Contrast this to a GUI program a user interacts with. Its purpose is dependant on its relationship to the user. The philosophy is that the user could click on anything on the screen at any time, so the program had better be ready! The reality is that users live in their own world, free from all concerns of the silicon world, except one - power. They may perceive memory pressure in the form of slowness, but they don't feel it the way the operating system does.
Systems:
- Lacks a GUI.
- There are technical details.
- Doesn't compete with applications.
- Memory pressure is an issue.
Applications:
- Has a GUI.
- Need to be responsive.
- Power usage is important.
- Memory pressure results in slowness.
I don't think we got any closer to a useful answer.