OS, Applications and Utilities

OS, Applications and Utilities

1. Operating System

   • MUMPS
     • Memory Management
       • The Operating System is what controls the transfer (movement) of data between the CPU, RAM, and main storage (e.g. hard drive)
     • User Interface
       • The Operating System provides the user with an interface rather than inputting code. GUI (Graphical User Interface), e.g. Windows or text-based [no-mouse] CLI – Command Line Interface, MSDOS
     • Peripheral Management
       • OS manages the input and output devices connected to the computer, for example: keyboard, mouse, print, etc.
     • Multi-tasking
       • OS allows the user to multitask easily so the user can switch between different programs. (Taskbar)
     • Security
       • OS provides security features to restrict access to the system or particular files. (Lock screen, log-on)

2. Utilities

   • Security
     • Antivirus
       • To protect you from viruses, malware, and anything that could harm your computer.
     • Spyware Protection
       • Spyware is something that secretly records what you’re doing and so spyware protection stops that happening.
     • Firewall
       • Firewalls are to control ingoing and outgoing connections and to also stop your computer being vulnerable to malicious attacks.
   • Disk Operations
     • Formatting
       • Disk Operations Formatting It is when the chosen partition on the drive is used by the OS to delete all data and set up a file system. Most popular file system is NTFS, but FAT32 is also used.
     • File Transfer
       • Moving files from one place to the other, whether it is on your local computer, or over the internet.
     • Defragmentation
       • Collects fragmented data on a volume, reorganises the data so it’ll work more efficiently. Fragmentation slows down your computer.
   • System Maintenance
     • System info & Diagnosis
       • System Info is a record of all the hardware and details of the OS, such as clock speed, no. of processors etc. Diagnostics are done to see if there are any problems on the OS, for example ‘chkdisk’ will run a number of tests on the hard disk to see if it is working properly.
     • System clean-up tools
       • A utility designed to free up disk space on a hard disk. Analyses hard disk for files that are no longer of any use and then removes the unnecessary files.
     • Automatic Updating
       • Uses the Internet to check the OS is up-to-date and applies software patches/fixes when necessary.

3. Applications

   • Custom Written (Bespoke)
     • Means the software is developed specifically for a particular organisation
     • Advantage: custom made to meet the exact purpose
     • Disadvantage: very expensive and needs technical expertise to develop
   • Off-The-Shelf
     • Means it is developed by a software company to be sold to the general public
     • Advantage: cheaper than developing it yourself and technical support is available
     • Disadvantage: inflexible – might not do everything you want it to
   • Open Source
     • Means the software is written by the general public for everyone to use. The source code is provided so software can be tweaked.
     • Advantage: allows anyone to use/adapt the software to meet their needs.
     • Disadvantage: by making the code available to all, you are allowing people to ‘take advantage’ of the software installed on other peoples computers.
   • Proprietary
     • Means the software is written by a developer and allowed to be used by others but with certain restrictions, e.g can’t adapt software, as the source code is hidden.
     • Advantage: can allow for different versions of the same software, e.g an educational version with limited functionality, or full functionality costing more.
     • Disadvantage: source code cannot be inspected so may contain spyware or other malicious features within the software.