So I'm on a Higher Education Technology course...

[EightInchNails]

...and I'm working on two instruction manuals: a technical and a non-technical. Both must use the Harvard Referencing system. I am required to "evaluate the structure and functions of an operating system, with regards to functionality, operation and dependency", and analyze the following in the three chosen operating system examples - Windows, Mac and Linux:

                Memory

                Processor

                Devices

                File

                Security

                Performance

                Error Management

(Yes I am aware Linux is the kernel not the OS, I didn't write the damn brief)

 

I'll be honest, I am really struggling with this. Please send help.

[BTGBullseye]

If I understood what was being requested, I would send help... But I don't know what it's asking you to do.

[EightInchNails]

5 hours ago, BTGBullseye said:

If I understood what was being requested, I would send help... But I don't know what it's asking you to do.

I appreciate the gesture. I'm just going through the list of things for each OS for now. I'm sure the evaluation part will come easier once that's out of the way. Hopefully.

Edited November 5, 2018 by CharlieHadron (see edit history)

[BTGBullseye]

Oh, I'm well versed in the technical aspects of those OSes and hardware, (excluding Mac) I just don't understand what exactly is being asked about them. Is it asking you to make a list of what each does, or what it's requirements are, or what the pros and cons are for each OS in each category?

[Veyrdite]

> functionality, operation and dependency

 

That's really vague.

 

A year or so back I was asked to write an essay that had a similar vagueness.  It was so open ended it felt like I was being asked to "write about anything related to topic X and make it at least Y pages long", especially since the marking criteria was more concerned with formatting and referencing than actual content.  This was the hardest essay I have ever written and I did not feel happy submitting it.

 

@Charlie Vermin: Please chase the person who issued the assignment and ask them for more help understanding it!  If they don't understand your question then point out some examples of what it could potentially cover, examples that you think would be "wrong" areas.  Perhaps things like "hey half of the stuff on that list really isn't handled that much by the OS" or "are you including the standard c library (libc) as part of the OS (as well as the kernel), or do you mean just the kernel?".

Edited November 7, 2018 by Veyrdite (see edit history)

[EightInchNails]

I've looked back at some supplementary material I think I was supposed to do it on OS types rather than brands. I also think I've lost access to the supplementary material due to telling my course tutor I'm not planning to come back for next term and thus only have access to material relating to this term.

[BTGBullseye]

Well that sucks, on multiple levels.

[EightInchNails]

Yup. It's cr*p on a cocktail stick.

Happy festive season btw

Edited December 24, 2018 by CharlieHadron (see edit history)