Operating systems

An operating system (OS) is the software your computer uses to interact with its hardware at the most basic level. Operating systems include the files and software your computer uses to function. Operating systems take different approaches to managing software and may only work with specific hardware. Every device comes with an operating system: macOS and iOS on Apple devices, Windows on Microsoft devices, Android or Chrome OS on Google devices, and Linux on a variety of devices.

Operating systems generally provide an interface, the ability to store and manage files, and the ability to install and run programs. Programs are built to run on specific operating systems but can be available in multiple versions. You will often find programs with similar functions built for different operating systems.