Summary
This chapter discussed the basics of the operating system, the program that controls thousands of operations, provides an interface between the user and the computer, and runs applications. Some of the important concepts to retain from this chapter include the following:
  • The three elements that make up the operating system including the user interface, kernel, and the file management system.
  • The functions of the operating system including file and folder management, management of applications, support for built-in utility programs, and access control to the computer hardware.
  • Terminology used when comparing systems including multiuser, multitasking, multiprocessing, multithreading, and so on.
  • The sections that make up the disk operating system include boot files, file management files, and utility files.
  • The DOS command line and common commands and switches.
  • Booting the system with a boot disk.
  • Using CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT to optimize the system.
  • The two main types of memory are physical memory (RAM), also known as system memory, and virtual memory.

The next chapter goes beyond the DOS operating system to explain the Windows Operating System. The student will gain an understanding of how the Windows file structure and management system works, and the steps in Windows installation.