After Netscape Navigator was eclipsed by Microsoft’s Internet Explorer as the browser of choice for many – mainly because it was hard-wired into Windows initially – the world of internet browsers has seen first the rise of Firefox from the Mozilla Foundation as an alternative open source option and then the succession to Google’s Chrome and it’s huge market presence.
I’ve written about Google’s dominance and the alternatives to Chrome before in “Just Google it …”
Now Microsoft has stirred from its inactivity in the browser market place. It has ditched its proprietary Edge browser and replaced it with … Microsoft Edge. No confusion there then!
It is interesting because it will run on MacOS as well as Windows, something the old Edge didn’t do, and will use the same open source code base – Chromium – as Google’s Chrome and of course Brave (my browser of choice). This allows them to use Extensions written for that code base. I already use many extensions written for Chrome in my Brave browser.
What will this mean for Google especially as Microsoft Edge will effectively have a built-in ad-blocker? Who knows. It’s certain that as more users decide to use the Microsoft version of Chromium, so Google’s business model and revenue stream will come under attack. Will they retaliate in some way? Probably not. Interesting times.
Here’s an article that describes keyboard shortcuts that you can use with Microsoft Edge.
Whats Up with WhatsApp
[11:18, 28/01/2020] David Hughes: I have just discovered I can access what’s app on my iPad as well as my phone. Isn’t technology wunerful !
[11:27, 28/01/2020] Jim Bartlett: I think you still have to have your phone connected, David.
[11:30, 28/01/2020] David Harrison: I think you do too. Paul showed us a way of doing that at tge beginning of the year when we started using WhatsApp. I’ll share the link later. Me … it’s rumoured they’re going to release an iPad App – I’ll wIt for that! But, perhaps, you’re ahead of me!
[13:01, 28/01/2020] Margaret Lewis: When I started using Whats App, pre Computer Group days, I found I could not have it on both Android phone and tablet. Had to be one or the other. Confirmed by kids, and its now only on the tab. I would be delighted if anyone knows a way to have it operational on both.
[17:31, 28/01/2020] Jim Bartlett: Margaret, your tablet will have a different phone number to your mobile’s, yes? That means they can both be on WhatsApp, but they won’t be able to read each other’s messages, any more than they can read mine.
Now, you are a member of the Computer group, so you can read and reply to other members’ WhatsApp messages.
So the answer to your problem is to form a new WhatsApp group, and make your tablet and your phone members, so they can then see what each of them are doing. Simple! (I hope.)
(If the problem is that you want your phone to be in the Computer group too, then send a request from it to David.)
[17:37, 28/01/2020] Paul de Geus: Jim, That sounds an interesting option wrt grouping.
[18:04, 28/01/2020] David Harrison: Hi @Margaret Lewis As far as I know (or knew) I’d added your phone to the Group, unless your tablet has a SIM in it and that’s the phone number you gave me.
[18:05, 28/01/2020] David Harrison: The number I have ends 5213
[18:32, 28/01/2020] Margaret Lewis: Thanks for all the comments.
Yes, it all operates through the one and only mob no. that you have.
The issue seems to be that, as far as I understand it and was led to believe, WA only operates on one device for the account.
I have several WA groups so live happily with the present set up but availability on the phone too would obviously give more flexibility and more instant access.
[18:37, 28/01/2020] Jim Bartlett: Have you read my reply, Margaret? You can open a new WhatsApp account for your phone, and ask David to add it to the Computer group. Jim
[11:50, 29/01/2020] Jim Bartlett: “The one and only mob. no. that you have.” Are you saying your tablet uses the same number as your phone, Margaret?
[19:01, 29/01/2020] Margaret Lewis: As far as I know it doesnt have a number. I certainly only have one number, on the phone.
[20:39, 29/01/2020] Jim Bartlett: Can anyone else in the Computer group tell Margaret how to find out if her tablet has a phone number? (Presumably it has a sim.) She obviously won’t be able to join the WhatsApp group without one.
[21:41, 29/01/2020] Margaret Lewis: Well Ive been in the computer group Whats App since last Sept and others before that.
[21:44, 29/01/2020] Jim Bartlett: Yes of course, Margaret, but via your phone, not your tablet. That is what I am trying to help you with.
[21:54, 29/01/2020] Paul de Geus: Most Tablets in the UK do not have a SIM, it is usually an extra cost option , that cannot be retrofitted. There are various workarounds for extra connectivity if really needed.
