An operating system or often referred to as (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware and software resources and provides common services for computer programs.

For hardware functions such as input and output and memory allocation, the operating system acts as an intermediary between programs and the computer hardware, although the application code is usually executed directly by the hardware and frequently makes system calls to an OS function or is interrupted by it. Operating systems are found on many devices that contain a computer – from cellular phones and video game consoles to web servers and supercomputers.

The dominant desktop operating system is Microsoft Windows with a market share of around 82.74%. macOS by Apple Inc. is in second place (13.23%), and the varieties of Linux are collectively in third place (1.57%). In the mobile (smartphone and tablet combined) sector, use in 2017 is up to 70% of Google's Android and according to third quarter 2016 data, Android on smartphones is dominant with 87.5 percent and a growth rate 10.3 percent per year, followed by Apple's iOS with 12.1 percent and a per year decrease in market share of 5.2 percent, while other operating systems amount to just 0.3 percent. Linux distributions are dominant in the server and supercomputing sectors. Other specialized classes of operating systems, such as embedded and real-time systems, exist for many applications.

Computer software, or simply software, is a generic term that refers to a collection of data or computer instructions that tell the computer how to work, in contrast to the physical hardware from which the system is built, that actually performs the work. In computer science and software engineering, computer software is all information processed by computer systems, programs and data. Computer software includes computer programs, libraries and related non-executable data, such as online documentation or digital media. Computer hardware and software require each other and neither can be realistically used on its own.

Software Types

There are a ton of different categories and types of software, here are just some that CompSource has to offer;

• Backup & Recovery
• Database
• Design & Engineering
• Designing
• Development
• Firmware
• Games
• Graphics/Multimedia
• Licensing
• Managment
• Network & Communication
• Operating Systems
• Productivity Application
• Reference
• Security
• Software
• Software Suites
• Utility

We’re here to help you decide. Chat with us or give our professionals a quick phone call (800)-413-7361, we can assist with the best Software solution for your needs and budget.