Security-focused operating systems also exist. Other specialized classes of operating systems (special-purpose operating systems), such as embedded and real-time systems, exist for many applications. Linux distributions are dominant in the server and supercomputing sectors. According to third quarter 2016 data, Android's share on smartphones is dominant with 87.5 percent with also a growth rate of 10.3 percent per year, followed by Apple's iOS with 12.1 percent with per year decrease in market share of 5.2 percent, while other operating systems amount to just 0.3 percent. In the mobile sector (including smartphones and tablets), Android's share is up to 72% in the year 2020. is in second place (17.72%), and the varieties of Linux are collectively in third place (1.73%). The dominant general-purpose personal computer operating system is Microsoft Windows with a market share of around 76.45%. Operating systems are found on many devices that contain a computer – from cellular phones and video game consoles to web servers and supercomputers. Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also include accounting software for cost allocation of processor time, mass storage, printing, and other resources.įor hardware functions such as input and output and memory allocation, the operating system acts as an intermediary between programs and the computer hardware, although the application code is usually executed directly by the hardware and frequently makes system calls to an OS function or is interrupted by it. An operating system ( OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs.

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