fi connection and imports its connection details without you even having to ask for it. Besides that, programs from Google, Adobe and Microsoft, that all run under the Windows system, make our lives a lot easier. We can easily connect to the internet for any information we need to find. We can watch movies, read newspapers, and play games and so much more as long as it is supported by Windows.
Tips and comments
Most other OS are just as useful, like in compatibility with other programs and hardware. Linux for example, is the least supported OS yet its GUI is the most interesting, but with lack of supporting programs the OS did not gain success. Even in MAC, most programs are made by Microsoft, because people prefer the user friendly programs that they used to work on Windows systems. Windows, for these reasons, is the most useful and efficient OS in the market.
