Three machines, three jobs
On a school desk sits a laptop. In a pocket, a phone. In a locked room, a server with no screen.
All three run main system software, but not the same kind. You would not run the server's system on the phone.
Why not? Let us find out.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Operating system | the main software that runs a computer and lets you use it |
| End user operating system | a system for a person's own desktop or laptop, such as Windows or macOS |
| Mobile operating system | a system for a phone or tablet, such as Android or iOS |
| Server operating system | a system built to serve many users, such as Linux or Windows Server |
| User interface | what you see and touch to control the computer |
| Machine language | the 1s and 0s a processor really understands |
| User experience | how it feels to use something |
| Client-server | a design where central servers give services to many client computers |
| Network | computers and devices joined together so they can share data |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can name three types of operating system and say what they share and how they differ.
Starter
Have a go
Starter
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Three types of operating system
End user (desktop): for a person's own PC or laptop. Examples are Windows and macOS.
Mobile: for tablets and phones. Examples are Android and iOS.
Server: for the machines in a client-server network that give services to others. Examples are Linux and Windows Server. A server system often has no screen at all and is run from afar.
Types, examples and where they run
| Type | Examples | Runs on | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|
| End user | Windows, macOS | Desktop PCs and laptops | One person doing many jobs |
| Mobile | Android, iOS | Phones and tablets | Touch, battery life, apps |
| Server | Linux, Windows Server | Servers in a client-server network | Serving many users all day |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Check the types
Have a go
Check the types
4 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.