Читать книгу macOS Monterey For Dummies - Bob LeVitus - Страница 12

The operating system (that is, the OS part of macOS) is what makes your Mac a Mac. Without it, your Mac is nothing but a pile of silicon and circuits — no smarter than a toaster.

“So what does an operating system do?” you ask. Good question. The simple answer is that an OS controls the basic and most important functions of your computer. In the case of macOS and your Mac, the operating system

 Manages memory

 Controls how windows, icons, and menus work

 Keeps track of files

 Manages networking and security

 Does housekeeping (No kidding!)

Other forms of software, such as word processors and web browsers, rely on the OS to create and maintain the environment in which they work their magic. When you create a memo, for example, the word processor provides the tools for you to type and format the information and save it in a file. In the background, the OS is the muscle for the word processor, performing the following crucial functions:

 Providing the mechanism for drawing and moving the onscreen window in which you write the memo

 Keeping track of the file when you save it

 Helping the word processor create drop-down menus and dialogs for you to interact with

 Communicating with other programs

 And much, much more (stuff that only geeks could care about)

So, armed with a little background in operating systems, take a gander at the next section before you do anything else with your Mac.

One last thing: As I mention in this book’s Introduction (I’m repeating it here in case you normally don’t read introductions), macOS Monterey comes with nearly 60 applications in its Applications and Utilities folders. Although I’d love to tell you all about each and every one, I have only so many pages at my disposal.