[22:37, 29/01/2020] David Harrison: Just a thought – there are unofficial Messenger apps for WhatsApp on the iPad (maybe Android as well) – could it be this that’s causing confusion?
[22:39, 29/01/2020] David Harrison: I used one for a while about 18months ago before deleting it. These apps link to WhatsApp Web which is the only way I’m aware of that allow you to use WhatsApp through browser technology.
[22:40, 29/01/2020] David Harrison: This is really confusing to me as well as @Margaret Lewis no doubt. Bring both devices in next meeting if you can and we’ll try and sort it out.
[09:29, 30/01/2020] Jim Bartlett: That’s a good plan, David. Then we will be able to see if Margaret’s tablet has a sim slot, (like my Nexus).
[14:36, 30/01/2020] David Harrison: I’m truly confused with WhatsApp. I’ll write a blogpost about it when I eventually feel confident enough about how it works to do so !!! 🤣🤣🤣
[18:00, 30/01/2020] Margaret Lewis: I definitely do not have a sim on the Android tablet. The WA app is the official one.
Shedding a bit more light, it was originally set up on the Android phone, which has a number. Not understanding the technicalities, I assumed at that stage that I could just add the app to my tablet also, which I did over a year ago, and then use both. I discovered that it did not operate on both devices together and so deleted the phone one and kept the tablet which has worked without any problems.
Does this explain things, have I inadvertently discovered that you can set up on the phone with a number yet operate on another device?
My original query was to try to get the same WA on both, but as no one seems to know if or how I think I will leave well alone and carry on. “Keep calm and carry on”. Many thanks for all the input.
[18:22, 30/01/2020] Jim Bartlett: If you wrote that on your tablet, Margaret, then your tablet has the number +44 7480 925213. What I don’t understand is how it could have a number if it doesn’t have a sim. Anybody?
[18:28, 30/01/2020] Margaret Lewis: Yes I only ever use WA on the tablet, the only place it is installed. While on line now I have also been successfully engaged in a WA chat with my daughter, using same app, same device. The number is my (only) mobile phone number. It accesses the phone for which I pay a monthly sum. I pay nothing for the tablet and never have.
I think I will keep things running as they are rather than investigate too closely and lose things!
[18:30, 30/01/2020] David Harrison: Fascinating! Android is obviously one step ahead of Apple because there isn’t an app for iPad, only iPhone, so it’s not possible to do what you seem to have done.
[18:34, 30/01/2020] Margaret Lewis: My husband is sitting here. I am reminded that he uses WA on his tablet too. He hasnt even got as far as a smart phone!
[18:37, 30/01/2020] Paul de Geus: Margaret has inadvertevly but effectively followed the procedure I outlined at one of our sessions last year, When I explained how to What’s App an Android tablet that does not have a SIM, but using another spare android phone number.
[18:38, 30/01/2020] David Harrison: Ah! Yes! It’s coming back to me. However I’ve just done a quick search @Paul de Geus and there categorically is not an official WhatsApp app for Android tablets – at least that’s what I’ve read 🥴
[18:40, 30/01/2020] David Harrison: https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/how-to/google-android/whatsapp-tablet-3517280/
[18:43, 30/01/2020] Paul de Geus: You just download WhatsApp from Playstore on the android tablet and follow instructions, but use an existing android phone number not already linked to What’s App.I think we wrote it up on Thoughtgrazing
[19:22, 30/01/2020] David Harrison: Yes you did @Paul de Geus – I’m confused of course, again (not being an Android person), the article above (Nov. 2019) states that there isn’t an official WhatsApp app – can you comment on that?
[19:25, 30/01/2020] Paul de Geus: They did not expect you to find the workaround for a non SIM device,that can use the official WhatsApp app.
[19:28, 30/01/2020] Paul de Geus: When you load and use the app,it expects you to provide a phone number for the device it is on…..but, it does not realise that you may have supplied a phone number not physically connected to that device.
[19:29, 30/01/2020] Paul de Geus: Hence the workaround works.
[19:56, 30/01/2020] Margaret Lewis: Sounds about right. I would have downloaded from Play Store, provided the number but then found, as I now realise, that it was not possible to have 2 copies of the app operational on the same number. As I said, I uninstalled the one on the phone to keep the tablet up and running. I assumed I had overlooked something and was hoping that one of you knowledgable folks maybe could help in sorting it on 2 devices. I now understand the system and reasons why I cant do this, so sorted.
All things Google (and more) – 13th February 2020
Boot-up
Visit to Barclays Eagle Labs – now arranged for the next meeting – 27th February. Here’s some more detail about what they’re all about.
