An operating system, such as Windows or Linux, is defined as the main program on a computer. It determines how the user performs tasks and how the interface appears. An interface example is your taskbar or desktop. An operating system, often referred to as an OS, also determines what software can be installed on a computer. For example, if a PC is running Linux, certain programs that run on Windows may not be compatible with this specific operating system.

Some operating systems use a GUI, or a graphical user interface that presents information through pictures, such as buttons, dialog boxes, and icons. This specific method allows for a user friendly interface, as information can be received and interpreted quickly and easily. Other operating systems use text only to relay information.

Among the more advanced functions that operating systems perform include: Managing Hard Discs, Scheduling tasks, navigating various and multiple programs, and managing your RAM (Random Access Memory). Smaller tasks that your OS performs are the mouse cursor, the keyboard, and an internet browser such as Internet Explorer or Firefox. Other purposes of an operating system include organizing and controlling hardware. The hardware and software in a computer, such as a graphics card, is managed by an OS. All desktop and laptop computers have operating systems so that they may better perform tasks and run simple programs.

Upgrades for hardware and software are managed by the operating System. Some updates are managed according to user preference. Usually the OS will prompt the user for updates in software, so that they may choose what best options suit them. After the user selects their preference, the operating system installs the software so that they may use the program successfully.

There are several other types of operating systems, including real-time, multi-user, single-user, and single-user, single-task operating systems. A multi-user operating system is primarily used for home and office computers so that multiple users can conveniently access the computer. It also allows for several programs to be used at one time, allowing the user to multi-task and operate more than one program at any given time. Single-user, multi-tasking operating systems are also one of the more popular types of operating systems allowing more than one program to be in operation at any given time.

Understanding the operating system is a simple task after determining what operating system that the PC has. Most operating systems are user friendly, and on the initial startup of the new PC, will introduce the consumer to the interface of the OS and how to use most of the simple tasks.

Windows 7 is tentatively due to hit store shelves sometime around the middle of 2009 and seems to be a slightly revamped version of what Windows Vista should have been. Key amongst the new features include a pair of Mac OS X features that the Redmond giant is borrowing: the Dock & Multi-touch.

In Mac OS X the Dock serves as both a quick-launch area for commonly used applications and folders. It’s unknown how the dock in Windows 7 will function exactly, but it wouldn’t surprise many if the final product looked and operated remarkably like that of their Cupertino-based rival.

Windows 7: The next Microsoft operating system is also going to support a very Mac-like Multi-touch technology. The precise functionality is not entirely certain but it is very likely that the techniques pioneers on the iPhone and later by OS X are likely to become the industry norm. If that does indeed come true then it’d be reasonable to expect everything from zooming & scrolling to be common in all applications as well as rotational control on anything media-intensive such as Photoshop or even the media player.

Speaking of the media player, Windows 7 is due to receive a fairly major upgrade to various core components including Windows Media Center. The exact enhancements are not entirely clear at this time but gadget integration has been reported by many rumor mills claiming to either have a Milestone 1 (M1) copy or have sources that do.

Windows Explorer is another program due for an overhaul and if the trend of Microsoft attempting to catch up to OS X 10.5 Leopard (and 10.6 Snow Leopard) is true, we might see some attempts to speed Explorer up. Both Paint and WordPad are due to receive facelifts and additional functionality and an entirely new multi-line graphing calculator will finally be part of the package.

Bill Gates has gone on record by saying that Windows 7 will make a big step forward in speech technology and handwriting recognition. The first is not difficult to due as once again this is an area where Vista trails OS X, however the handwriting recognition might prove an opportunity for Microsoft to bring some of their Windows Mobile talent to bear. Microsoft has a much longer history in the smartphone market than Apple does and as a result this is one area where they aren’t lagging as noticeably.

Overall the changes in Windows 7 seem rather cosmetic and nagging technical difficulties that still trouble Vista may or may not have been resolved. We’ll find out in 2009 at the very earliest.

Windows has always come with stock games such as minesweeper and solitaire; however, if any game was added to the computer, it would then create its own separate folder in the Windows Start Menu. The Windows Vista Game Explorer has finally “fixed” this overabundance of excess folders in the Start Menu.

Upon analysis of the Windows Vista Game Explorer, one finds that all the information one would need to know about a game is right there as a Start Menu button. Although each game maintains its own separate folder in the computer, one no longer searches through the Start Menu to find it. With one click on the Windows Vista Game Explorer, one has access to all the games stored on the computer.

This new feature also enables multiple options that were previously not on Windows. An analysis of Windows Vista Game Explorer now gives the user a right-click option list, thereby enabling one to pin a game to the Start Menu for easy access, or even to place it on the desktop as a shortcut, or put the shortcut in the Quick Launch feature of Windows Vista.

