All About the Disk Operating System

By Ram Collins


The words disk operating system refers to system software used in most computers that provides the abstraction and management of secondary storage devices and the information on them. For example, you have several files systems meant for organizing data files of all sorts. Such software is referred to as a disk operating system when the storage devices it manages are made of rotating platters such as hard disks or floppy disks.

Before, the disk operating system is only an extension of the main operating system since memory space is not yet that capacious and would only be used if it's necessary. If not, all that can be performed would be reading and writing on the computer.

Examples of disk operating systems that were extensions to the main operating system include Apple DOS for Apple computers, Commodore DOS for Commodore computers, and Disc Filing System or DFS

There are those disk operating systems considered to be the entire systems if they are able to manage disk devices. Generally, they are known to be called as DOS and Free DOS or DOS/360 are some examples. When using the PC compatible platform, DOS is the name of the whole operating system.

The company Microsoft utilized a disk operating system as their first vessel to be well-known in the computer market where their first kind was called Microsoft Disk Operating System or also known as MS-DOS. Nevertheless, the program was not convenient to use since you have to input the command manually and this has baffled a lot of computer users.

But even though the system was confusing, it is undeniable that MS-DOS became a basis to several systems that are available today. In fact, some systems can still gain access to MS-DOS which is useful for restoring the system or correcting some problems.

The disk operating system runs in the background and lets the computer know what to do upon start up, where to store files, what to name those files, and formatting disks to name just a few of the functions of this system. DOS has helped bring personal computing into our homes and businesses on a new level. Prior to the invention of the disk operating system, using a computer was too complicated for most people.

Today, thanks to the technology that the disk operating system has offered, we can work on computers with ease and not worry about what's going on when we push the "Power" button. The disk operating system does it for us! Now that's productive!




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