As part of Barclay’s community commitment, we have also opened a new office in Cardiff designed to help businesses grow and start up in Cardiff. Great for budding Entrepreneurs (which statistics show can be high in the over 50s) and inventors. Part of the Eagle Lab office hosts a “Maker Space’ that houses laser cutting, vinyl printing, 3D printing, electronics equipment including soldering etc. It has a distinctly digital feel too with a really switched on Engineer running the lab. I will contact them to discuss what is actually available there and suggest things you might be interested in.
I have 13 confirmed attendees. I’ll contact Ashley Croome (the switched on Engineer) with details of who’s coming and discuss whether we need to split into two groups, or just stay at one. After the Science Group visit he advised me … “For group sizes, with the science group we had about 10-15 per group and that seemed to work really well as it wasn’t so overcrowded that people didn’t get a chance to ask questions, and try things like the VR we have set up here.”
The venue for the visit is:
Barclays Eagle Lab, 1st Floor Brunel House, 2 Fitzalan Road, Cardiff, CF24 0EB
Next meeting after Eagle Labs is on 12th March, then Paul will lead on 26th March and 23 April. I’m assuming there will not be a meeting on 9th April because of Easter. I’ll be back after that … for a while at least 🙂
Whats Up with WhatsApp – an interesting discussion about how you can “trick” an Android tablet into believing it’s a phone (without a SIM) between Margaret, Jim, Paul and myself. I’m not sure I’m completely the wiser, but it revolves around a solution for an Android tablet that Paul had already described (which works for him) and is also described in this post and on an iPad this post describes how to do it. If you want to see the WhatsApp log of the chatter and confusion, look here.
Undo Send function in Gmail (from desktop, not mobile) setup in Gmail Settings > General, selectable from 0 -30 secs, so not as long as I thought.
Clearing Off-Facebook Activity and a video to help you.
The death of Adobe Flash – Apple puts the boot in.
We had a question about Exporting email from Tiscali (TalkTalk) from Ann, who was concerned she might lose her old emails. It looks like the most useful way of doing it is to setup POP3 Forwarding of an Email account into Gmail – in Gmail > Settings (gear wheel) in the browser …
… get the correct settings for your server, as in …
and as long as you’ve selected Enable POP for all mail (even mail that’s been downloaded) and as long as your email provider supports POP3, your email should be downloaded from that server and into Gmail.
Gear Guide
Has anyone bought, or obtained anything recently they’d like to tell us about? It doesn’t have to be a computer, laptop, tablet or phone – just something that’s digital, ie used a computer processor in some way?
Here’s a provocative thought … what applications do you use that depend largely upon the use of a peripheral? Are you using the best application for that hardware? Perhaps you don’t have any choice, but if you do perhaps you should choose the most appropriate application for the hardware.
Jim updated us on his broadband upgrade using his new Router liked to a SIM-card (have I got that right, Jim?). He’s also purchased a dongle to watch live Freeview TV. This is not connected to the broadband, but it might cause his battery to lose power a bit more rapidly than it did before.
Apps Galore
That slot in the meeting where members are encouraged to share their experience (and possibly excitement) at a new app they’ve started using for their smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop machine.
OpenStreetMap – creating maps for collaborators – a couple of examples – Canals and Railways, Land use and Buildings, but what about creating a shared Google Map ?
What’s IT all about?
That occasional slot in the meeting when we might do a bit of explanation of terms used in Computing, or in the use of digital devices.
Mesh Networks – which ones are members using:
Paul – BT solution
Don – Deco M4, with TP-Link AC1200
WiFi Reception – interesting fact … the range of the WiFi Router decreases as the signal frequency increases. However, the inverse also holds true, namely the closer you are to your WiFi router the greater the bandwidth you have as signal frequency increases. Therefore in a big house, maybe you need to employ 2.4Ghz; in a compact house it’s a good choice to use 5Ghz and maybe even employ a router that supports tri-band – which might give the best of both worlds!
The main topic
I use Google apps on my desktop and mobile devices – and I’m an Apple fanboy! However, it’s just come to my notice that a couple of Google developments have passed me by, which have caused me to think about whether I might be better to use more Google apps on my Apple mobile devices, rather than the native Apple apps
I rely on Gmail and Calendar. I have done for years. It’s a family joke – “if it’s not in the Google Calendar – it’s not happening”. I have been caught out few times. I also use (and will continue to use) Google Maps extensively for mapping, the Apple version is not quite there yet, but it’s improving!
