With the same straightforward and clear writing style that has made previous editions so successful, Understanding Operating Systems, Fifth Edition, provides the ideal blend of operating theory and practice. Coverage includes the fundamentals of operating systems: what they are, what they do, how they function, how they can be evaluated, as well as how they compare to one another. The book begins with an introduction to operating systems theory and development in the first section, and then progresses to discuss the four most widely-used operating systems (MS-DOS, Windows, Linux, and UNIX) in the second section. Updates include references to and examples of the most current technology, including DVDs and flash memory, and how they are handled by various operating systems, making this book a current and relevant resource.