What does the operating system (OS) do?

The operating system (OS) serves as a critical intermediary between the hardware of a computer and the user applications that run on it. It facilitates communication between the hardware components, such as the CPU, memory, and storage devices, ensuring that they work together efficiently to execute programs and perform tasks. This interaction involves managing the low-level operations necessary for the software to utilize the hardware effectively, including memory management, process scheduling, and input/output operations.

While the OS does indeed manage software updates, create user accounts, and can facilitate internet access through networking software, its fundamental role is to enable the communication between hardware and software. Without the OS, applications would not be able to access or control hardware resources, leading to inefficient or impossible operation. Thus, the primary function of the OS in this context is to allow hardware to communicate with the system.