Chapter 2

Hello class..

How is everyone today? Well let's just have a quick recap on what we went through last week. Frankly speaking, the whole lecture was pretty long and too much to be consumed at one time but don't worry, let me highlight the important things first and if you have any questions, please ask me.

Okay, first of all we discussed about what is System Software. Well it's simple really, it's a program that maintain the operation of the computer. They are divided into two types:

1. Operating System
2. Utility Programs

You must also be familiar with the Operating System functions:

1. Booting - Process of starting or restarting a computer (COLD BOOT/WARM BOOT)
2. Recovery Disk - System files that will start the computer if boot fails
3. User Interface/GUI - Allow users to interact with the computer easily
4. Memory Management - Optimize the use of RAM
5. Spooling - Sending print jobs to buffer (Queue)
6. Device Driver - Program that tells OS how to communicate with the device
7. Establish Internet Connection

Alright then, the list above are the important things you must know. There is a lot more but the Operating System functions I mentioned above should be fine. So, the next part of our lesson was defining the Operating System Utility Programs.

What is a Utility Program? It is a system software that performs maintenance-type tasks. Now that you know the definition, lets highlight the different types of Utility Programs.

1. File Manager
2. Firewall
3. Uninstaller
4. Disk Scanner
5. Disk Defragmenter
6. Diagnostic Utility
7. Backup Utlity
8. Screen Saver

Guys, please make sure you know functions on each of the utility programs mentioned to get a better view. It's all in your notes so I expect you to know them all okay?

Next, we discussed about the types of Operating System and they are:

1. Stand-Alone Operating System - Mac OS X, UNIX, Windows XP
2. Network Operating System - Windows Server 2000, Unix, Solaris
3. Embedded Operating System - Windows Mobile, Palm OS

Again class, please make sure that you go through the details of each type of operating system so you can differentiate them respectively.

Lastly, we also discussed about Stand-Alone Utility Programs. In this part, all you need to know is that these programs are not included in the Operating System and the user themselves have to install them. Examples of utility programs are:

1. Anti-virus
2. Spyware
3. Internet Filters
4. File Compression
5. CD/DVD burning Software

Well, we've reached the end of our discussion for today and as you can see, there is a lot for you to understand. I've made the summary for you and it's up to you to fully benefit this. Please go through your notes carefully and please ask me if you have any questions. Your first TEST is next week (20/3/09) and it will cover chapter 1 and chapter 2. So, good luck and be prepared...


Cheers.