What is the name of the software package that manages the operation of the computer and ensures the interaction between the person and the computer?

In today's world, it's hard to imagine a person who would not have come across a concept such as "A package of programs providing interaction between a person and a computer" from school. Let's try to understand what it is and what elements are included in its composition.

What is the name of the software package that controls the operation of the computer?

So, the very concept of such a package arose at the dawn of the development of computer technology and related technologies.

Today it is considered that, in the broadest sense of the term, the software package that manages the operation of the computer and ensures the functioning of the computer itself, as well as the performance of certain tasks by the user, is nothing more than an operating system with all its elements. Some people mistakenly believe that this is only a specific OS with system-level programs. However, so to speak, "clean" systems are practically not found today.

What is included in the concept of the operating system?

As for understanding operating systems or, as they are sometimes called, "operating systems", this is not only the system part.

The latter is only a package of programs that control the operation of the computer and ensure its correct functioning. That's all. Based on an understanding of the "clean" system, it is not designed to perform any external tasks that are not related to the "operating system". The creation of such systems would be completely inadvisable, since it would be simply impossible to use them for some specific purposes (at the dawn of computer technology - the usual calculation using mathematical, algebraic or trigonometric actions). Therefore, today systems are being created that have great opportunities, albeit not for all occasions, but at least for most of them.

Yes, and the operating systems themselves can be found quite a lot today: Windows, Mac OS X, Free BSD, Linux, UNIX, etc. In addition to the system part, there are impressive sets of completely different applications, for example, for processing graphics, listening to music , Watching videos, etc. Naturally, these are just some elements, not the complete set.

What is software in general terms?

As for what is usually called software, it is, in essence, a collection of absolutely all programs that are installed by default or by a user in a particular computer system.

In other words, it is a software package that manages the operation of the computer in the broadest sense: the operation of the operating system itself, the correct functioning of the "iron" devices (motherboards, graphics cards, sound adapters, network devices, disk drives, USB ports and devices, various modules Wireless communications, monitors, etc.), ensuring the interaction between the computer and the user (graphical interface), as well as the ability to combine several machines into local or virtual networks, access to the World Wide Web duck, and much more.

The system package of programs that control the operation of the computer and provide the interaction associated with a given user task and response to the performance of the operating system itself may not always work, in particular, specifically for user portable programs not associated with the system.

If we talk about applications that allow the user to use all the obvious and hidden features of the system, the first place is occupied by the graphical interface. It is through him that a person gets access to all the functions and opportunities. But it was not always so. For the first time an interface of this type was created with the help of object-oriented programming technologies, when revolutionary Windows 3.1 was released at that time.

Prior to this, only command-oriented systems were used. These were the so-called DOS-systems, in which access was made through the command line or by using combinations of function keys. That time was also remembered by the fact that Norton Commander, which was released for the first time, was not only a file manager (as many believe) but a powerful tool for editing text information and even viewing some graphic formats.

Nevertheless, today the system software package that controls the operation of the computer includes a lot of elements. So, for example, in addition to applications that support the operation of the "operating system" itself, this concept includes device drivers that are special programs or dynamic libraries that already provide interaction between the devices themselves and the operating system. Without a driver, no "iron" component will work - the system simply does not recognize it.

In addition, you can include in this list also special features of changing the configuration of the computer system, controlling access to certain functions, setting simultaneous use of a certain account of a local or network user when logging in with several registered users on one terminal or several terminals located in the local Or a virtual network, and so on.

General concept of applied programs

In addition to the system part, you can also select a specialized software package that manages the operation of the computer and provides any user with the ability to perform a specific task. Such programs are called application programs.

Naturally, today the range of tasks that are capable of performing modern computer systems has significantly expanded. For example, using special mathematical packages, one can easily solve the most complicated problems up to tensor equations.

New opportunities

Modern applications related to physics or chemistry can even simulate some situations that have not yet reached the incarnation in real life. Software packages like AutoCAD give the widest opportunities for designers of various systems in completely different areas of science of technology.

And what about sound and video? Previously, it all boiled down to viewing and listening, and today you can easily find some professional software package that manages the computer and provides not only recordings of music or vocals at the studio level, but also allows you to create music without using any tools at all. The sounds in such applications are no different from "live" instruments.

The same goes for video processing. Look, after all the same fight of Neo with Morpheus from the first part of kinotrilogii "Matrix" was modeled in the program, and not shot live. However, the list can be continued almost indefinitely.

Standard Windows programs

It goes without saying that every today known operating system has its own standard software package that manages the computer and provides the user with everything necessary to perform other common tasks. Since we have the most used modifications of Windows OS, we will consider this set.

Here you can find a standard file manager, called "Explorer", a tool for viewing and editing graphics, a player for video and music, text editors, system administration tools and configuration settings in the form of "Control Panel", built-in browser for Internet access, tools For setting up local or virtual networks, special tools for people with disabilities (for example, for those with weak vision, the system suggests using a magnifying glass to increase Images) and much more.

Associated Programs and Components

Among some additional components, it should be noted especially the software package that manages the operation of the computer and ensures the security of the system. In Windows, such applications are usually called firewalls or firewalls.

In addition, almost all users today are using anti-virus software, designed specifically to protect computers from virus attacks or the penetration of malicious code, spyware or unwanted programs that can not only significantly disrupt the entire system, but also lead to its full "crash" ".

Instead of an afterword

As you can see, the software package that manages the work of the computer is not only an "operating system" that provides PC-to-person interaction, but also many additional elements that allow you to concentrate on the performance of a specific task. So it's just not necessary to say that this is exclusively "operational". Here the understanding of such a term is much broader. And if we take into account the rapid development of computer technologies, who knows, in the near future such systems will generally go beyond our current understanding and will be targeted at completely different, even unpredictable goals.