The boot program is loaded into memory and begins loading the resident portion of the operating system. The operating system then loads system configuration information. A device driver is loaded for each hardware device. The remainder of the operating system is loaded and the desktop and icons display on the screen. Portable Operating Systems T he trend is toward portable operating systems that will run on many manufacturers' computers.
Users can change computer models or vendors, yet retain existing software and data files.
Windows 3.x refers to versions of Microsoft's Windows operating system. It has an improved graphical user interface, is written to take advantage of newer 32-bit processors, and supports preemptive multitasking . Windows CE is an operating system designed for use on wireless communications devices and smaller computers. Windows NT is a sophisticated operating system designed for client-server networks. UNIX is a multiuser, multitasking operating system available for most computers of all sizes.