Types of operating systems

Types of operating systems:


a- Real-time- a multitasking operating system that executes real-time applications through specialised scheduling algorithms to determine their performance, aiming at quick and predictable response to events. They incorporate traits of both time sharing and event-driven properties. An event-driven system switches between tasks based on their priorities or external events while time-sharing operating systems switch tasks based on clock interrupts.

b- Multi-user - allows multiple users to access a computer system at the same time e.g.: time-sharing systems and Internet servers. Single-user operating systems can only have one user at a time although they can still be multitask systems,meaning multiple programs running concurrently.

c- Multi-tasking vs. single-tasking
The former allows more than one program to be running at the same time, while the latter has only one running program. There are 2 types of multi-tasking system: pre-emptive (the operating system slices the CPU time and dedicates one slot to each of the programs) and cooperative (each process gives time to the other processes). 

d- Distributed - a group of independent computers behave like one single entity, similar to a network cluster. The processing is distributed across the participating machines.


e- Embedded - for use in embedded computer systems (small machines like PDAs). As they run on limited resources, their design is usually efficient considering the reduced autonomy with which they operate.