Section: Operating Systems in General
...Subsection: What They Do
... ...Subsubsection: The Operating System as a Communication System

The operating system helps all the hardware components communicate with each other. For example, if the processor needs to talk to the programs, or the program needs to communicate with the printer, the operating system helps them do that. The operating system also works to maximize the speed at which everything happens, so for example, you don't have to go get a cup of coffee while you wait for your computer to copy a file.