
44 | CHAPTER 3 Computer Science and the Foundation of Kno wledge Model
OS Software The OS is the most important software on any computer. It is the
very first program to load on computer start up, and is fundamental for the oper-
ation of all other software and the computer hardware. Examples of commonly
used operating systems include the Microsoft Windows family, Linux, Mac OS X,
and Unix. The OS manages both the hardware and software and provides a reli-
able consistent interface for the software applications to work with the computer’s
hardware. An OS must be both powerful and flexible to adapt to the myriad of
types of software available, made by ...