Page 71 - Computer - 10(A&B)
P. 71
Mac OS
Mac OS is an operating system developed by Apple Inc. for their Mac series of computers. It
provides a graphical user interface that lets users interact with icons on the screen to perform
tasks. It is generally considered a more robust operating system than Windows.
Linux
Linux is also a GUI operating system that has been developed from the old UNIX
operating system. It is an open source software that lets users modify and redistribute
the software for free.
Android
Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google. It is based on a modified version
of the Linux kernel and other open source software, and is designed primarily for touchscreen
mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. It is the most popular and commonly used
mobile operating system.
iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc.
exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that presently powers many of the
company’s mobile devices, including the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. It is the second most
popular mobile operating system globally after Android.
Components of Graphical User Interface
A Graphical User Interface (GUI) includes graphical elements such as windows, icons, and buttons. The term was
created in the 1970s to distinguish graphical interfaces from text-based ones, such as command line interfaces.
A GUI uses menus and icons to issue commands, start applications, make changes to documents, store files,
delete files, etc. You can use a mouse to control a cursor or pointer on the screen to do these things, or you can
alternatively use the keyboard to perform actions. A graphical user interface is considered user-friendly.
The actions in a GUI are usually performed through direct manipulation of the graphical elements. Apart from
computers, GUIs are used in many handheld mobile devices such as MP3 players, portable media players,
gaming devices, smartphones, and smaller household, office and industrial controls.
Knowledge Plus
Knowledge Plus
The first commercially available computer with a GUI was the 1979 PERQ workstation, manufactured by
Three Rivers Computer Corporation.
Let us learn about the various components of a typical GUI.
Icons Desktop Background
Desktop
When we switch ON a computer system, Windows is the first software
that starts on its own. This process takes a few minutes. Once the process
is finished, a screen known as the Desktop appears.
The Windows Desktop consists of the icons, wallpaper, and a taskbar.
Let us learn these components in detail.
Wallpaper
Taskbar
The term ‘Wallpaper’ is used for the background picture of the Desktop.
Icons
The small pictures that represent a program, a file, or a folder are called icons. These Icons are used to open
specific programs or documents.
53