Do you want to understand more about how your computers' operating system interacts with your computer and manages your RAM? READ ON!

Last month we talked about operating systems, the different types of systems, as well as how the operating system manages the processor. This month we look at user interfaces as well as memory & storage management.

The operating system provides a user interface that enables you to interact with the computer. Remember the DOS operating system with a command-driven interface? (You may not want to admit that you remember this!) A command driven interface was one in which you entered commands to communicate with the computer system. However, the commands were not always easy to understand: as a result, the interface proved to be too complicated for the average user.  Then they tried a menu-driven interface in which you chose a command from a menu of most commonly used commands. Finally, and thankfully for the benefit of us all, the technology gurus created a graphical user interface!

Unlike the command and menu driven interfaces used earlier, graphic user interfaces, or GUIs (pronounced “gooey”) display graphics and use the point-and-click technology of the mouse and cursor, making them much more user friendly. Most personal computer operating systems today use the graphical user interface we are all familiar with, such as Mac OS and Microsoft Windows. 

As the operating system coordinates the activities of the processor (as we talked about last month) it uses RAM as a temporary storage area for instructions and data the processor needs. The processor then accesses these instructions and data from RAM when it is ready to process them. The OS is therefore responsible for coordinating the space allocations in RAM to ensure that there is enough space for all the waiting instructions and data. It then clears the items from RAM when the processor no longer needs them.

You’ve heard of your computer needing more RAM or needing to add more memory? Well RAM has limited capacity, and as you add and upgrade software applications and usage of the computer system, you may find the amount of RAM that was once quite sufficient is no longer enough. The average computer system has anywhere from 512 megabytes (MB) to 4 gigabytes (GB) of memory in RAM. A system with 1 or 2 GB of RAM is usually sufficient if you’re running several applications at the same time. But like most users, over time, you will expand how you use your computer by adding new software and new peripherals, so it’s best to consider adding as much RAM as you can afford to your system.

What happens if your computer runs out of RAM, you ask? When there isn’t enough RAM for the operating system to store the required data and instructions, the operating system borrows room from the more spacious hard drive. This process of optimizing RAM storage by borrowing hard drive space is called virtual memory. However, only a portion of the hard drive is allocated to virtual memory. You can manually change this setting to increase the amount of hard drive space allocated, but eventually your computer system will become sluggish. The solution to this problem is to increase the amount of RAM in your system so that it will not be necessary for it to send data and instructions to virtual memory.

If it weren’t for the operating system, the files and applications you save to the hard drive and other storage locations would be an unorganized mess. Fortunately, the OS has a file management system that keeps track of the name and location of each file you save and the programs you install!! Thank goodness for operating systems and the intelligent people who create and design computers!