Q: What is an operating system?A: The operating system is the software that controls the hardware of your PC and manages its software.Often consumers confuse their operating system with their software package, for example; my operating system (OS) is Windows 7 and my software suite is Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010.The two most popular consumer operating systems are Windows (Microsoft) and MAC OS X (Apple), both of which have launched multiple operating systems over the years.It is important that you know which operating system you have before purchasing any additional software or hardware. If your operating system is not compatible with the application or hardware it simply will not work.