Our brain controls all of our bodily functions. It tells us when to eat, when to sleep, when to breathe. It tells the different parts of our bodies how to work and how to interact with each other. A computer operating system is the equivalent of a 'brain' for a computer.

Computers are made of different types of hardware: the monitor, the keyboard, the screen, etc. Without an Operating System, which tells the separate part of a computer how to interact with each other, all the hardware can do is turn on or turn off. An operating system organizes all the different files and tells the hardware what to do. Way back at the beginning of computer there was only one operating system. As computers evolved and grew, the Operating System(OS) evolved into as well. MS-DOS(Microsoft-Disk Operating System) is an early IBM-PC example. Software is what makes computers useful and in the early 1980s they weren't capable of doing very much.

That's when Bill Gates came along. He bought the rights to an Operating System, got a contract with IBM and founded Microsoft. This series of actions made personal computer operating systems functional which in turn brought computers to whole new levels of functioning and usability. There are only a few different types of Operating Systems and each performs different tasks depending on the requirements of the user. The most common OS used today is Microsoft Windows. Linux, UNIX, OS X are also common operating systems, offering different features than Microsoft Windows.

Computers aren't the only devices that use operating systems. Cell phones have their own operating systems and wireless access points have their own operating systems to provide wireless internet to their customers. Today's cell phone is more powerful than a computer was 20 years ago! Operating System technology is constantly evolving and improving. It seems as if Microsoft is always coming out with a faster, better OS. You may even question if the OS you're currently using is really the best one for you. It's confusing at best.

This is basic, yet essential to small business operations. Let Tranquilnet take the guess work and confusion out of operating system setup and configuration. We understand operating systems and can recommend the very best OS for you and your business. Ultimately, your choice for an OS is a matter of preference, but it helps to have a partner that understands you, your business and the OS.