Final answer:
A computer without an operating system has significant limitations in user interaction and program execution, requiring manual and intricate knowledge of hardware for any operation.
Step-by-step explanation:
A computer without an operating system (OS) faces significant limitations. The OS acts as a mediator between the user and the computer's hardware, managing software resources and simplifying application programming. Without an operating system, a user would have to manually control the hardware, which is exceptionally complex and impractical for general users.
Without an OS, loading and executing a program would involve writing code directly to the hardware, typically using machine language or assembly language. This process is both error-prone and time-consuming, only feasible for advanced users with a deep understanding of computer architecture. For the average user, a computer without an OS would be nearly unusable for regular tasks.