Macintosh Operating Systems

It uses a graphics screen that places familiar office objects on a display screen. Files, folders, programs, and disks are represented by icons. It has a hierarchical file system that lets users drag document icons into and out of folder icons. Folders can also contain other folders and so on.
In IBM computers and IBM compatible computers, software developers usually decide how they make a user interface. In contrast, Macintosh application developers usually conform to the Macintosh user interface. This consistent user interface makes users easy to learn new programs from the start. This also makes Macintosh operating system and its application programs indistinguishable.
The Macintosh user interface style has been adapted to many other operating systems. For example, OS/2 Presentation Manager and WARP, New Wave, most UNIX systems, and Windows look very similar to the Macintosh graphics user interface.
The Macintosh operating system has two major files. They are the System file and the Finder. The system file manages the user interface. Both files work together to achieve the operating system procedures such as formatting disks, copying files, erasing files, and running application programs.

Advantages and Disadvantages

• Advantages: The ease of use is the primary charm of the Macintosh. The graphics interface such as menus, screen display, and dialog boxes are quite more consistent across applications than they are in Windows. It also offers easy plug and play. When install a board in a Mac, users need to plug it into a slot, drag its driver icon into the System Folder, and reboot the computer.
  It provides long filenames, integrated program and file management, desktop icons, and shortcuts. It provides a high quality graphics processing that makes Macintosh popular for desktop publishing (Mac is the standard computer in the publishing industry). It has a great video architecture that allows users to add multiple monitors to a computer by adding another video board and hook up another monitor.
  The later versions of Macintosh operating system (System 7.x series) enable users to do multitasking. That is, multiple programs can run simultaneously, each sharing the CPU (cooperative multitasking like Windows 3.x). System 7.x allows applications programs to exchange and share data and commands with other application programs.
  It even provides built-in sound, SCSI, and Ethernet that allow users to work easily with multimedia. It has much better multimedia toolkit than Windows has. The IBM and compatible computers, PC, cannot match the Macintosh's toolkits for multimedia, and Windows multimedia applications do not work together as smoothly as their Macintosh counterparts.

• Disadvantages: The first disadvantage of the Macintosh platform is the incompatibility with DOS and Windows (PC) applications. This has been made Macintoshes less attractive to corporate users that want to have compatibility and connectivity within company and between companies. However, software (e.g., Insignia's SoftWindows) are now available for the Mac to allow it to run Windows on PowerMac although it runs slowly. This is a great utility for a Mac user who needs to run DOS or Windows applications occasionally. Another solution for this is the fact that networks connecting Macintoshes to PCs are available these days.