4.1 Operating systems - Part 1

What is multitasking in an operating system?

• Running multiple programs simultaneously on separate processors.

• The processor allocating small time slices to different processes, making them appear to run simultaneously.

• A single program performing multiple tasks at once.

• Managing multiple user interfaces at the same time.

When a program is loaded from the hard drive into main memory (RAM), who decides where it is placed in RAM?

• The user

• The program itself

• The operating system

• The hard drive

What happens to memory when a program is closed, and what is it called when new programs are split to fit into available memory spaces?

• The program is permanently erased; memory defragmentation.

• The memory space is marked as available; memory fragmentation.

• The program is moved to virtual memory; memory consolidation.

• The memory is physically cleared; memory optimization.

What is the primary purpose of a device driver?

• To install new hardware components.

• To translate operating system instructions into commands that specific hardware can understand.

• To optimize the performance of a device.

• To provide a graphical user interface for hardware.