I did not have my first computer till I was in high school. I still remembered the first day I had my own personal computer (a Compaq laptop); I stared at the laptop with all my excitement of the new technology that would bring me to the world and spent my whole day with it. Indeed, computers played in impact on my life since after I started using it because I could discover many things about the world from Internet. Through youtube, online news…I am connect to the wide world. In fact, I could not remember the model or the version of Windows of my first laptop; however, I am using Sony laptop which uses Windows 7 Home Premium. At first, I did not even now what Windows operating system is or why it is important. Fortunately, I take CIDM course in school and discovers many interesting things about operating system, especially Windows 7 Home Premium that I am using. Let’s discover it!
Before exploring Windows 7 Home Premium, we should need to understand what operating system is. From Shelly Cashman’s textbook Discovering Computers & Microsoft Office 2007, the academic definition of an operating system is “a set of programs containing instructions that work together to coordinate alll the activities among computer hardware resources” (Shelly 137). Following is an image illustrated how operating system relate to other parts of a computer:
Source: wikipedia.com <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_system>
To illustrate, one could compare the role of an operating system to a computer with the role of a coach to a football team. The coach is the one who connects all parts of the team together from physical training staff to individual players. Without a coach, a football team will only be separated individuals and they will not be called a team. Windows 7 is the most effective operating system produced by Microsoft Inc. Windows 7 has several versions including Windows 7 Basic, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional... I am using Windows 7 Home Premium which is very popular to students and basic computer users. From my CIDM class, I have discovered 5 interesting things about the operating system.
- Managing Memory:
One function of an operating system is managing memory. By managing memory, an operating system try “to optimize the use of random access memory (RAM)” (Shelly 141). Like putting stuff in a truck which has its limited space, how much one could be put in does not depend only on how big the truck is but also how he arrange to put things in the truck. A clever person could put more stuff in a truck by optimize the it space than another who just randomly throw stuff into the truck. In fact, one of areas that Windows 7 is focused most is managing memory. With its 64-bit Windows, the operating system gives computers access to more memory, prevent computers slowing down when users open many programs at the same time. To illustrate, imagine you do an addition involving long numbers in your head. Without being able to remember the numbers in your head, you will take forever to get the result. Likewise, a computer may get frozen if its memory is small and its user open so many programs at the same time. Indeed, the 64-bit version included in Windows 7 Home Premium “… can all use up to 192 GB of memory (far more than even a power user would typically need), making them ideal for specialized computing tasks that require enormous amounts of memory, such as rendering 3D graphics.”[1]
- Coordinating Tasks:
The second funcrtion of operating systems is to coordinate task, “[determining] the order in which task are processed” (Shelly 141). To understand how operating system coordinate tasks, let’s visualize a common situation in a restaurant. When a restaurant gets very busy, a manager would coordinate tasks for employees in the most effective way to minimize waiting time of customers. He does not necessarily take orders on first base first come; instead, he would base on types of orders to serve. For example, the 1st and the 3rd customer each wants to order a strawberry smoothie. Since making 2 cups of strawberry smoothie at the same time would save time, the manager would make 2 cups of strawberry smoothie for the 1st and the 3rd customers. The 2nd customer does not wait more because making 1 cup of smoothie takes as long as making 2 cups. Similarly, the manager could minimize waiting times of all the customers by cleverly coordinating task at the most effective way. Similarly, an operating system will coordinate tasks (commands of users) in the most effective to minimize waiting time of the user. Windows 7 Home Premium is focused on maximizing speed of computer. To speed up performance of computer, Window 7 Home Premium has a program called “under-the-hood tune-ups” which “uses less memory when it's idle and less graphics memory when you launch and switch between windows.” Also, the operating software has a program called ReadyBoost which could “speed up your computer by using storage space on most USB flash drives and flash memory cards.”[2]
3. Controlling a Network:
The third unction of operating system is to enable computer working in a network called a “server operating system.” According to Shelly’s book Discovering Computers & Microsoft Office 2007, “[a] server operating system is an operating system that organizes and coordinates how multiple users access and share resources on a network” (Shelly 143). In fact, Windows 7 Home Premium has a feature called HomeGroup which is a new program that enable users to effectively connect their computers with other computers in a house to share documents, music, videos, printer… In the other words, with its special feature called HomeGroup, users could easily use connections between computers or other utilities such as printers in a home. For example, I could print papers directly from my brother’s printer by using the HomeGroup without having to transfer my files to a medium such as USB. However, it does not means that user may lose their privacy; they could choose to share or not to share whatever they want. For example, if I don’t want to share my pictures with others, I could uncheck the option of sharing pictures. In short, Windows 7 Home Premium has designed HomeGroup to assist users in study, work, or others, but not to cause any problem or incontinence to users.
4. Configuring Devices:
Another function of an operating system is to configure devices. That is, the operating system will configure how software or applications will communicate to the operating system. The task falls on drivers. According to Shelly’s book Discovering Computers & Microsoft Office 2007, a driver is “a small program that tells the operating system how to communicate with a specific device” (Shelly 142). In the other words, a driver defines the way a device will interact with the operating system. One of the most popular driver program is Plug and Play which is found on most of USB flash drivers. Indeed, Plug and Play is a program set up to enable an operating system automatically configure the device. For example, if one plugs his USB into a computer, it will be automatically configured in seconds and be ready to use.
5. Providing a User interface:
Finally, an operating system also provide user interface which “controls how you enter data and instructions and how information is displayed on the screen” (Shelly 138). There are two types of user interface. The first type called Command-Line Interface is an older type in which users have to write command in words to instruct computers do a specific task. In fact, on the early stage of computers, this was the only way for users to request their computers do something. The second type called Graphical User Interface is newer and mostly used today. “With a graphical user interface, you interact with menus and visual images such as buttons and other graphical objects to issue commands” (Shelly 139). Indeed, Windows 7 Home Premium is specialized on graphical user interface to make computers personal to users. With its new features such as Shake, Peek, or Snap, users would efficiently work on desktop. For example, with Snap feature, users could easily divide the desktop into two halves to use run 2 programs at the same time. Following is the promotional video about some features of Windows 7:
After learning more about Windows 7 Home Premium, I appreciate that I have it. I could do more things with it and use it more effectively. In fact, I never appreciate it because I did not know what makes Windows 7 Home Premium be more effective than other systems and why anyone is using it. I am fortunate because I was born in time when technology has been developed so much; thus, I could do many things that my grandpa or even my parents could not do before.
References:
1. “Taking the Mystery out of 64-bit Windows.” Windows.microsoft.com. 2011. Microsoft Corporation. September 26, 2011 < http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/taking-the-mystery-out-of-64-bit-windows>
2. “Performance Improvements.” Windows.microsoft.com. 2011. Microsoft Corporation. September 26, 2011 <http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/performance-improvements>
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