Examples of operating systems (OS) and their characteristics

Operating systems are designed to run on different devices that are used to achieve or perform specific objectives. We categorize the examples below into personal computers, server computers, and mobile operating systems. Desktop computers and smartphones used different operating systems because of the size of the device, operation expected to carry, number of users, and tasks among other factors.

Examples of mobile device Operating systems are iPhone OS, Android, Symbian, and BlackBerry, while those used on personal computers are Windows, Linux, Unix, macOS, Ubuntu, Fedora, and SUSE among many others discussed in the article.

Examples of personal computer operating systems.

These operating systems are meant to handle devices that can do multiprogramming and multiuser, they support plug-in of peripheral devices, support multiple ports and connectors among other personal computer functionality requirements. Examples of desktop computer operating systems include.

Microsoft Windows operating system

When it comes to PC operating system Microsoft Windows version take the biggest share. According to Statista as of June 2022, the Windows operating system had approximately 76% share of devices running the software.

The latest Microsoft Windows operating system is Windows 11. Some users still use Windows 7 which was a common type, but Microsoft announced the termination of security and technical support which started in January 2020. Also, Windows 8 which was not commonly used, support will end by January of 2023 according to the Microsoft website.

Currently, most users are still using Windows 10 but they can upgrade to the Windows 11 version of the operating system.

Linux operating system

It is an open-source type of operating system that is customized to be used in a variety of devices. Linux operating systems are used in personal computers, servers, mobile phones, networking devices, smart TVs, and IoT devices among many others.

Since it is open users can modify and create a different version of the Linux operating system. The most common types of Linux operating systems distributions are; Ubuntu, Fedora, Kali, Debian, Centos, SUSE, and Linux Mint among many others.

Macintosh OS (Mac OS) operating system

It is a Unix-based operating system developed by Apple to be used on their Macintosh computers. The latest version is macOS Monterey. It offers a graphic interface for user interaction.

Chrome Operating System

It is a Linux-based operating system designed by Google for the Chromebook type of operating system. At first it was designed specifically for Chromebook but later they allowed it to be used in other types of computers. It was primarily used to run web applications and utilized the Google Chrome browser as the main user interface.

Unix operating system

It is the main program that other operating systems are derived from. Linux is based on Unix together with Mac OS. The operating system is used in personal computers, servers, and embedded systems. It is a multitasking and multi-user system and most versions are command-line OS. Unix was developed by AT&T.  Examples of Unix operating systems are Oracle Solaris, FreeBSD, NetBSD, and Darwin among others.

Examples of the operating systems for mobile phones

These are the operating systems that are used by mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. They are designed to be used by devices with less capacity and size than personal computers (laptops and desktops). In addition to other features of personal computer OS, these have the capability for cellular connection using 3G, 4G, or 5G technology for communication. Most smartphone operating systems support the touchscreen capabilities of the device.

Android mobile operating system

It is Google’s open-source operating system that is used in most smartphones today in the world. An open-source operating system means the device manufacturer can customize the code to fit their device specifications. It is based on the Linux kernel. Developers can create mobile applications that are based on Android which can be downloaded on the Google app store.

Apple iOS (iPhone Operating system)

It is developed by Apple for mobile-specific devices. It is used on iPhones and iPad and other hand-held Apple mobile devices. It is the main competitor of the Android operating system in the market. It is a Unix-based operating system. Apple application developers can create apps that are distributed through Apple stores. iOS is known for its strong security features for its devices.

Symbian operating system

Symbian OS was the primary operating system when smartphones were coming to the market and it was used by many smartphone brands such as Nokia and Samsung. It was designed as proprietary software. Later it was acquired by Nokia and they release some of the software code under the open-source license. At around 2010 its domination of the smartphone was overtaken by both iOS and Android software. It was based on 2 components microkernel and a user interface part.

Windows Phone operating system

It was developed by Microsoft for personal handheld devices. They are based on the Windows CE kernel (Windows Embedded Compact). It was designed to have some of the features that are found in its desktop versions of OS. It was initially called Windows Mobile but later they adopted the name Windows phone OS. it was mostly used in Nokia smartphones such as Lumia brands.

Blackberry operating system

 It was a proprietary operating system that was developed by BlackBerry company specifically to be used on their devices. They were used for handheld mobile devices only. It was mostly adapted for corporation communication by providing push email functions. It is based on the Linux kernel and it implements microkernel architecture.

Palm operating system

It was developed in 1996 by Palm company and it was also called Garnet OS. it was mostly designed for Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)devices but it was later used in smartphones and other handheld devices.

Examples of the operating systems for server computers

Server OS is designed to handle systems that can be used to manage other devices, network security, and user management among other functions of the server computer. It is an advanced operating system compared with desktop and smartphone OS. It supports client-server architecture and should be able to handle multiple users and tasks simultaneously.

Linux-based server OS

There are different Linux- based OSes that are used for server computers. Some are offered for free but for others the user pays. Different versions are used depending on the server functionally expected. The main Linux-based server OS distributions include: 

1. Ubuntu server
2. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 
3. SUSE Linux Enterprise server
4. openSUSE
5. CentOS Linux server
6. Fedora server
7. ArchOS
8. Slackware Linux OS
9. Debian Linux server
10. ClearOS
11. Oracle Linux
12. Mageia OS

Windows server OS

It is distributed by Microsoft. It supports enterprise-level management by offering centralized security, computer, and user management, and sharing of resources among others. It is mostly GUI based but it comes with a shell that users can use for commands. The latest version in the market is Windows Server 2022.

macOS Server

It was designed by Apple based on the Linux operating system. As of April 2022, Apple discontinued its server operating system. The server implemented a file-sharing server, caching server, and time machine server.

FreeBSD server OS

It is based on the Unix operating system and it is open source. it is mostly implemented on internet servers to manage internet resources. FreeBSD offers high-security capabilities and a high response time among other features that make it good for internet services management.