The document provides an introduction to operating systems (OS) and describes some of their key functions. It discusses what an OS is, popular OS types, and basics of UNIX/Windows. Some key points made include:
- An OS acts as an intermediary between the user and computer hardware, executing programs and making hardware resources available to users.
- OS functions include process management, memory management, file management, and I/O management like controlling hardware devices.
- When a computer boots up, the BIOS initializes basic hardware then loads the bootloader from disk which loads the OS kernel into memory to take over control of the system.