April 19, 2024
The Operating System and the Development of the PC
Introduction
This essay discusses the contribution made by operating systems to the development of the PC.
The spectacular growth of the microcomputer industry, from its hobbyist origins to its current ubiquity, is firmly linked to the development of the operating system. This has been largely responsible for successfully masking the complexity of persoanl computers and enabling millions of users to harness the power of these machines.
To fully understand how this happened, one must appreciate the functions performed by an operating system and consider the role of both individuals and companies in its development.
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