Tech Tips Now

Microsoft released Windows 2.0 in 1987 to take advantage of the awesome processing power of the Intel 286 processor. It was released with the same, if not greater fanfare as Windows 1.0, and sported a much better look. It introduced the concept of maximizing and minimizing windows, and now that they had signed the agreement with Apple, Microsoft even introduced overlapping windows, which they couldn’t have before. Read More »

Somewhere in 1983, Microsoft offered to rescue its users from the drab and tedious interface of DOS by introducing the first GUI (Graphical User Interface). Instead of having to type in their commands, users would be able to use the nifty Read More »

In the beginning, there was darkness; and out of that darkness there came a light. “A:\”, it said, and the world was happy. Read More »

Here we take a ride once more—to witness the long, stormy history of the most popular OS today. Read More »

Your data is organized into files—collections of data that represent one single unit. All operating systems have a preferred method to organize these files on storage devices, to make them easy to find and use.

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The memory on your machine is divided into two categories. First, there is the system’s physical memory—RAM chips. These chips are built for exchanging data with the CPU at very high speeds. Unfortunately, high speeds come at high costs, and even the richest know that it isn’t wise to invest all one’s money in RAM.

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Processes and Threads

A processis the running version of a computer program. It is given its own private space in the system memory which it uses to store its code and data. The context of the process is the entire contents of this memory, and some more data about the system’s state. This way, when the context of a process is loaded into the memory, it can start executing from when it left off.

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Between applications and the hardware stands the kernel. It is the part of the operating system that performs the most basic and most critical functions that an OS is supposed to support. Its functions are:
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Real-time Operating Systems (RTOS)

Real-time operating systems are no-frills operating systems designed for one thing—performance. They are typically used in scientific research, industrial robots and devices like mobile phones. They offer little, if any, user interaction.

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Operating Systems controls everything on your computer—nothing is safe from this mysterious force we call the Operating System (OS). We take a look behind closed doors to see what’s really going on in your computer.

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