CLASSIFICATION OF OPERATING SYSTEMS

All operating systems consist of  similar components and perform  almost similar functions but the methods and procedures for performing these functions are different. Operating systems are classified into following different categories based on their distinguishing features: 

• Single -user Operating system
• Multi-user Operating system
• Batch processing Operating system
• Multiprogramming Operating system
• Multitasking Operating system 
• Parallel Operating system
• Distributed Operating system
• Real.time operating system

Single-User Operating System 

It allows a single user to access a computer at a time . These computer have single processor and execute 

single program . The resources such as CPU and I/O device are constantly available to the user in a single 

user operating system for operating the system. As a result, the CPU site idle for most of the time and is not utilised to it maximum. A single -user OS is divided into categories :

• Single-user, single-tasking operating system
• single-user , multi-tasking operating system

The single-user, single-tasking operating system allows a single-user to execute on

program at a time. MS-DOS and palm OS for palm hand-held computer at

examples of single-user single-tasking operating system .

Single-user multitasking operating system allows a single-user to operate multiple programs at the same time. For example, you can perform calculation in Excel sheet print a Word document and download a file from the internet concurrently .

Mac OS Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT Workstation and Windows 2000 Professional, operating system for desktop and laptop computer are the examples of single-user, multi-tasking operating system.