Difference Between Mobile and Desktop Operating System

An Operating System is a bridge between the software and underlying hardware. It is the first program that is loaded by BIOS when the computer is turned on. OS is stored in hard disk. It manages the overall components of the computer. OS executes all the other applications in a computer or any other devices. OS interacts with users with the help of CLI or GUI. It allows us to store and share data such as pictures, videos, etc. It performs high level operations. User can perform number of tasks at the same time. It is involved in file and memory management, input and output operations, and also control external drivers.

There are different types of operating systems. Read this article to understand how a Mobile OS is different from a Desktop OS.

What is a Mobile Operating System?

Mobile operating system is a system software which is used to run applications on mobiles. It is similar to desktop operating system in their function, but they operate on mobiles. But mobile operating systems are light weight operating systems compared to desktop operating system. They are usually written in high level languages like C, C++, Java, Swift etc.,

These operating system allows wireless network access. They have attractive graphical user interface and display icons when it is switched on. They combine the features of desktop operating systems with many other features that allows users to use wireless mobiles. They have additional real time operating systems in them that allows users to interact with mobiles. They allow external memory devices like memory cards and also allow SIM card insertion that helps in mobile network connectivity and telephone services.

There are many mobile operating systems that are available. Some of them are Android, Apple iOS, windows mobile OS, Blackberry OS etc., among all these OS, Android is the most popular mobile operating system and most used OS. The core of Android OS is Linux based whereas iOS is Unix related.

Some of the features of mobile operating system are:

• Attractive and user-friendly interface

• Connectivity

• Multi-tasking

• Multi-touch

• Multi-language

• Near Field Communication (NFC)

What is a Desktop Operating System?

Desktop OS is the operating system that is present in all personal computers. It is also known as client operating system. MS-DOS is the first discovered desktop OS. Desktop OS are written in C, C++ and assembly languages. Some OS are pre-installed while others are installed later. This software can be available for free or paid services are also available for some of them. The popular Desktop OS are Windows, Linux and Mac.

Most of these OS use Graphical User Interface (GUI) that allows the users to click on icons and open applications using pointer devices. These OS can do many tasks. They can run multiple programs at the same time. Some of the functions of desktop OS include memory management, file management, storage, managing hardware devices, running various software applications, task management etc.,

More space is required for these OS. They support multiple applications. These OS take more time to reboot and to run a process.

Desktop operating systems can also be used in super computers that function as servers. The OS that is used in these servers are Linux, Unix etc.,

Advantages

• User friendly GUI

• Multi-tasking

• Frequent updates to keep up with the latest features

• Allows users to share data

Disadvantages

• Some OS costs more

• They are more complex and difficult to understand

• If central OS fails, then the whole system stops working

• Memory fragmentation

Difference between Mobile OS and Desktop OS

The following table highlights the major differences between a Mobile OS and a Desktop OS:

Conclusion

Mobile and desktop operating systems are used to run various software applications but on different devices. Desktop operating system is more complex and have a wide functionalities compared to that of mobile operating system.