Further analysis of Windows Vista Game Explorer reveals other options previously not featured on previous versions of Windows. One can organize the games in ascending or descending order of name of the game, which game was last played, the product version, publisher, developer, rating, parental restriction access, and content descriptors.

In this way, Windows Vista Game Explorer eliminates the hassle of right-clicking everything to try and organize the computer’s folders, and allows for a one-click fix to set to the user’s particular taste. Analysis of Windows Vista Game Explorer also shows that when a game is highlighted, a cursory summary of the product appears as an image on the right side of the window.

It displays the game’s cover art (if applicable and available), name, and rating with description/reason for rating. This facet enables the user to view the game they have highlighted, eliminating the hassle of starting the wrong program accidentally.

From the Windows Vista Game Explorer, one can highlight the desired game and use the “Community and Support” tab to view the game’s home or support website. This removes the multiple steps it takes to open the browser, find the right sight, and then search the site for the proper link.

Again, the Windows Vista Game Explorer does away with another slight yet bothersome hassle of web browsing. Analysis of the Windows Vista Game Explorer also has a “Play” tab, which the user can use to either directly start the game, or set multiple play options from which to choose.

Windows Vista Game Explorer has taken PC gaming and made it one-click-away simpler.

In this age of computers, files in a myriad of formats are becoming more important to more people every day. It is rare to find someone who deals with computers who does not have a portable storage device of some sort, whether that is a portable hard drive, key chain flash drive, or whatever. While this trend of carrying your files with you promises to continue, there are many benefits to hosting files on the Internet.

The first major benefit of hosting files on the Internet is access. When you carry files in a portable storage device, someone needs access to the physical device to view or work with the files. This might work great if you are simply taking a saved video game to a friend’s house to play the next level, but it’s not so good when you want to show those pictures of your new baby to your parents in another country.

If those files are hosted online, you can easily tell someone the URL of the file and any password required to access the files. This is especially useful for people on the go, since they can access the files from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection.

The second major benefit of hosting files on the Internet is security. You set up your files on a server and you can assign a login and password. With the URL and this login information, the files can be retrieved any time. This means you have a copy of your files in a place that no burglar or purse snatcher can find them. Having a secure copy of your files that you can access from any Internet connected computer is a distinct advantage over having only a single copy in your physical possession.

The last major benefit of hosting files on the Internet is the ease of collaboration. Often a team will be required to work with various aspects of the same files. Photos, videos, games, programs - whatever file type we’re talking about, having the files hosted on the Internet allows far more versatility in team functions. With a local file storage solution, choosing your team is based on a single overwhelming factor - location. Your team must be local to operate. When you host your files on the Internet, you can select your team based on any criteria you choose. Your team can access the files, make changes and update those files from anywhere in the world. This greatly increases your options in selecting team members.

There will never come a day when local file storage is not used for files, but anyone taking advantage of the benefits of hosting files on the Internet is in a position to enjoy much more flexibility than those who exclusively store files locally.

So you just purchased a new PC, or upgraded from Windows XP. Already tired of the default Windows Vista background, icons, or sounds? In this article, we will discuss various safe, easy and free ways to customize your Windows Vista desktop.

First of all, you may want to change your logon icon. This is the first thing you will see when you start up your PC. Your machine will come preloaded with dozens of logon icons, but if none of these are right for you, there’s also LogonStudio Vista, a free program with hundreds of downloadable logon icons available. Alternately, if you have a photo of your own you’d like to use, changing the logon is as easy as drag and drop.

Tired of the default Windows theme? Its possible to change everything about the way your desktop looks by downloading new themes. To test this out, try downloading WindowBlinds, a program that includes several high-quality skins for Vista, with thousands more available to download. Not only can you change your background and visual style, you can also change the skin color, transparency, desktop icons, and much more.

Now that you’ve customized your background and overall theme, here’s some extra utilities you may want to use to further customize your desktop. Changing your icons by hand would take a lot of effort and time. The best way to change Vista icons is by using an icon pack, which will switch nearly every icon for a corresponding one in the new pack. For a whole slew of downloadable icon packs, you can snag a trial version of IconPackager.

If you wish to continue on with your Vista customization, the next step is changing your cursor. CursorFX is an extremely popular free program that can transform your arrow cursor into anything you can imagine. Changing to the cursor you want is as easy as double-clicking, and reverting to a default cursor is just as easy.

You may be wary of changing the visual aspect of Windows Vista, or you may be wondering if customizing your desktop will slow down your performance in any way. This is not the case. As long as you follow the methods outlined in this article, every change you make is both reversible and makes no major changes to your operating system. In fact, some of the methods of customization may make the operating system run a little smoother.

Of course, you don’t have to use all these tools at once. Feel free to pick and choose, and use a search engine to dig a little deeper for other customization programs. It’s all about personalization, and what suits you best.