Features of Windows Operating System

What are the Features of the Windows Operating System?

The various features of the Windows operating system include-

• Start Menu- As the name suggests, this is the part where the user starts his actions, after turning on the computer. The start menu contains a list of all the applications, pinned applications, and recently used applications. We can search various files and applications using the search bar. There is also an option of switching the user and turning off/restart/sleep mode options. So start basically is a place where user can begin their work by choosing the desired place to start their task.

• File Explorer- In real life, we keep all our documents in one place and segregate them according to their use and need. In Windows, the same work is done by the file explorer. It saves all our files in one place, according to the location that we provide. All the locations are displayed here along with the removable disks and pen drives that we insert. We can also manage various files and perform operations on them like- inserting, creating shortcuts, renaming, deleting, grouping files, etc. It makes searching for files easier using the search function. We can also find the recent files that we have used in File Explorer.

• Control Panel- As the name suggests, it controls and configures the resources and apps on our computer. There are a lot of functions that can be performed according to the user's needs. Right from system administration to setting the time, everything can be done here. If we want to interface our computer with hardware, the settings can be changed here and various network-related settings can be changed too. In this way, the user can use and change system settings according to his discretion.

• Cortana- In Windows, we have been provided with a voice assistant who helps us with things that we are unable to do and are stuck at. It is an important feature of the Windows operating system which is an AI-operated voice assistant that acts according to our commands and helps us to perform actions like opening a document, playing music, etc. Its concept resembles that of Google Assistant, Siri, etc.

• Browser (Edge)- The default browser of Windows is Microsoft Edge. We can search for information and surf the internet using the browser. Windows comes with a pre-installed browser. Earlier the default browser was Internet Explorer but later it was changed to Edge. It renders results of search faster and has security features like malware protection, phishing protection, and detection of insecure websites.

• MS Paint- This is a feature from the 1st version of Windows itself. As the name suggests, it is used to paint, i.e., create drawings, paintings, colorings, etc. A blank canvas along with various inks, pens, and shapes. Now an improvised version of MS Paint that is known as Paint-3D comes with more and improved features.

• Task Manager- The task manager is used to manage all the currently running tasks. We can force-stop tasks that are currently running and also get information that which tasks are running in the background. The 'End Task' option enables the user to force stop the background and foreground running application. We also get information on how much CPU, RAM, and memory is used by various system resources.

• Task bar- The taskbar is one of the features of the Windows operating system. The element of the graphical user interface shows the tasks or applications that are open right now. It also contains pinned applications which are done by the user, date, and time. We can customize the taskbar. The taskbar varies according to the operating system but it is usually a small strip located at the bottom of the screen.

Advantages of Windows Operating System

• Backing of the majority of equipment- The majority of the clients use windows and that amounts to almost 95%, the drivers for windows are made by a majority of merchants.
• Programming and gaming support- Windows is a big platform that supports a majority of applications and games that are both paid and unpaid. Most gaming laptops are Windows-based because of their performance so programmers prefer the Windows operating system because of this feature.
• Clean and lucid GUI- The Graphical User Interface provided by Windows is clean and can be understood well by a new user too. Windows UI is better than MAC and Linux.
• Microsoft Office- Windows users are provided with Microsoft Office which contains a lot of applications like- Powerpoint, excel, word, OneNote, teams, etc. This has built-in support for Windows and works smoothly on Windows.