Which software is allows an operating system to communicate with peripheral devices such as mouse or printer?

Using Information Technology: A Practical Introduction to Computers and Communications, 5/e

SYSTEM SOFTWARE: The Power Behind the Power

Self-Test Questions

1. operating system software (or operating system; system software) 2. ASP (application service provider) 3. multitasking 4. micro- 5. network computer 6. defragmenter 7. operating system 8. user interface 9. temp(orary) 10. user name, password

Multiple-Choice Questions

1. e 2. c 3. c

True/False Questions

1. T 2. F 3. T 4. F 5. F

Short-Answer Questions

1. Booting refers to the process of loading an operating system into a computer’s main memory. This loading is accomplished by a program that is stored permanently in the computer’s electronic circuitry. When you turn on the machine, programs called diagnostic routines test the main memory, the central processing unit, and other parts of the system to make sure they are running properly. Next, BIOS (for basic input/output system) programs are copied to main memory and help the computer interpret keyboard characters or transmit characters to the display screen or to a diskette. Then the boot program obtains the operating system, usually from hard disk, and loads it into the computer’s main memory, where it remains until you turn the computer off.
2. In the beginning, personal computers had command-driven interfaces, which required you to type in strange-looking instructions (such as "copy a:\filename c:\" to copy a file from a floppy disk to a hard disk). In the next version, they had menu-driven interfaces, in which you could use the arrow keys on your keyboard (or a mouse) to choose a command from a menu, or list of activities. Today the computer’s "dashboard" is usually a graphical user interface (GUI), which allows you to use a mouse or keystrokes to select icons (little symbols or pictures) and commands from menus.The GUIs on the PC and on the Apple Macintosh (which was the first easy-to-use personal computer available on a wide scale) are somewhat similar. Once you learn one version, it’s fairly easy to learn the other. The best-known GUI is that of Microsoft Windows.
3. System software,  which you will find already installed if you buy a new computer, enables the application software to interact with the computer and helps the computer manage its internal and external resources. There are only a handful of systems software packages for personal computers. Application software cannot run without system software.
4. Multitasking  is the activity in which a computer works on more than one process at a time.For instance, you might write on one word-processing document while printing out another and downloading a third from a Web site. Multitasking allows the user to work on several tasks at the same time, instead of waiting for one task to end before beginning another.
5. Device drivers  are specialized system software programs that allow input and output devices to communicate with the rest of the computer system. Many basic device drivers come with the system software when you buy a computer. If, however, you buy a new peripheral device, such as a mouse, scanner, or printer, the package will include a device driver (probably on a CD-ROM). You’ll need to install the driver on your computer’s hard-disk drive (by following the manufacturer’s instructions) before the device will operate.
6. Utility programs,  also known as service programs, perform tasks related to the control and allocation of computer resources. They enhance existing functions or provide services not supplied by other system software programs. Most computers come with utilities built in as part of the system software. However, they may also be bought separately as external utility programs. Among the tasks performed by utilities are the backing up of data, recovery of lost data, and identification of hardware problems.
7. Platform refers to the particular processor model and operating system on which a computer system is based. Users should be aware that there are Mac platforms (Apple Macintosh) and Windows platforms, or "PC platforms (for personal computers such as Dell, Compaq, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, or IBM that run Microsoft Windows). Sometimes the latter are called Wintel platforms," for "Windows + Intel," because they often combine the Windows operating system with the Intel processor chip.
8. (1)Operating system the principal component of system software in any computing system. Theoperating system (OS) consists of the master system of programs that manage the basic operations of the computer. These programs provide resource management services of many kinds. In particular, they handle the control and use of hardware resources, including disk space, memory, CPU time allocation, and peripheral devices. The operating system allows you to concentrate on your own tasks or applications rather than on the complexities of managing the computer. Some important functions of the operating system are booting, the process of loading an operating system into a computer’s main memory; CPU and memory management; file management; task management; and multitasking

(2)Device drivers help the computer control peripheral devices.They are specialized software programs that allow input and output devices to communicate with the rest of the computer system.

(3) Utility programs  generally used to support, enhance, or expand existing programs in a computer system.

1. 9.Back up your data files frequently! Back up everything on your hard disk periodically!