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While there are hundreds of different operating systems, there are only three basic categories, which are... Option 1: Proprietary, open-source, and embedded Option 2: Windows, macOS, and Linux Option 3: Mobile, desktop, and server Option 4: Unix, Linux, and Android

User Soeholm
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Answer:

1: Proprietary, open-source, and embedded

Step-by-step explanation:

To begin with, 'Windows, macOS and Linux' aren't categories. They're names (and also specific examples of operating systems). Technically Option 3 is also correct, but it's not as 'technical' as Option 1. Option 4 is just completely wrong, Linux is based off of Unix, and Android is based off of Linux. Again, those aren't categories.

Now onto the full explanation:

Windows is an operating system made by Microsoft, macOS is made by Apple, and Linux was originally created by Linus Torvalds.

A good tie-in between the explanation of Option 1 and 2 is that, Windows and MacOS are proprietary (owned by a person or company, the code is not publicly shared), and Linux is open-source (the general public can contribute code, albeit within reason).

Embedded operating systems aren't common-place in commercial desktop computers, but in offices generally there are plenty of them. Coffee machines run on embedded operating systems (although a fair few actually run off Linux surprisingly), printers run on embedded operating systems, and essentially the Internet of Things as a collective run on embedded operating systems.

User Sergio Pulgarin
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