Реферат: DOS And Unix Essay Research Paper Compare

be typed in either upper case, lower case or a combination of the two. UNIX

however, is a multi-user, multi-task OS. Non-interactive tasks which do not

require keyboard input can be run in the background as a separate task while the

user continues working with other interactive programs (20,1). Differing from

DOS, its user interface is case sensitive, meaning that only upper or lower case

commands must be used. APPLICATIONS & COMPUTER TYPES Whereas DOS has been

used primarily on PCs and standalone computers, UNIX can be run on single- or

multi-user computers of all sizes with a wide range of microprocessors (Flynn

& McHoes 319). UNIX is the widely supported operating system in the field of

computer science, used extensively in business as well as educational

institutions. Conversely, DOS is used mainly in businesses with older computer

systems. BENEFITS & DISADVANTAGES The major advantage that DOS has over UNIX

is its basic simplicity. Between this and the uncomplicated commands presented

by the user interface, it is a relatively simple OS to learn. DOS also has the

advantage of allowing the user to create an environment tailored strictly for

the particular task they wish to accomplish. In addition, one can customize DOS

to suit the current hardware. This can be accomplished with commands such as

date, time, prompt, path, set, assign and subst. Unlike DOS, UNIX?s main

feature is that it is a multi-user system, meaning more than one user can use

the machine at a time when supported via terminals provided by a serial or

network connection. Offering true preemptive multi-tasking, UNIX can run more

than one program at a time with a CPU that services all applications equally. In

addition, it has a hierarchical directory structure which supports the

organization and maintenance of files. Other advantages are that it has been in

the market for a number of years, and is therefore considered a stable product.

Also, due to the fact that the kernel is in ?C?, UNIX works in just about

every machine in the market, once again, making it a portable system with a

collection of very powerful utilities. Also, there are many applications

developed for DOS and UNIX which fall into the category of ?shareware?