At the user level of a PC, we can say that there are two types of Operating Systems: OS for PC and OS for Mobile Phones.
But there is also a wide family of operating systems categorized according to the types of computers they control and the type of applications they support. The 4 categories for this type of OS are: Real-time OS, Single User Single Task, OS Single User Multitasking and Multi-User OS.
Let’s look at the different types one by one.
PC Operating Systems
The operating systems for PC or desktop computers are varied and there are many, but the most used are Windows, Mac and LINUX. Here we leave you an image with the most used OS for PC
The use of windows is the flagship of the Microsoft operating system, the Windows, standard system for personal and business computers. Introduced in 1985, it was largely responsible for the rapid evolution of personal computing.
Mac OS is the Apple Macintosh operating system for personal computer lines and workstations. The apple is your logo.
Linux or GNU / Linux as an operating system was designed to provide personal computer users with a free or very low cost alternative. Linux has the reputation of being a very efficient and fast system. There are many different versions, the best known are Ubuntu or Fedora. The versions can be modified freely by any user.
Mobile Operating Systems
The most used mobile and tablet operating systems are Android and iOS, but you can see more in the image below. If you want to know more about these operating systems, here is a link: Mobile Operating Systems.
OS According to the Computer and the Type of Applications
Of this type we have:
– Real-time operating system (RTOS): real-time operating systems are used to control machinery, scientific instruments and industrial systems. A very important part of an RTOS is to manage the resources of the computer so that a particular operation is executed in exactly the same amount of time, every time it occurs.
– Unique user, unique task: as the name implies, this operating system is designed to manage the computer so that a user can do one thing at a time.
– Single user, multitasking: this is the type of operating system that most people use on their desktops and laptops today. Microsoft’s Windows and Apple’s MacOS platforms are examples of operating systems that will allow a single user to have several programs running at the same time.
– Multi-user: a multi-user operating system allows many different users to take advantage of computer resources simultaneously. Unix, VMS and mainframe operating systems, such as MVS, are examples of multi-user operating systems.
OS Compatibility
Most software programs are designed to work with the operating system of a single company, for example only Windows (Microsoft) or only macOS (Apple).
A software will clearly indicate what operating systems it supports and will be very specific if necessary including the version or versions of that OS it supports. For example, a video production software program might say that it is compatible with Windows 10, Windows 8 and Windows 7, but is not compatible with earlier versions of Windows such as Windows Vista and XP.
Software developers also usually release additional versions of their software that work with other operating systems or different versions. Returning to the example of the video production program, that company could also launch another version of the program with exactly the same features but to work with macOS, the place with Windows.
It is also important to know if your operating system is 32-bit or 64-bit. It is a common question they ask you when downloading software. Below you can see how to know if your computer is 32bit or 64bit in Windows.