I think I get confused these days, and perhaps I always have been, with defining an OS, and making distinctions between the core OS/kernel/services/tools apps and what I sometimes consider separate parts such as... the 'file manger (App)', the console/command shell, GUI/Desktop.
Even the kernel, though at the heart of the OS, cannot be considered an OS by itself without describing some of the services/tools/and other apps developed by way of the kernel. The kernel is responsible process management, memory management, hardware device drivers, filesystem drivers, network management and numerous other things, but can even that actually mean OS?
When we talk OS are we talking about about everything? I think for the most part we all can 'assume' we know what is meant by Windows 7, but it's not as clear to me when one name's a linux distro, for instance.
With all the different options from desktop choices/GUI, shells, file-managers; the configuration of one could be a vast departure/experience than someone else.
What does it mean if someone states even something as specific as, "I prefer Ubunutu 11.10 'Oneiric Ocelot'"? That statement alone hardly addresses/describes the users setup. I have had terrible Ubuntu setups (from 'Maverick Meerkat' to 'Lucid Lynx'), and I have had fantastic setups/experiences; with everything in between all along the way.
Even in some past "MS WindowS" versions, I tended to use some combination of different shells, desktop managers, things to alter the GUI such as "drapes" apps or things like windows "blinds", launch docks/gadgets/widgets (I'm starting to feel like Willy Wonka), as well as varios higher level apps such as web-browsers (Netscape Navigator, Opera, Mozilla Firefox, IE, Chrome).
I never 'really' considered the browser as part of the OS, but then Windows even blurred those lines IMHO. IIRC it became more noticeable to me with the release of XP. The integration on some level altered something that I considered an APP, into something that I would define as part of the OS.
If that weren't confusing enough.... Now we see browsers integrating an OS into them... Google Chrome OS, and Chromium OS.
So is it just me, or does anyone else have a hard time defining what is meant by OS?
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