An operating system (OS) is a set of software designed to manage hardware resources and orchestrate the execution of programs on a computer. It operates as an intermediary interface between the hardware (including the processor, memory, storage devices, and input/output peripherals) and software applications. The most common examples of operating systems are Microsoft Windows, macOS, and various distributions of Linux.
These systems play a crucial role in facilitating the interaction between users and their computer equipment, providing a stable environment that simplifies the execution of various computing tasks.