Mac OS X is the operating system developed by Apple Inc. It is a Unix-like operating system with a hybrid-kernel based on technologies NeXT Software, Inc. developed for its NEXTSTEP operating system, and code from the FreeBSD project.
The graphical user interface in Mac OS X is called Aqua, which includes a Dashboard that allows for mini programs called Widgets to be placed on the desktop. All applications included in OS X follows a well defined set of Human Interface Guidelines giving them an intuitive, consistent user interface. Aqua also comes with a dock similar to the taskbar found in Windows operating systems, that displays an icon or thumbnail for running software applications.