We have completed the hardware & software topic, now let’s find out about operating systems.
An operating system is the most important Software in a Phone or Computer, it is the heart operating beneath all other software/programmes. An Operating System receives requests from all the programmes in your computer and relate them with the hardware of your computer.
Let’s look at some examples of operating systems:Â
These are some of the most well known Operating Systems in the world.
Unlike smartphones – where we are pretty much stuck with Android, Windows or IOS – with computers you choose which operating system you want to use on your computer.
You can decide to install Windows, Linux or macOS. There are many more operating systems to pick from than these three. However, an apple laptop or macbook uses macOS, the word Operating system can be abbreviated to OS. Hence, the name macOS and iOS.
All Windows phones use Windows as their Operating Systems. Â
For example: NOKIA Lumia is one of the smartphones that uses Windows operating systems. The picture below shows a NOKIA Lumia smartphone with applications displayed on the screen.
When it comes to smartphones, iOS and Android are the biggest operating systems that have strong competition with each other. This competition is also strong when it comes to the smartphone brands Apple and Samsung. iOS is an operating system that runs all iPhones.
When you buy a smartphone, you choose which brand you prefer, by picking a brand of a phone you automatically pick an operating system as well without even noticing it.
This is because a phone comes with its own operating system that you cannot change. An iPhone exclusively uses iOS and a Samsung phone uses Android as an operating system. Other brands of smartphones like Huawei, SONY, Hisense, and more also use the Android operating system.
An operating system allows applications to run within and on top of it as it contains drivers that can access the computer’s hardware such as screens, keyboards, mouse, and so on. To put it simply, it commands the computer through the hardware.
Let’s watch another quick 1:30 video and understand more basics of what operating systems do, click the link below and watch the video below.
Let’s expand the content on the video and elaborate on it. See the flowchart on the picture below that shows this process. You should not expect to see this entire process occur while using your computer or phone because it happens very quickly in split seconds.
Hover over each number to see details on what happen in each step.
Now that we learnt about operating systems, we can now discuss the operating system we will be using to build our machine to save the world with Dr. Agro Planti and his Programme Genesis. The operating system that we will be using is Linux, and we will learn about it in the following section.
Pain Points – specific problems that prospective customers of your business are experiencing. In other words, you can think of pain points as problems, plain and simple.
 A User – is any person that interacts (by inputs) with a program without having to write the code directly. For example, you are the user to the code that makes your browser/website run. When you clicked on this pop-up, that was the input that made this explanation come up when the code detected it.
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All learners who are aspiring web developers will have an opportunity to build a website for a live NGO or charity client as part of their community service hours. This project will be run jointly with Community Hours – so all your time spent counts towards your LO credits. This event is suitable for learners, parents and their teachers.
TechWays will be providing the WordPress course and web dev resources for free to any learner wanting to participate.Â
Besides the amazing community service you’ll be doing for a charity in need – you’ll also be building your portfolio of web dev skills. Who knows – web dev could become a side hustle for extra income?
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Indentation – In the written form of many languages, an indentation or indent is an empty space at the beginning of a line to signal the start of a new paragraph.
Text editor – is the part of the IDE where you write the code. Most text editors highlight words with different properties like functions to help you distinguish them from one another.Â
Homogeneous – of the same kind; alike throughout.
Heterogeneous – diverse in character or content; containing different things
Prompt – to  cause or bring about; to make something happen. For example making someone to say or write something.
Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system. It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process operational again.
There are a lot of strings functions/methods in Python. Find full list in course manual. Here’s are some that you find useful in this course:
Functions
Methods
There a number of special string characters that have different functions when used inside ” “. Here’re some useful and common ones:
In programming Concatenation is a process of appending one string to another.Â
\ – escape character is a string character that tell Python that the next character after it should be taken as a string and not as an instruction.
str ( ) is a built-in function that converts and sequence of characters (numbers especially) in to text.Â
Mad Libs is a phrasal template word game created by Leonard Stern and Roger Price. It consists of one player prompting others for a list of words to substitute for blanks in a story before reading aloud.
type ( ) is a built-in function (still to cover what built-in functions are later) that determines the Data Type of any data presented.Â
input ( ) is a built-in function (still to cover what built-in functions are later) allows a user to insert info into a program/the code.Â
print ( ) is a built-in function (still to cover what built-in functions are later) that executes data inside the brackets. The results get printed out on the console/results section.
Integrated Development Environment – A digital environment used to develop games, software, hardware, that offers integration from debugging to compiling.Â
More about variables
Info about variables
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#WOW – What Outstanding Work – Awards: join us to learn from our students.Â
Our top 20 learners are from St Andrews for Girls, Reddam Umhlanga, Evolve Online, Nova Pioneer and Sutherland High.Â
Learners will be presenting their final projects. Come celebrate their successes and lessons learnt with us at our TechWays #WOW Awards.
This event is suitable for learners, parents and their teachers. Book your spot HERE
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Calling on all high schoolers interested in tech as a career. Join us on Thursday 22 September at 5:30pm.
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We will be sharing:
There are only 100 spaces – so book your spot now – please RSVP here Book
To access the recording – click here
Calling on all high schoolers interested in tech as a career to join us on 16 September at 5:30pm. If you missed it, we’ll host another one on 18 November.Â
We covered the following:
To access the recording – click here
To book your spot – click here
We will be talking to Noelene Kinsley from GC Network. Noelene has been specialised in the exciting career of Genetic Counseling and wants to share her passion for making the world a healthier place using genetics….and data science technology.
Let’s hear more about the trends in the health/genetics industries, where jobs are moving to and what kind of skills you’ll need in this exciting world of opportunities out there.
This event is suitable for learners, parents and their teachers. Book your spot HERE
To book your spot – click here
We will be talking to Jason Suttie from Devson. Jason has been in the tech world since he was six years old. He headed IT innovation unit at RMB and has since left to start up his own software consulting company – solving problems and building solutions for clients around the world.Â
Let’s hear more about the trends in the software and programming industries, where jobs are moving to and what kind of skills you’ll need in this exciting world of opportunities out there.Â
Book your spot HERE
Introduces Linux as an operating system, the basic open source concepts and an understanding of the Linux commands. Linux is crucial for cybersecurity.
Gives you the baseline skills you need to secure a company’s systems, software and hardware. This certificate gives practical hands-on skills to pursue a career in cyber security
Will give you skills in Information Security Threats and Attack Vectors, Attack Detection, Attack Prevention, Procedures, Methodologies and more.