I have used Google Hangouts and Paul and I have tried to get that working – but it’s impractical to even try and demonstrate it at this location 🙁
We have looked at Google Assistant, as a way of interfacing with the virtual world, but I haven’t embraced it – probably because I still rely on the native Apple mobile apps and Siri is the way into these; but, it would have to be said, probably not as well as Google (or Amazon – Alexa).
But now I’ve become aware of Tasks, which you can access from Gmail, and Calendar and if only it interfaced completely with Google Assistant – I think I’d be making the switch to using more Google apps on my Apple devices, but, and there’s always a but … why does Google makes things so difficult! Just remember there’s Google Keep (for notes) and Google Reminders (for reminders); and … you always have to remember Google have the nasty habit of dropping things just after you’ve got used to using them – Reader, Picasa and Google+ to name but three! Let’s have a look!
Managing email – 23rd January 2020
Boot-up
Visit to Barclays Eagle Labs – I’m thinking 13th February, but failing that 12th or 26th March
Need a convenor/facilitator/presenter for 27th February, Paul has kindly offered to do 26th March and 23 April. I’m assuming there will not be a meeting on 9th April because of Easter.
Gear Guide
Has anyone bought, or obtained anything recently they’d like to tell us about? It doesn’t have to be a computer, laptop, tablet or phone – just something that’s digital, ie used a computer processor in some way?
Apps Galore
That slot in the meeting where members are encouraged to share their experience (and possibly excitement) at a new app they’ve started using for their smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop machine.
What’s IT all about?
That occasional slot in the meeting when we might do a bit of explanation of terms used in Computing, or in the use of digital devices.
The main topic
Managing your eMail
This post was created for the Cardiff U3A Computer Group meeting on the 23rd January 2020, but is possibly of more general interest.
Starting Point – the givens; what we’re trying to achieve
- Having a manageable amount of email will make your life easier and better.
- Focus on lifestyle habits rather than hard-and-fast rules.
- Work out what you don’t want from your email, and then create habits that prevent it from happening.
- Work out how you will handle email daily and if you can – weekly, and monthly, and decide whether you need a method to archive or store emails, or the information contained in them.
- The importance of context. Use the appropriate tool wherever possible.
- You need an immediate answer – use the phone, and leave a voice message if there’s no reply, possibly with a text message – “please get back to me after you’re listened to your voice mail” – as backup.
- You need a record of the answer to a question – use email; and seek confirmation by email if the answer comes back a different way.
- You need to just keep in touch, or chat – use text (SMS) messaging or WhatsApp (or any other – I don’t want to recommend one – chat platform).
Tools you can use (all the “F’s”)
Forever email – whatever your email address is now, seriously consider getting an email address that will last forever and not be dependent upon your currently favoured Internet Service Provider (ISP). So … Google’s gmail.com mail would be a good choice, as (if you’re wedded to one technology, say Apple) would be the email provided by that supplier, eg icloud.com. Here’s an article that lists the best email accounts currently. Personally, I wouldn’t go beyond the first three, and I would be tempted to say only the first two! So that would give you a choice of Google, Microsoft plus (in my case) Apple.
Fake email address – you don’t have to have just one email address. Create a duplicate for using when a retailer asks for your email address.
For you alone – don’t share an email address with a partner; have separate ones; you can always setup an email programme to read both email accounts on one device (eg a tablet). Keep your personal email address for yourself, and for life!
Feature-rich email program (a rather contrived “f” this one) – use the mailer that your operating system provides for you. On Windows and Apple this would be called Mail. On your phone or tablet it might be called Gmail or Outlook. There are others as well.
Forward your email to one place – if you’ve set up a new email address, you can forward mail from your old address to your new one and then apply filters (see below).
Filters – these are very useful and relatively easy to set up (or create). They allow rules to be followed and your email to be handled the way you want it to be handled and not just hang around clogging up your Inbox.
Flags (or labels) – you can put a marker against individual messages in some email programs. Perhaps a colour code to indicate their urgency or priority.
Folders – these are invaluable and when combined with a service such as the three (Google, Microsoft or Apple) I’ve mentioned, can ensure that you have an archive of messages that should last as long as you realistically would ever want them.
Techniques to keep your eMail under control
Aim for Only 20 Items in Your In-box
[Warning … Do as I say, not as I do!!!]. Twenty e-mails means that you can see your whole in-box without scrolling. As soon as you deal with a message, file or delete it. Only messages from the past week that you’ve yet to respond to belong in your in-box.
