Microsoft Ends Support For Windows XP

After what has felt like an eternity, Microsoft has at last ended all forms of official backing for Windows XP, more than 12 years after the operating system launched, and still with a huge portion of users globally.

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How Does an Operating System Work?

An Operating System is the application that controls every aspect of a computer. The most commonly used operating systems are Windows, UNIX and Macintosh. For simplicity, an operating system carries out two basic functions:

(1) It serves as a manger for the hardware and software resources held in the system; and

(2) It deals with hardware without the applications having to know every aspect along the way.

The duties of the operating system fall into six different categories: processor management, memory management, device management, storage management, application interface and user interface.

Processor Management
Processor management involves the certainty that all applications and processes get the appropriate amount of time from the processor so that it can function properly. It also involves taking advantage of as many processor cycles as it possibly can to make everything work together properly. The operating system uses the process or thread of the processor to carry out these functions and it continuously switches between processes at the rate of thousands of processes per second.

Memory Management
Memory management is the process of ensuring that each process has the amount of memory needed to execute the task so that processes do not steal memory from each other. Another part of memory management is managing each type of memory so that it is used properly.

Device Management
Every piece of hardware uses a driver, a special program, to communicate with the system. The operating system uses the drivers as a translator between the electrical signals from the hardware and the programming code found in applications. The driver takes data from the operating system to the device and vice versa. The operating system controls this process by calling on the appropriate driver when it is needed.

Application Program Interface
Just like hardware has drivers, applications have application program interfaces (APIs). APIs allow the programmers to use parts of the operating system and computer to carry out certain functions. The operating system holds all of the APIs that are recognizable to the computer and plays the role of interpreter for the APIs. It then sends the data required so that the function is carried out.

User Interface
The user interface aspect of the operating system manages the interaction between the user and computer. Many operating systems use graphical user interfaces, which mean that it uses images and icons to communicate with the user. The operating system once again plays the role of interpreter to communicate with both the user and the computer in languages that they both understand.

                           Types of Operating Systems

There are four types of Operating System that you can use. Choosing one depends on the kind of task you want to perform on the computer.

• Single User, Single Task

This OS is preferred for simple, repetitive tasks and is used in Palm handheld PCs.

• Single User, Multi-Task

It is the most common Os you will see around you. It includes Windows and MacOS as well. Useful for performing multiple tasks at the same time, like browsing the Internet while listening to music.

• Multi-User

This OS is used by a community of users that apply the OS for similar functions. Running this type of OS requires a lot of resources and maintenance. Unix is one such OS.

• Real-Time Operating Systems

An RTOS rarely has any user interface. It is mainly used for managing resources within the computer and does not rely on or stop for the user's input. It works like a fully automated assembly line that does not need manual interactions.

Microsoft and Apple companies strive to get the best OS out on the market, giving it a good competitive edge, but you may also want to go for freeware Operating Systems like Linux.

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Nokia Set to Release its first Android-Based Smartphone this Month

Nokia will release its first Android smartphone this month. According to The Wall Street Journal. The device codenamed as Nokia Normandy, the low-cost handset will reportedly be showcased during MWC in Barcelona.

According to WSJ’s sources, Nokia work so hard on the device while Microsoft was performing due diligence prior to its acquisition of the Finnish company. The smartphone will allegedly go official as Nokia X.

Unsurprisingly, the smartphone is tipped to launch without Google Play support, Applications such as Twitter, Facebook, Skype, Vine and BBM are said to run on the OS with a separate app store - similarly to Amazon’s Kindle products. It is not certain how many apps will be available. Instead, it will be focused on services provided by Microsoft and Nokia. In line with recent leaks, the UI of the upcoming smartphone is also said to be closely related to Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8.

The leaked press renders and images of the Nokia X show a phone styled in a similar way to Nokia's Lumia devices, including the usual range of vibrant color choices. The phone is rumored to include dual-core Snapdragon 200 SoC, dual-SIM, 4” WVGA display, packing just 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB built-in memory. The smartphone will reportedly be priced in line with Nokia Asha devices.

For any more details on what the device will be offering, we might just have to wait until it's unveiled at the end of the month.

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Leaked Photos of Nokia's Prototype Android Smartphone

There has been a rumour spreading like wildfire about the upcoming release of the new Nokia Android-based Smartphone and this rumour seems unstoppable.

Many people are talking about its much awaited release that could happen anytime this month. Others have been saying that the device will be called the Normandy while some say that it will be called Nokia X.

Though, the Nokia’s mobile devices and services sections have already been acquired by Microsoft, there is still a huge possibility that the release of the Nokia Android mobile phone will be pushing through. In fact, the device might be unveiled to the market this February at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. There is no official confirmation yet, but it looks as though as more images of the Smartphone have now popped up online. 

The images above do not really show many new details about the hardware or give much insight on its feature set, but we do get to see the display turned on in one of them with a possible peak at what the device's UI could look like. Both images have been described as picturing engineering prototypes of the device. As some have suggested it will most likely be a low-end device that runs a custom version of Android, with a UI that incorporates ideas from both Windows Phone and Nokia's Asha line.

At this point, there seems to be no certainty that the phone will see the light of day, especially considering the fact that Nokia's focus on Windows Phone projects and Microsoft's involvement in the company moving forward. Nokia was reported to have begun early stage development on Android-based smartphones before being acquired by Microsoft, at the point which many felt the Normandy project would get buried. There is a possibility that these images could be old, but only time will tell if Nokia is still tinkering around with Google software while Microsoft is looking over its shoulder.

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