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Best Operating Systems 2025

Operating systems are the central nervous systems of a computer. It performs basic tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard, displaying data on the screen, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers. It also manages basic security functions ensuring that there is no unauthorized access to the computer.

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What are Operating Systems?

Operating systems are the central nervous systems of a computer. They provide a large platform that allows other software or hardware platforms to run. This is by essentially acting as a bridge between the physical components and applications. Operating systems are capable of performing basic tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard, displaying data on the screen, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers. They also manage basic security functions ensuring that there is no unauthorized access to the computer.

An operating system essentially gives you access to these smartphones and computers and allows them to perform all the basic functions we are used to. Devices come with an operating system installed that is usually specific to the manufacturer, but users can sometimes switch to the operating system of their choice depending on their device.

Operating systems allow for simultaneous use of applications and connect with the CPU for storage and memory allocation. Operating systems often require updates to keep things running smoothly, to fix bugs and to patch security vulnerabilities. Most device manufacturers will provide upgrades on their end without the need for users to purchase any additional packages or hardware.

Operating Systems Features

Many operating systems offer the following features and capabilities:

  • Application management
  • Data security
  • Memory management
  • System updates
  • File management
  • Resource allocation
  • User interface

Pricing Information

Most devices come with a native operating system at no additional costs. There are open source operating systems that are available for free. For paid operating systems, business pricing is usually custom based on number of devices.

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Operating Systems FAQs

What do operating systems do?

Operating systems provide users with an interface that manages our applications allowing them to run simultaneously. They are the bridges that connect our software with the physical components of our computer.

What are the benefits of using operating systems?

Operating systems allow us to use our devices and run applications effectively. They provide us with the ability to run several applications at the same time, allow for data storage, and connect our hardware devices (e.g. printers, scanners) to our software. Additionally, they have capabilities that provide us with easy access to the data stored in our devices, as well as security.

What are the best operating systems?

Popular operating systems include: