Chapter 3

Computer Software
 3 Learning Objectives
 What are the most popular types of Application Software?
 What kinds of system software are typically stored on personal computers?
 What are the main differences between word processing, desktop publishing and Web
authoring software?
 How does spreadsheet software work?
 In addition to spreadsheet, what other types of “number crunching” software are available?
 Why are there different types of graphics software?
 What do software shoppers need to know?
 What is EULA?
 How does local software differ from portable software and Web apps?
 Is installing downloaded software different from installing software from a distribution CD?
 What are the differences between proprietary software, commercial software, shareware,
open source software, freeware and public domain software?
 What are software patches and service packs?
 What’s malware?
 How does antivirus software work?

Chapter 3: Computer Software 2

 3 Chapter Contents
 Section A: Software Basics
 Section B: Popular Applications
 Section C: Buying Software
 Section D: Installing Software and Upgrades
 Section E: Security Software

Chapter 3: Computer Software 3

 3
SECTION
A
Software Basics
 Software Categories
 Application Software
 Utility Software
 Device Drivers

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 3 Software Basics
 What is a software?
 The instructions that tell a computer how to carry out a task
are referred to as a computer program.
 These programs form the software that prepares a
computer to do a specific task.
 Software – referred to computer programs and the data
the programs used.
 Two main categories of Software; System Software –
designed for computer-centric tasks and Application
Software – designed to help people accomplish real-world
tasks.

Chapter 3: Computer Software 5

 3 Software Categories

Chapter 3: Computer Software 6

 3 Application Software
 Productivity Software
(Productivity applications) can
be defined as any type of
application software that has
the potential to help people do
their work more efficiently
 Groupware is designed to
help several people
collaborate on a single project
using local networks or
Internet connections.

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 3 Utility Software
 Utility software (a type of system
software) is designed to help you monitor
and configure settings for your computer
system equipment, the operating system, or
application software.
– Utilities focus on computer-centric
tasks, such as blocking viruses or
diagnosing and fixing error or do PC
performance tune-up
 A desktop widget (aka gadget,
dashboard gadget, control) is a specialized
utility program that appears on a
computer’s screen-based desktop, might
display a snippet of information which
includes clocks, calendars, calculators,
sticky notes etc.
Chapter 3: Computer Software 8
 3 Device Drivers
 A device driver is software that
helps a peripheral device establish
communication with a computer.
– Once installed, a device driver
automatically start when it is
needed.
– Device drivers usually run in the
background, without opening a
window on the screen.
– Access the driver using the
Control Panel
 Windows Device Manager – offers
access to device drivers
Chapter 3: Computer Software 9
 3
SECTION
B
Popular Applications
 Document Production Software
 Spreadsheet Software
 “Number Crunching” Software
 Database Software
 Graphics Software
 Music Software
 Video Editing and DVD Authoring Software
 Educational and Reference Software
 Entertainment Software
 Business Software

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 3 Document Production

Software
Assists with composing, editing, designing,
printing, and electronically publishing documents.
The popular ones are:
– Word processing software: such as MS
Word, iWork Pages, OpenOffice Writer
– Desktop publishing software (DPS): takes
WP software one step further by helping you
use graphics design techniques to enhance
the format and appearance of a document
such as Adobe InDesign.
– Web authoring: helps you design and
develop customized Web pages that you can
publish electronically on the Internet such as
Dreamweaver etc.
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 3 Document Production
Software
Document production
software makes it easy
to get your ideas down
on screen-based paper.

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 3 Document Production
Software
 Document production software may include:
– Spelling checker – each word in the document is
compared with a spelling dictionary
– Thesaurus – help find synonyms for a word
– Grammar checker – points out grammatical trouble spots
– Readability formula - Feature to analyze the reading level
– Search and Replace - feature that helps to find a word and
possibly replace with another
– Word wrap - determines how text flows from line to line
automatically moving words down to the next line as you
reach the right margin

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 3 Document Production
Software
 The document formatting refers to
the way that all elements are arranged
on the page
 Formatting factors include:
– Text
– Pictures
– Titles and Page numbers

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 3 Document Production

Software
Paragraph Style includes alignment, margins and spacing
between line of text called leading
 Page Layout refers to the physical position of each element
on a page.
– Headers (appear in the top margin) & Footers (appear in
the bottom margin)
– Page Numbers
– Graphical elements (photos, diagrams, charts, clipart)
– Tables is a grid-like structure that can hold text or pictures.
– Font - Character formatting attributes: bold, italic,
underline, superscript, color and size (is measured as
points (pt.))
Chapter 3: Computer Software 15
 3 Document Production
Software
In this document, coaster
names were formatted by
selecting the Heading style
with a single click instead of
individually selecting a font
colour, font size.

Now if the Heading style is

changed to green, for
example, all the coaster
names will automatically
change from blue to green.

Chapter 3: Computer Software 16

 3 Document Production
Software
DTP frames give you exact
control over the position of
elements on a page, such
as a figure and a caption
on top of it.

Chapter 3: Computer Software 17

 3 Document Production
Software
 Mail merge automatically creates personalized letters by
combining the information in a mailing list with a form letter
 Additional capabilities of word processing software
include:
– Automatically generating table of contents and index
– Numbering and positioning footnotes
– Providing document templates and document wizards
– Exporting to HTML format for use on the Web

Chapter 3: Computer Software 18

 3 Spreadsheet Software
 A spreadsheet uses rows and
columns of numbers to create
a model or representation of a
real solution
 Spreadsheet software, such
as Microsoft Excel, iWork
Numbers, or Open Office Calc,
provides tools for creating
electronic spreadsheets
 What-if-Analysis – experiment
with different numbers to answer
questions such as “What If I invest
$100 a month in my retirement
plan?”
Chapter 3: Computer Software 19
 3 Spreadsheet Software
 A worksheet is based on a
grid of columns and rows.
 Each cell in the grid can contain:
– Value – number to be used in
calculation
– Label – any text used to describe
data.
– Formula – tell the computer how
to use the contents of cells in
calculations

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 3 Spreadsheet Software
When a cell contains a
formula, it displays the
result of the formula rather
than the formula itself. To
view and edit the formula,
you use the Formula bar.

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 3 Spreadsheet Software
 Automatic Recalculation – ability of a
formula to recalculate its new value when
the content of a cell changes
– Cell references
• Relative reference (like D4 and D5) changes
its reference when copied
• Absolute reference ($D$4) cell does not
change its reference when copied
• Mixed reference ($D4 or D$4) a mixture of
relative (4 and D) and absolute reference ($D
and $4)
– Mathematical operators - such
multiplication (*), division (/), addition (+) and
subtraction (-).
– Functions – are special formulas e.g. SUM
Chapter 3: Computer Software 22
 3 Spreadsheet Software
As shown in the
examples, relative
references within a
formula can change
when you change
the sequence of a
worksheet’s rows
and columns. An
absolute reference
is anchored so that
it always refers to a
specific cell.

Chapter 3: Computer Software 23

 3 “Number Crunching” Software
 Provides a structured environment dedicated to a particular
number crunching task for planning and analysis
– Statistical software
• analyze large sets of data to discover relationships and
patterns
– Mathematical modeling software
• tools for solving a wide range of math, science and
engineering problems

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 3 “Number Crunching” Software
– Money management software
• Offers a variety of tools for tracking monetary
transactions and investments.
• Personal finance software such as MS Money
Essentials is designed to keep records of income,
expenses, assets and liabilities using simple
checkbook-like user interface.
– Tax preparation software
• Is a specialized type of personal finance software
designed to help gather annual income and expense
data, identify deductions and calculate tax payments.

Chapter 3: Computer Software 25

 3 Database Software
 A database is a collection of data that is stored on one or
more computers.
 Database software helps you enter, find, organize, update,
and report information stored in a database

Chapter 3: Computer Software 26

 3 Database Software
 Database software provides
tools for specifying fields for a
series of records.
 A field holds one item of data
relevant to a record e.g. First
name, Last name, DOB etc.
 A record holds data for a single
entity – a person, place, thing or
event.
 A table is a collection of related
records
 A database file is a collection
of related tables

Chapter 3: Computer Software 27

 3 Database Software
How do I locate specific data?
To find records of data, you can enter a query - is a set of key-
words and operators that describe information you want to find.
A query language such as SQL (Structured Query Language)
provides a set of commands for locating and manipulating data
– E.g. Select * from JazzSongs where SongTitle=‘Summertime’ and Date <
‘1990’
– Natural language query
• E.g. Who performed Summertime before 1990?
– Query by example (QBE)
• E.g. By filling out a form with the
type of data you want to locate

Chapter 3: Computer Software 28

 3 Graphics Software
 Graphics – any picture, drawing,
sketch, photograph, image, or icon that
appears on your screen
 Graphics Software - designed to
create, manipulate, and print graphics
– Paint software (image editing software)
– Photo editing software – such as Adobe
Photoshop
– Drawing software – such as Adobe Illustrator
– 3-D graphics software – create wireframes that
represent three-dimensional objects
– CAD software – (computer-aided-design
software) for architects and engineers

Chapter 3: Computer Software 29

 3 Presentation Software
 Presentation software supplies the tools for combining text,
photos, clip art, graphs, animations, and sound into a series of
electronic slides that can be shown on a computer screen or
projector
 Presentation best features include:
– Bulleted lists to summarize the points in your presentation
– Graphics to make your presentation visually interesting
– Transitions between slides to keep your audience’s attention
– Speaker notes to help you remember what to say
– Themes and templates to give your slides a professional appearance
– Conversion routines to package presentations as PDF files and You
Tube videos
 Popular presentation software include Power Point and iWork Keynote
Chapter 3: Computer Software 30
 3 Music Software
 Allows you to make your own digital voice and music recordings
– Audio editing software – provides control much like those on a tape
recorder
– CD ripper software – pulls a track off an audio CD and stores it in
raw digital format on your hard disk
– Audio encoding software – converts the raw audio file into a format
such as MP3 or ACC so you can listen to it
– Ear training software - targets musician or students who want to
learn to play by ear, develop tuning skills, recognize notes and keys
and develop other musical skills
– Notation software – equivalent of a word processor, helps
musicians to compose, edit, print notes for their composition
– Computer-aided music software – generate unique musical
compositions
– MIDI sequencing software –great for sound effects, controlling
keyboards & digital instruments
Chapter 3: Computer Software 31
 3 Video Editing (VE) Software
 Video Editing Software provides a set of tools for creating video
productions from raw footage.
 Tools for video production tasks include:
– Transferring video footage from a camcorder to a computer HD
– Split video into smaller clips
– Rearrange clips
– Add still photos
– Add transitions between clips
– Add sound tracks
– Add titles and captions
– Add special effects
– Alter colors
– Zoom in and out
– Export in formats for e-mail, Web pages or desktop viewing
Chapter 3: Computer Software 32
 3 Educational and Reference
Software
 Educational software
– Helps you learn and practice new skills.
– Available in diverse educational endeavors as learning
languages, improving keyboard skill, etc.
– E.g. Moodle, MindTwister Math, LSAT
 Reference software
– Provides a collection of information and a way to access
that information
– Generally shipped on CD or DVD, or accessed on the
Web
– E.g. Microsoft Encarta
Chapter 3: Computer Software 33
 3 Entertainment Software
 Computer games are the most popular type of entertainment
software. They can be classified into subcategories
– Role-playing: EverQuest, Diablo
– Action: Quake, Doom
– Adventure: Secret Files 2, Still Life 2
– Puzzle: Tetris, Minesweeper
– Simulation: The Sims, Flight Simulator
– Sports: NBA Live, MVP Baseball
– Strategy: World of WarCraft
 Multiplayer games – provide an environment in which two or more
players can participate in the same game
– E.g. Battlefield 1942, EverQuest
Chapter 3: Computer Software 34
 3 Business Software
 Business Software helps businesses and organizations
accomplish routine or specialized tasks
 Vertical market software is designed to automate, streamline
or computerize specialized tasks and key business activities in
a specific market or business
– Patient Management, Student Record Management Software
 Horizontal market software is generic software that just about
any type of business can use (routine tasks)
– Payroll software – every business has payroll systems
– Accounting software – keep of money flowing in/out of various activities
– Project management software – tool for planning large projects,
schedule project tasks and tracking project costs

Chapter 3: Computer Software 35

 3
SECTION
C
Buying Software
 Consumer Basics
 Software Copyrights and Licenses

Chapter 3: Computer Software 36

 3 Consumer Basics
 Most operating systems
include a handful of small
applications and a good
variety of useful utility
software.
 Such is Microsoft Windows
operating system that
provides most frequently
used applications and
utilities.

Chapter 3: Computer Software 37

 3 Consumer Basics
 A software suite is a collection of application software sold as a
single package.
 Advantage:
– Purchasing a software suite is usually less expensive than purchasing the
applications separately.
– Another advantage is usability
– Similar User Interfaces - easy to transport data from one application to
another
 Disadvantage: You might pay for applications you don’t need.

Chapter 3: Computer Software 38

 3 Consumer Basics
 Available in many types of stores
 Software contained on distribution media (CDs/DVDs and
Instruction Manual)
 Make sure your computer meets the system requirements
(which specify the operating system and minimum hardware
capabilities necessary for a software product to work correctly

Chapter 3: Computer Software 39

 3 Software Copyrights &Licenses
 A copyright is a form of legal protection that grants the author
of an original “work” exclusive rights to copy, distribute, sell
and modify that work.
– Copyright notice display on one of its screen is optional
– Illegal copying, distribution or modification of software is
called software piracy.
 Software licenses, also called license agreements, define the
ways in which you may use a computer program
– Single-user:
– Site:
– Multiple-user:
– Concurrent:
– Shrink-wrap:
Chapter 3: Computer Software 40
 3 Software Copyrights and
Licenses
 Software licenses can impose additional restrictions on
software use, or they can offer additional rights to consumers.
 Most software is distributed under a single-user license that
limits use to one person at a time.
 A site license is generally priced at a flat rate that allows
software to be used on all computers in a specific location
 A multi-user license is priced per user and allows the
allocated number of people to use the software at any time.
 A concurrent-use license is priced per copy and allows a
specific number of copies to be used at the same place.
 A shrink-wrap license goes into effect as soon as you open
the packaging of a boxed computer software.
Chapter 3: Computer Software 41
 3 Software Copyrights and

Licenses
EULA (End-User License Agreement) is displayed on the
screen when you first install software.
 Different types of software licenses
– Public domain
– Proprietary
– Commercial software
– Demoware
– Shareware
– Freeware
– Open source
– BSD
– GPL
Chapter 3: Computer Software 42
 3 Software Copyrights and

Licenses
EULA is displayed on-screen when you first install software.
 Public domain software is not protected by copyright because the
copyright has expired or the author has placed it in the public domain,
making it available without restriction.
 Proprietary software has restrictions on its use that are delineated by
copyright, patents, or license agreements.
 Demoware: distributed for free “trial version” and often comes pre-installed
on new computers, but it is limited in some way until you pay for it.
 Shareware is copyrighted software marketed under a try-before-you-buy
policy.
 Freeware is copyrighted fully functional software and requires no payment.
License does not allows you to alter or sell it.
 Open source software makes uncompiled program instructions – the
source code – available to programmers who want to modify and improve.
May be sold or distributed free of charge
Chapter 3: Computer Software 43
 3 Installing Software and Upgrades
 Installation Basics
 Installing Local Applications
 Installing Portable Software and Web Apps
 Software Updates
 Uninstalling Software

Chapter 3: Computer Software 44

 3 Installation Basics
 Software installation is a process that places a program
into a computer so that it can be run or executed

Chapter 3: Computer Software 45

 3 Installing Local Applications

Chapter 3: Computer Software 46

 3 Installing Local Applications

Chapter 3: Computer Software 47

 3 Installing Portable Software
and Web Apps
 Portable software is designed to run from removable
storage, such as a CD or USB flash drive
– Installation is simply a matter of getting program files to
the media on which they are supposed to run
 A Web application, or Web App, is software that is accessed
with a Web browser
– May require client-side program to be installed

