Below is a basic list of the different types of operating system and a few examples of operating systems that fall into each of the categories. Many computer operating systems will fall into more than one of the below categories.



GUI Operating System

GUI stands for Graphical User interface. A GUI Operating System contains graphics and icons and is commonly navigated by using a computer mouse. Below are some examples of GUI operating Systems.

  • Microsoft Windows
  • Mac OS 
  • X Window System
Multi-user Operating System

A multi-user operating system allows for multiple users to use the same computer at the same time and/or different times. Below are some examples of multi-user operating systems.

  • UNIX
  • MVS
Multiprocessing Operating System

An operating system capable of supporting and utilizing more than one computer processor. Below are some examples of multiprocessing operating systems.

  • UNIX
  • OS/2
Multitasking Operating System

An operating system that is capable of allowing multiple software processors to run at the same time. Below are some examples of multitasking operating systems.

  • Linux
  • Microsoft Windows
Multithreading Operating System

Multithreading Operating System are operating systems that allow different parts of a single software program to run concurrently. Multithreading is the ability of an OS to execute different parts of a program, called threads, simultaneously. Operating systems that would fall into this category are:

  • Linux
  • UNIX
  • Windows 2000