Operating System Goals

System Goals:

 

It is easier to define an operating system by what it does then by what it is. The primary goal of some operating system is convenience for the user. OS exists because they are supposed to make it easier to compute with them than without them.

 

This view is particularly clear when you look at operating systems for small PCs. The primary goal of other operating systems is efficient operation of the computer system.  This is the case for large, shared, multi user systems.  These systems are expensive so it is desirable to make them as efficient as possible.

 

These two goals - convenience and efficiency are sometimes contradictory. In the past, efficiency was often more important than convenience. Thus, much of OS theory concentrates on optimal use of computing resources. Operating systems have also evolved over time. Many graphical user interfaces (GUI) were added to make it more convenient for users while still concentrating on efficiency.

 

The design of an operating system is a complex task. Operating systems and computer architecture have influenced each other a great deal.  To facilitate the use of the hardware, researchers developed operating systems. Users of the OS then proposed changes in hardware design to simplify them.