Chapter 3: Computer Software 48

 3 Software Updates
 Software publishers regularly update their software
– Add new features
– Fix bugs
– Update security
 Software patches replace part of the software you currently
have installed
 Service packs correct problems and address security
vulnerabilities

Chapter 3: Computer Software 49

 3 Software Updates
 Updates are usually available online for registered software
 Always install patches and service packs when they become
available
 Many software publishers require users to type in a
validation code to complete an update

Chapter 3: Computer Software 50

 3 Uninstalling Software
 Uninstall routines delete
the software’s files from the
various folders on your
computer’s hard disk

Chapter 3: Computer Software 51

 3 Security Software
 Security Software Basics
 Security Suites
 Antivirus Modules

Chapter 3: Computer Software 52

 3 Security Software Basics
 Security software is designed to protect computers from
various forms of destructive software and unauthorized
intrusions
 The terms malicious software and malware refer to any
computer program designed to surreptitiously enter a
computer, gain unauthorized access to data, or disrupt
normal processing operations
 A blended threat describes malware that combines more
than one type of malicious program

Chapter 3: Computer Software 53

 3 Security Software Basics
 Computer virus is a set of program instructions that attaches
itself to a file, reproduces itself, and spreads to other files.
 Computer worm is a self-replicating program designed to carry
out some unauthorized activity on a victim’s computer.
– Mass-mailing worm spreads by sending itself to every
address in the address book of an infected computer.
 Trojan horse (Trojan) is a computer program that seems to
perform one function while actually doing something else.
– Keylogger – Trojan notorious for stealing passwords using a
keylogger that records keystrokes as you log in to your
computer and various on line accounts

Chapter 3: Computer Software 54

 3 Security Software Basics
– Remote Access Trojan (RAT) has backdoor capabilities
that allow remote hackers to transmit files to victims’
computers, search for data, run programs, and use a victim’s
computer as a relay station for breaking into computers
 Bot is a software that can automate a task or autonomously
execute a task when commanded to do so. It behaves
somewhat like a robot, it is often called bot
– Zombie is a computer under the control of a bad bot
– Botnet, like a spider in its web, is a person who controls many bot-
infested computers into a network
 Spyware is a type of program that secretly gathers personal
information without the victim’s knowledge, usually for
advertising and other commercial purpose
Chapter 3: Computer Software 55
 3 Security Software Basics
 What does malware do?

Chapter 3: Computer Software 56

 3 Security Software Basics
 The term rootkit refers to software tools used to conceal
malware and backdoors that have been installed on a
victim’s computer. Rootkits can hide bots, keyloggers,
spyware, worms and viruses. They are usually distributed
by Trojans.
 A virus hoax usually arrives as an e-mail message
containing dire warnings about a supposedly new virus on
the loose

Chapter 3: Computer Software 57

 3 Security Suites
 A security suite integrates several security modules to
protect against the most common types of malware,
unauthorized access, and spam
 A security suite costs less than purchasing standalone
security modules

Chapter 3: Computer Software 58

 3 Security Suites

Chapter 3: Computer Software 59

 3 Antivirus Modules
 Antivirus software is a type of utility software that looks for
and eradicates viruses, Trojan horses, worms, and bots
– A virus signature is a section of program code, such as
a unique series of instructions, that can be used to
identify a known malicious program, much as a fingerprint
is used to identify an individual
– Virus signatures and other information that antivirus
software uses to identify and eradicate malware is stored
in one or more files usually referred to as virus definitions

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 3 Antivirus Modules

Chapter 3: Computer Software 61

 3 Antivirus Modules
 Most experts recommend
that you configure your
antivirus software to
periodically scan all the
files on your computer
 If, during the scanning
process, your virus
protection software
identifies a virus, worm,
Trojan horse, or bot in a file
or attachment, it can try to
remove the infection, put
the file into quarantine, or
simply delete the file
Chapter 3: Computer Software 62
Chapter 3 Complete
Computer Software