Operating System

basic
software
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Definition

The main software that manages your computer and runs other programs. Like the manager of a building who makes sure everything works properly.

Real-World Example

Windows, macOS, and Android are operating systems that control how your devices work and run apps.

Cloud Provider Equivalencies

An operating system (OS) is not a single cloud service; it’s the foundational software installed on devices and cloud virtual machines. Cloud providers offer OS images (for example, Windows Server or Linux distributions) and managed ways to patch and maintain them, but the OS itself is a general computing concept rather than a provider-specific product.

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