Stick to a Schedule (difficult but invaluable)
[Warning … Discipline needed] Even though I check my mail several times a day just in case something pops up which really needs to be urgently handled, I try to not process them right away. I try to only do that once a day, either at the beginning of the day or in the evenings. So I need to adhere to respecting the difference between checking and processing. So …
Delete ruthlessly, when you’re checking
Don’t reply immediately unless …
Can you write back in two minutes or less? If so, do it immediately, and delete the incoming email from your Inbox. Your reply together with the original message should be in your Sent mail.
If an e-mail requires more time, perhaps flag it so it can be handled during a scheduled window later that day or the next morning.
Important … if an email looks as though it can’t be answered easily – pick up the phone!
Sounds obvious but … you don’t need to read every single mail that comes in. Pick and select what’s relevant to you.
I subscribe to several newsletters – but I don’t read all the mails that are sent to me. I don’t delete them either, because I know they may have valuable information contained in them. Instead, I sometimes set up filters to automatically archive them to different folders (labels on Gmail), or move them to the appropriate folder manually. I only read them when I want to get more information on the topic.
Remember you can Unsubscribe from an email list – it’s not difficult and can reduce the amount of email you get quite considerably!
Turn off notifications that appear on your desktop. You really don’t need that kind of message appearing which drags you to your Inbox!!
Close email when you need to concentrate on something else. Close your email application or sign out of webmail when you need to do work that requires real focus for at least 30 minutes. When an email program is open, it’s tempting to check periodically (or obsessively) for new mail. Closing the program entirely (not hiding it) removes the temptation.
Try to remember to remove old email messages from your Trash Can, unless you’ve set it to Auto-Delete after a week, or a month, or whatever.
Email programs and setting up accounts. This is much easier now than it used to be and instructions are usually provided for your email provider on their website, eg Google’s Gmail.
More on Folders and Filters, and Flags (Apple)
Folders (or labels, if you use gmail) are there to help you organise your mails.
Firstly, use a relevant naming system to what you’re doing.
Secondly, use hierarchy structure. First level folders are for the big categories, and second level folders are for sub-categories, and so on.
These work best when you’re using an email program such as Mail or Outlook.
Filters are tools that help you sort out the mail automatically when it gets into your mail. There are 2 basic things are required for a filter – (1) The term to look out for (2) Action to apply if the term is matched. You can set up filters for different email addresses, subject titles, body text … whatever! Depending on what filter it is, the mail will be automatically sorted into a respective folder / archived, or moved to the Trash can.
Flags are ways of colour coding a message to give you an indication of how you might want to handle the message.
Systems that operate – 9th January 2020
Boot-up
Happy New Year
Your Computing or Digital Resolutions? These were received and will prove very useful in framing the programme for the next few months. I’ll try and get a pretty copy of it prepared and provide a link to it so that you can all see what you wanted to achieve!
News and other issues raised
Last time I showed you Ookla’s Speedtest to find out the bandwidth (speed) of your home internet connections from wired and WiFi connections to your Router. We’ve got some Speedtest results posted on WhatsApp, but could do with some more. Any comments from David, Jim, Marilyn and Paul?
Anyone on Virgin, who’s seen an improvement in their bandwidth? They’re upgrading all their customers (pre 1st Dec 2019) to 100Mbps download.
End of life for Windows 7 (with video)
What does this mean? What should you do? Further reading with suggested alternatives should you not wish to upgrade to Windows 10.
Gear Guide
Has anyone bought, or obtained anything recently they’d like to tell us about? It doesn’t have to be a computer, laptop, tablet or phone – just something that’s digital, ie used a computer processor in some way?
Did anyone buy (or was given) anything interesting for Christmas
What about the Turing Tumble – Build Marble-Powered Computers
I bought an Apple HomePod and we’re delighted with it, although Siri does seem to be selective in what it finds from our Music Library, preferring to search Apple Music rather than look for our locally installed tracks. I’ve linked it to our Sonos Play:5 system – which has very good sound quality and through our Apple TV I can also play the Siri selected music through the HiFi system. It’s been an interesting project!
Apps Galore
That slot in the meeting where members are encouraged to share their experience (and possibly excitement) at a new app they’ve started using for their smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop machine.
Mario told us about an App that he’s found very useful in getting vertical lines for door frames, etc – or even getting the coffee table level! It is called Clinometer HD (on Android) and I think the same app is called Clinometer + bubble level (on iOS) where it costs £1.99.
