An operating system controls and manages a computer's hardware and software. It allows users to communicate with the computer without knowing its programming language. There are different types of operating systems including real-time operating systems, which are very fast and used for medical equipment, and single-user/single-tasking operating systems like early versions of MS-DOS that only allowed one task at a time. Common personal computers usually use single-user/multitasking operating systems like Windows that enable running multiple applications simultaneously.