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computer.","is_public":true,"topic_category":"bedrock","published_date":"2020-02-01T00:00:00+00:00","content_type":"foundational","terms_within":["branch","cpu-processor","disk-ssd-hdd","distribution","ip-address","kernel","linux","open-source","operating-system","ram-memory","terminal"],"companies_within":null,"related_terms":[],"company_id":null,"blurb":null,"company_name":null,"company_ticker":null,"content_body":"$1c","content_tldr":"## The TL;DR\n\nAn operating system\n is the **mastermind** behind your computer: it **orchestrates** all of the **behind-the-scenes magic** that lets something like Excel work on your hardware.\n\n- Operating systems are pieces of software that manage how your **application software works with your hardware**\n \n- An OS also **handles very basic tasks** like keyboard input, displaying things on your screen, and keeping track of files\n \n- The three most popular desktop operating systems are **Windows, MacOS, and Linux\n**, and you might have heard 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