Computer Software: Operating Systems

Operating systems provide an interface between hardware and other software. Operating systems allows a computer to run multiple programs in parallels, ensuring that each program can share time of the processor and share system resources. An operating system can be thought of as a layer of code between hardware and applications (see “How Computers Really Work”).

Operating system and hardware diagram between code and applications

Figure 1: A visual representation of how an operating system can be thought of as a layer of code between hardware and software. Screenshot acquired by Brandi Gaertner.

Source: Justice (2020) Chapter 10 Figure 10-2 “An operating system acts as a layer between hardware and applications”

There are currently 2 types of operating systems: Unix like operating systems (MacOS, iOS, Unix, and Android) and windows. ArcGIS Pro is Windows specific, and is not MacOS compatible. Due to the Windows specificity, ArcGIS Pro also requires Microsoft .NET Desktop Runtime, which allows a workstation to run existing windows desktop applications.

Obviously, most ArcGIS Online, as well as open source WebApps and Mobile apps can be accessed from any recent Mac or Windows operating systems.

ArcGIS System Requirements

https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/get-started/arcgis-pro-system-requirements.htm

References:

Justice, M. (2020). How computers really work: A hands-on guide to the inner workings of the machine. No Starch Press. Chapter 10: Operating Systems.

Computer Software: Operating Systems