- Mac Operating System For Pc
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You could design an operating system by physically programming it into a computer's circuits. This would require building electrical pathways using millions of logic gates. But such an operating system would be inflexible. That's why operating systems like Mac OS X and Windows are software. MacOS Big Sur is available for download now, so long as you have one of these supported Apple devices. Apple's latest Mac operating system, MacOS Big Sur, is now available for download on all.
What's the big deal about operating systems in the first place? What do they actually do? An operating system is the level of programming that lets you do things with your computer. The operating system interacts with a computer's hardware on a basic level, transmitting your commands into language the hardware can interpret. The OS acts as a platform for all other applications on your machine. Without it, your computer would just be a paperweight.
At its heart, a computer is a number-crunching device. It takes input in the form of zeros and ones -- bits -- and channels them through various circuits and processors. The hardware behaves according to strict rules. We define these rules using things like logic gates, which take input and produce an output in a predictable way. Some simple computers have no need of an operating system because they only perform a specific task. But personal computers need to be more versatile. The operating system allows complex programs to access the capabilities of the hardware to get results. Only the hardware's physical properties and our own imaginations can limit what programs can do.
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You could design an operating system by physically programming it into a computer's circuits. This would require building electrical pathways using millions of logic gates. But such an operating system would be inflexible. That's why operating systems like Mac OS X and Windows are software. Software is more malleable than hardware -- you can make changes through software patches and version updates. To do the same with hardware would mean switching out physical chips and circuit boards.
Operating systems are like the manager for a computer. It's the job of the OS to monitor what software needs and what the hardware can provide. As you run applications on your computer, the OS allocates the resources necessary to complete the task. That can include processing power, memory allocation and computer storage access, among other things. Ideally, the OS will make sure that your computer's hardware is never overtaxed.
The OS also allows programs to run on a computer. Without an OS, a programmer would have to design an application to run on the hardware directly. This isn't very efficient. An operating system acts as an application interface to the hardware. The OS does this through an application program interface (API). Program developers build applications for the API. Assuming the programmer has done a good job at building an application without any serious bugs, it should run just fine on the operating system.
One important part of the Mac computer is the firmware. Firmware is a level of programming that exists directly on top of a hardware layer. It's not part of the operating system itself. The Mac firmware is the first stored program that executes when you turn on a Mac computer. Its job is to check the computer's CPU, memory, disk drives and ports for errors. The PC equivalent to the Mac firmware is called BIOS, which stands for basic input-output systems. A second program called a bootloader loads the Mac OS X, assuming there are no errors reported by the firmware.
Next, we'll take a closer look at what makes the Mac OS X tick.
Knowing what operating system is running on your computer, smartphone, or tablet help you troubleshoot issues and know your computer's or device's compatibilities. Below are the steps on how to determine what operating system is running on your computer, smartphone, or tablet.
NoteBefore identifying an operating system, you must know what type of computer you have. For help with identifying a computer, see: How to find information about my computer. You can also use our system information tool to automatically detect your operating system.
IBM compatible (PC) computer
The majority of all IBM compatible (PC) users have Microsoft Windows installed on their computer. A good method of determining if you are running Microsoft Windows 95 or later is to look for the Start menu button in the bottom-left corner of your screen. If you see the Start menu button on your taskbar, you are running Microsoft Windows.
If you do not see a Start button, it is likely you are running a different operating system. Below are some different visual indications to determine what operating system you are using. If you do not have any graphics or a GUI (graphical user interface) and only see text, skip to the command line section.
GUI operating system visual indicators
- A Microsoft Windows logo or Microsoft Windows flag but no start button often indicates an earlier version of Microsoft Windows, such as Microsoft Windows 3.11.
- A red hat in the corner of the screen - Computer is running Red Hat Linux.
- A green or blue 'L' in the corner of the screen - Computer is running Lindows or Linspire.
- A gray or black foot print in the corner of the screen you have GNOME running on a Linux or Unix variant.
- A purple background with any visual indication of 'Sun' or 'Solaris' is an indication of the SunSolaris operating system used with X Window System.
Command line operating system
If you only have text, you're at the command line, and can determine the operating system by using any of the following commands.
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NoteOn some systems, the command to view an operating and its version is disabled for security reasons. Also, not all operating systems have all of the following commands.
Note to Linux and Unix users: Often users running a Linux or Unix variant have a Linux variant with any number of graphic user interfaces. For example, you could be running Red Hat Linux using GNOME as the GUI. Os x mountain lion download for free. It is often better to use the console to determine what variant of Linux or Unix you are using. The uname command works with almost all variants of Linux and Unix.
If the uname command works and you need version information, type uname -a.
Roblox not installing. Additional information about the Linux version is found by using the following commands, if the uname command is not available.
Visual identification
Finally, if you are in front of the computer, you can usually determine what operating system is on the computer by rebooting the computer. As the computer boots, it will indicate the operating system as it starts.
TipIf the screen is loading too fast, you can press the Pause key on the keyboard to pause the screen as it is loading.
Apple computer
All versions of the Apple Macintosh's operating systems (macOS) have an Apple menu, a small Apple icon in the upper-left corner of the screen. If you do not have this Apple logo on your screen, verify that you are using an Apple computer.
- Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen.
- In the Apple menu, click 'About this Mac' or 'About this Computer'
Card games for imac. An Apple computer can also use Microsoft Windows through Boot Camp.
Apple iPhone and iPad
Knowing the version of the Apple iOS operating system on your iPhone or iPad help research and resolve issues that are specific to an iOS version. Follow the steps below to determine the iOS version on your Apple device.
- Access the Settings utility.
- Scroll down and tap the General option.
- Tap the About option.
- The iOS version on the device is listed in the Version line.
Android smartphone and tablet device
There are many different devices, including smartphones and tablets, that use the Android operating system. Follow the steps below to determine the version of Android OS on your Android device.
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- Access the Settings utility.
- Find and tap the About phone or About device option.
- The version of Android OS is listed below the Android version entry.
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Additional information
Os X Operating System For Pc Download
- See our operating system and version definitions for further information and related links.