Windows

COMP1260 > System Software

Introduction Microsoft Windows is a graphical user interface based operating system (or OS) that has dominated the personal computer market for well over a decade. Since it was originally introduced in the 1980s the system has evolved from a Graphical User Interface add-on for MS-DOS based systems into a full-fledged operating system for both personal and corporate use. When all versions are taken into account, Windows is installed on approximately 90% of personal computers worldwide. Windows XP is the most installed operating system despite being officially replaced by the current version known as Microsoft Vista. Microsoft currently plans to release the next version of the software, known as Windows 7, in time for the 2009 Holiday Season.

...by students The Day My Mother Discovered Solitaire "The day I first loaded Windows 3.1 was the greatest day of my computing life. Up until that point, whenever my parents wanted to type a letter I was summoned. I needed to take them step by step through the command prompts to open the word processor. I then needed to sit with them while they typed to walk them through every command and to fix every error. It was a tedious and frustrating process for both of us. Suddenly all I had to do was load Windows for them and I was only being asked for help every hour. I thought Windows was the answer to my prayers. Sadly, joy quickly turned to despair as my Mother discovered solitaire... The computer was no longer my personal domain."

Why has Windows become so popular?

The massive rise in popularity of Windows and other visual operating systems can be directly linked to a trend towards personal computers that were relatively easy to use. This concept of user-friendliness (ease of use with relatively little user training) revolutionized computing. The days of memorizing command line options and text-only entry quickly disappeared, replaced by welcoming visual interfaces that allowed people to interact by pointing and clicking with a mouse. We have long known that human beings have a much easier time with recognition (learning by seeing) than with recall (pure memorization of data such as command line functions). The point and click interface of Windows took advantage of this characteristic of human memory to make things easier, especially for novice users. Suddenly it took a lot less technical knowledge to use a computer and as a result the door was opened to a massive new pool of users and uses.

The Nuts and Bolts

What exactly is Windows doing for me?

An easy way to look at the Windows operating system is to see it as having two primary functions. The first and most important of which is simply to make the computer run. The operating system micromanages the flow of data around the computer to accomplish the tasks that it has been given. The second function is to provide the visual side of the operating system. In other words, Windows provides the visual environment for the user to interact with the system and tell the computer what they need it to do.

Many computer users have used Windows-based systems for a significant portion of their computing lives. With each generation of the software users have become further and further removed from the actual operating system side of the Windows platform. This separation has reached the point where the average user can more or less ignore the inner workings of their system unless a specific problem occurs. Instead of every computer user having to be a technician themselves, less technically proficient people can treat the bare bones operation of the system as if it were a car. Just like a good car, 99% of the time everything is working fine and we don't have to think about it; on the rare occasions when it breaks down we can take it to an expert.

What's really going on behind the scenes?

Once overheard in the Machray Hall computer lab: "For all I know, there's a hamster in there running things." (See Fig. 1)

Many users have the impression that Windows just sits in the background not doing much while we write our emails or play our games. This is far from the truth. Windows is constantly micromanaging every single thing that is happening on your computer.

Figure 1: The Hamster at Work
It may not be a magical hamster scurrying around inside, but Windows works hard to keep up with your tasks. Everything you ask your computer to do is managed by the operating system.
Hamster courtesy of clipsahoy.com

Take a simple task such as swapping between windows on your taskbar. You can do this by either clicking on the window in the taskbar, or ALT-TAB swapping to that window. To the user, this happens more or less instantly. This creates the illusion that window2 was simply chugging away behind window1 and waiting for you to look at it again. The truth is not quite so simple.

To see what actually happened in this example it might be helpful to think of Windows as the most nitpicky boss or supervisor you've ever had. In the time between when you asked for the other window and when it appeared for you, the following occurred:

1. Your computer was focused on running window1.
2. Windows received a signal that you wanted to change windows. This type of signal (called an interrupt) communicates with the operating system and says: “Hey Windows, I need you to do something for me.”
3. Windows wakes up and takes control of your system away from window1.
4. Windows determines what command you asked to do, in this case: Change to window2.
5. Windows takes everything associated with window1 (such as the current data you were using, what’s about to happen next in the program etc…) and puts it in storage for now.
6. Windows next loads everything needed for window2 and prepares it to run.
7. Windows hands over control to window2 then goes back to sleep until the next interrupt signal.

This is of course a dramatic over-simplification of the process. In reality Windows is doing these seven steps on a nearly constant basis as it waits for any process that takes a proportionally long time. Processes such as user input (e.g. typing on a keyboard) or loading data from a hard drive are slow enough that Windows and your computer can swap back and forth between multiple Windows tasks without you noticing any change. Though this explanation was rather simplistic, having a grasp of the steps actually taking place behind the scenes should help you better understand your computer.

Security

Windows bad, very bad!

Nearly everyone has heard a horror story about Windows security. While many of these issues can be attributed directly to users performing unsafe tasks, (opening random email attachments is an excellent example) the unfortunate truth is that Windows suffers from a proportionally higher number of security issues than other operating systems. Many of these problems are caused by security holes resulting from poor design choices by the Windows designers while others are simply a result of new hacking technologies envisioned when the software was originally created. Another important consideration is market share. Windows (in various forms) comprises around 90% of the home computing market. The creators of these destructive programs will almost always choose to target the OS that will allow them to annoy or swindle the most people. Unfortunately for many of us, that OS is Windows.

Consequently, Windows users find themselves seeking protection from minor annoyances like adware (unfriendly programs that bombard you with advertising) to more insidious viruses and spyware. A recent New York Times article quoted a member of Microsoft's Internet Safety Enforcement Team as saying that the average time to infection was "less than five minutes" for an unprotected Windows XP computer connected directly to the internet. However, that scary timeframe does not take into account the vast array of security updates provided by Microsoft over the years since Windows XP was released. Most of these updates are preinstalled on newer computers and all of them can be downloaded for free from Microsoft.

What can I do to stay safe with Windows?

Taking a few simple precautions can make your system far more secure. While being 100% safe is more or less impossible, it is important to keep yourself from being an easy target.

• Always keep your version of Windows updated as much as possible.
• Visit Microsoft's Windows Update website regularly to make sure you have every possible patch for Microsoft Software you own.
• If updates are available for your other software, consider downloading and applying them if they fix possible security risks.
• If possible connect to the internet through a router that incorporates a rudimentary firewall.
• Have an up to date Virus Checker installed and running on your computer system.

References

Previous Page: History of Operating Systems

Next Page: Mac