Renee told us about iNaturalist which is Free on iOS (not sure whether it’s available on Android) which is helpful in identifying matters natural (plants, etc.)
I added there was an app called iGeology which gives you an idea of the geology of anywhere in the UK through maps.
What’s IT all about?
What’s an Operating System?
I thought given the immediacy of the Windows 7 “end-of-life” date, that discussing and talking about Operating Systems might be appropriate, and thanks Paul for planting the seed of the idea!
First a set of videos to set the scene …
An introduction (see Reference List below for text accompanying this video) …
… and the place of Operating Systems in a historical context …
… and then the beginnings of a technical information fo what they do …
[If you want to learn more you can follow the later videos in the series of the last one.]
So … some of important functions of an Operating System that originated and still exist in multi-user computers – the ones we may connect to when doing online banking, or shopping, are:
- Memory Management
- Processor Management
- Device Management
- File Management
- Security
- Control over system performance
- Job accounting
- Error detecting aids
- Coordination between other software (applications) and users including the provision of application program interfaces to allow applications access to core OS functions
… and some of the important activities that an Operating System performs on a shared multi-user mainframe-like computer are:
- Security − By means of password and similar other techniques, it prevents unauthorised access to programs and data.
- Control over system performance − Recording delays between request for a service and response from the system.
- Job accounting − Keeping track of time and resources used by various jobs and users.
- Error detecting aids − Production of dumps, traces, error messages, and other debugging and error detecting aids.
- Coordination between other softwares and users − Coordination and assignment of compilers, interpreters, assemblers and other software to the various users of the computer systems.
Of course Operating Systems have evolved from being programs that manage multi-user access to a shared computer, to being the program that controls (manages) a single-user’s access to their personal computer or mobile device through a User Interface – perhaps the feature most users equate with an Operating System – but that’s not where it ends.
The OS is critically involved in the way that computers are connected to networks, and in the way that computers (devices) are connected to each other. This extension of the Operating System (the incorporation of the way personal computing devices connect together using a LAN, dial-up or WiFi into the code of the OS) is where we are today. Together they work effectively as the brain of the computer.
From the second reference below …
An operating system is the core set of software on a device that keeps everything together. Operating systems communicate with the device’s hardware. They handle everything from your keyboard and mice to the Wi-Fi radio, storage devices, and display. In other words, an operating system handles input and output devices. Operating systems use device drivers written by hardware creators to communicate with their devices.
Operating systems also include a lot of software—things like common system services, libraries, and application programming interfaces (APIs) that developers can use to write programs that run on the operating system.
The operating system sits in between the applications you run and the hardware, using the hardware drivers as the interface between the two. For example, when an application wants to print something, it hands that task off to the operating system. The operating system sends the instructions to the printer, using the printer’s drivers to send the correct signals. The application that’s printing doesn’t have to care about what printer you have or understand how it works. The OS handles the details.
The OS also handles multi-tasking, allocating hardware resources among multiple running programs. The operating system controls which processes run, and it allocates them between different CPUs if you have a computer with multiple CPUs or cores, letting multiple processes run in parallel. It also manages the system’s internal memory, allocating memory between running applications.
The operating system is the one big piece of software running the show, and it’s in charge of everything else. For example, the operating system also controls the files and other resources these programs can access.
Most software applications are written for operating systems, which lets the operating system do a lot of the heavy lifting. For example, when you run Minecraft, you run it on an operating system. Minecraft doesn’t have to know exactly how each different hardware component works. Minecraft uses a variety of operating system functions, and the operating system translates those into low-level hardware instructions. This saves the developers of Minecraft—and every other program that runs on an operating system—a lot of trouble.
In complex control systems such as a power station, or weapons system there will be elements of a stripped down operating system at the core of the dedicated task the system is programmed to carry out. It is important that there is at the heart of every system some core code that interacts with the basic components of the system – its processor, its memory, the resources it calls upon and the devices it controls. That is the Operating System.
A selected reading list:
What is an Operating System (with the first video)
What is an Operating System (a bit more technical, and informative)
How Operating Systems Work (the more or less complete guide for those who have difficulty sleeping)
… and here with a little history for those that have an Apple bent …
… and for a bit of fun, back to 1998 when personal computers first became a piece of equipment that you’d consider having in your living room …
… by the way, I have a friend who still has a working G3 iMac. I’m moving his work on it on to a new iMac in the next couple of weeks.