The Relationship between an Application program, the operating system and hardware

All three (Application program, the operating system and hardware) are needed to accomplish a purpose --

hardware to house components, an operating system to run the components, and an application to be run.

An operating system is defined as an application which is run on a computer. Some common examples of operating systems are Windows, Macintosh, Microsoft Disc Operating System (which is abbreviated as MS-DOS), Linux, etc. On the other hand, an application software program is a class of computer applications that enables the user to perform a required task by using the full capabilities of his or her personal computer directly. System software applications are those applications that play a direct role in integrating the various capabilities of a computer. However, a system software program does not usually apply the capabilities of a computer directly to the performance of the task at hand. In that sense, it can be said to be in direct contrast to an application software program.

An operating system can also be defined as the platform on which a personal computer is run. In the absence of an operating system, the computer would only display a typed code, which is not easy to comprehend. Some common examples of application software programs are word processors, spreadsheets and media players. Operating systems directly communicate with the hardware.