A computer system has many resources

(hardware and software), which may be

required to complete a task. The commonly
required resources are input/output devices,
memory, file storage space, CPU, etc. The
operating system acts as a manager of the
above resources and allocates them to specific
programs and users, whenever necessary to
perform a particular task. Therefore the
operating system is the resource manager i.e.
it can manage the resource of a computer
system internally. 
Microsoft Windows is the operating system
we use in our homes. It has existed in one
form or another since 1985, and it remains the
most popular operating system for home and
office computers. Microsoft Windows versions
use the GUI model of communication. GUI is
the acronym for Graphical User Interface.
 An operating system is the most important
software that runs on a computer. It manages
the computer's memory and processes, as
well as all of its software and hardware. It
also allows you to communicate with the
computer without knowing how to speak the
computer's language.
Key elements to consider before
upgrading your operating system
1. Your Current Platform. What operating
system are you using currently? ...
2. Usability. An operating system won't do
you much good if your people can't use it well.
...
3. Compatibility. ...
4. Vendor Support. ...
5. Security. ...
6. Upgrade Time & Cost. ...
7. Features.
Batch operating systems
Batch operating systems work with batches or
groups of programs. The programmers leave their
programs with the operator and the operator
then sorts the programs into batches.
Time-sharing operating systems
Time sharing operating systems let many people,
located at various terminals, use a particular
computer system at the same time.
Distributed operating systems
Distributed systems use multiple central
processors to serve multiple real-time
applications and multiple users. Data-processing
jobs are distributed among the processors
accordingly.
Real-time operating systems
A real-time operating system is a data-processing
system in which the time interval required to
process and respond to inputs is very small. It is
used in robots, complex animations and in
computer-controlled automated machines.