Microsoft Windows

 

Microsoft Windows is one of the popular operating system software for the PC (Personal Computer).Operating  system is an organized set or collection of programs that controls the overall  operation of the computer system. It was developed by Microsoft Corporation, USA. It is based on GUL (Graphical User Interface). Its function is to bring life to the computer hardware and manage the computer system. Microsoft Windows is available in various versions such as Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000 and Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Seven, etc.

FEATURES:
The important features of Microsoft Windows are:

• It is based on GUL. Every item is in a graphical form.
• It is easier to learn and use.
• It is easier to manage the computer resources.
• It helps  to run the multiple programs at a time.
• It allows a longer file name.
• It produces highly reliable communication on the Internet.

Optical Storage Media of Computer

Optical storage media are direct access disks where data are written and read by ray technology. A large amount of data can be stored on an optical disk. CD (Compact Disk) and DVD (Digital Video Disk) are the common example of optical storage.

CD ROM:

A Cd-rom stands for compact disk read only memory. it is a hard plastic disk coated with aluminium that stores computer programs and files. The data stored on the CD-Rom cannot be changed by the user. The  cd-rom is inserted in the cd-rom drive to read the information. It can store a large volume of data. i.e. up to 700mb (megabyte).

DVD:

DVD  stands for Digital Video Disk. It is a type of read-only memory compact disk . It has huge storage  capabilities. DVD-ROM disk can store 4.7 to 60 GB (Gigabyte) of data. It requires a special drive called DVD drive reads data at a faster rate.

Magnetic Storage Media of Computer

Magnetic storage media are primary computer storage devices where data is stored on a magnetized material. Floopy disk and hard disk are two common storage media that use the technology of magnetic storage.

Hard Disk: 

A hard disk (also called hard drive, or hard disk drive) is a non-volatile data storage device consisting of one or more metal platters coated with a metal oxide material that allows data to be magnetically recorded on the surface of platters. The disks rotate at a very high speed. Atypical speed is revvolution per minute (rpm) and ,the newest top models spin at rpm. A hard disk can store more data than floopy disk. It is installed inside the CPU (Central Processing Unit) cabinet.

Data storage in computer

One of the important characteristics of computers is to store a large amount of data. Since primary memory has a limited capacity of storage and is temporary, secondary storage media are used. It can store a large amount of data permanently. It is also called storage or mass storage.

A storage medium is the physical material on which data and programs are kept. A storage device is the mechanism used to record and retrieve data to and from a storage medium. Magnetic tape is an example of a storage medium and magnetic tape recorder is an example of a storage device.

The two main technologies used to store data on the secondary storage media are:

• Magnetic Storage
• Optical Storage

(Hard Disk Drive)

Compact Disk (CD)

Floopy Disk

Application Software

Application software allows a user to perform one or more specific tasks. It can process text, numbers, graphics or a combination of these. Some examples of Commonly used application software are: MS-Word, MS- Excel, MS-PowerPoint and Some graphic designing software are Photoshop, Freehand, CorelDraw etc

System Softwares

System software is a set of programs designed to control the operation of the computer system. A system software which is found in every computer is also called operating system. One of the most popular and user friendly operating system is Microsoft Windows. The others popular operating systems are MacOsX, Linux, There are others operating systems besides these available in international market but they are rarely used.

Microsoft Windows

Mac OsX

Linux

Computer Softwares

The software is the complete set of instructions written to solve a problem on the computer. it instructs the hardware to perform input operation, process the data and give the output. It acts as a link between the user and the computer. The two most important types of computer software are:

• System Software
• Application Software