Once your computer has finished it's startup routine, it would have finished loading it's Operating System. Every computer will have an operating system, and won't work without one, so it's worth knowing what it is.

Computers will have one of a small variety of operating systems running. An operating system controls the computer's hardware and gives you a Graphical User Interface (GUI) in order to perform the tasks you need to do. Although that last point is not alway's the case, you will probably never come across an operating system without a GUI.

Without an Operating System (OS), the computer will be unusable. The OS on your computer largely depends on type of computer you are using. There are two main types of computer, the Personal Computer (PC) and the Apple Macintosh (Mac/iMac). These constitute two completely different types of hardware, and software, and generally you will not find the operating systems or software interchangeable between these two types of computers.

On PCs you will find mainly Microsoft Windows OS's, however Linux is fast becoming more of a competitor to Microsoft's dominance in the PC operating system market. Linux is more of a techie's OS, not recommended for people just starting out.

In Macs and iMacs you will find the MacOS, Apple's own operating system. You will never find Windows on an Mac/iMac, and you will never find MacOS on a PC. You may however find a version of Linux on a Mac, but this will be rare.

Below are brief descriptions of what the pages in this section contain. To access them, use the submenu on the left.

Windows		One of Microsoft's wonderous creations, Windows has been around for quite a while now. Microsoft have successfully managed to get a PC with Windows installed onto the majority of PC's in the world, and their ambition continues to grow. more...
Linux		Linux is a Unix-like operating system, versions of which are available for both PC, Mac and a range of other less well knows types of computer. A very powerful operating system if you know how to use it. Linux still seen as a 'techie' operating system, but is quickly becoming usable by people with a limited knowledge of Unix. more...
Mac OS		The Mac OS has been around for a long time, and the graphical user interface (GUI) out-dates Microsoft Windows. The Mac OS is noted for being uncomplicated and simple to use, however being on it's own Apple hardware, it has it's limitations. more...
Further Information		More information on operating system related web sites. more...