Software

Software Definition
• Software - Also called a program, consists of a series of related instructions,
organized for a common purpose, that tells the computer what tasks to perform and
how to perform them.
• Two categories of software: System Software and Application Software
• System Software:
• Consists of the programs that control or maintain the operations of the computer and
its devices.
• Serves as the interface between the user, the application software and the computer's
hardware.
• Two types of system software are operating system and utility programs.
• Operating System - a set of programs that coordinates all the activities among
computer hardware devices.
• Provides a means for users to communicate with the computer and other software.
• Controls the inputs, outputs, interrupts, and storage of files as requested by the
applications software.
• Microsoft Windows (XP, Vista, Win 07, Win 08, Win 10, Win 11), Mac OS 10X (Tiger,
Leopard, White Leopard, Mountain Lion, Lion, (Mac OS 12: Monterey (star) Oct
2021)) Linux (Red Hat , Mandrake, Ubuntu) and Unix are OS examples.
• Andriod 12 (Snowcone), IOS 16 (Sydney)

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 Software Definition (Cont)
Operating System Functions:
• Perform common computer hardware functions
• Provide a user interface
• Provide a degree of hardware independence
• Manage system memory
• Manage processing tasks
• Provide networking capability
• Control access to system resources
• Manage files
Utility Programs
• Allows a user to perform maintenance-type tasks usually related to managing a
computer, its devices, or its programs.
• Most as include several utility programs for managing disk drives, printers, and other
devices and media.
• Third party utility programs (virus checking/cleaning) can also be purchased to
perform additional computer management functions.
• Antivirus, File Management System, Disk Management Tools, Disk Cleanup Tools,
Disk Defragmenter, Backup Utility etc.

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 Software Definition (Cont)
Application Software:
• Consists of programs designed to make users more productive and/or help them with
personal tasks.
• Used for a specific purpose or application.
Word processing
• Provides assistance in formulating, formatting, and printing documents such as letters,
memos, and papers.
• Examples – Microsoft Word, WordPerfect
Spreadsheet
• Numerical analysis and storage - provides a wide range of built-in functions for statistical,
financial, logical, database, graphics, and data and time calculations.
• Examples – Microsoft Excel, Quatro Pro
Database
• Recording of data - stores, manipulates, and retrieves data.
• Example – Microsoft Access
Presentations
• Helps make a presentation
• Example – Microsoft PowerPoint
Designing and graphics
• Helps make a presentation, develops brochures, illustrations, etc.
Desk top publishing
Web design
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 Software Definition (Cont)
Productivity Software
Business Software:
• Is an application software that assists people in becoming more effective and efficient
while performing their daily business activities.
• Includes word processing, spreadsheet, database, presentation, note taking, personal
information manager, business software for phones, business software suites, project
management, accounting, document management and enterprise computing
software.
Graphics and Multimedia Software:
• Software designed specifically for their field of work.
• Power users such as engineers, architects, desktop publishers and graphic artists.
• Include computer aided design (AutoCad, Visio), desktop publishing (Adobe,
Ventura), paint/image editing (Adobe, Expression Design), Web page Authoring
(Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash).
• Most common are payroll, CAD, and stock control.

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 Software Definition (Cont)
Productivity Software
• Home, personal Educational:
• More of the programs in this category are relatively inexpensive, often priced for less
than $100 and sometimes free.

Personal Finance Reference

Quicken Encarta

Webster Collegiate
Money
Dictionary and Thesaurus

Home and Business

Lawyer

Fund of IT - Unit 3 6
 Software Acquisitions
• Software is available at stores that sell computer products and also online at many
websites.
Spheres of Influence:
• Personal
• Information systems that serve the needs of an individual user
• Workgroup
• Two or more people who work together to achieve a common goal.
• Enterprise
• Information systems that support the firm in its interaction with its environment.
Issues and Trends:
• Software licensing
• Protection by software vendors to prevent unauthorized use.
• Software upgrades
• A revised version of software that usually includes fixes of known problems, plus
enhancements to existing capabilities.
• Global software support
• Software that is distributed around the globe may require unique support mechanisms
due to local political and economic conditions.

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 Software Acquisitions
Ownership:
• Freeware
• Copyrighted software given away for free by the author.
• Although it is available for free, the author retains the copyright, which means that
you cannot do anything with it that is not expressly allowed by the author.
• Usually the author allows people to use the software, but not sell it.
• Shareware
• Software distributed on the basis of an honor system.
• Most shareware is delivered free of charge, but the author usually requests that you
pay a small fee if you like the program and use it regularly.
• By sending the small fee, you become registered with the producer so that you can
receive service assistance and updates.
• You can copy shareware and pass it along to friends and colleagues, but they too are
expected to pay a fee if they use the product.
• Shareware is inexpensive because it is usually produced by a single programmer and
is offered directly to customers.
• Note that shareware differs from public-domain software in that shareware is
copyrighted.
• This means that you cannot sell a shareware product as your own.

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 Software Acquisitions (Cont)
• Public Domain Software
• Refers to any program that is not copyrighted.
• Public-domain software is free and can be used without restrictions. The term public-
domain software is often used incorrectly to include freeware, free software that is
nevertheless copyrighted.
• Open Source
• Open source refers to a program in which the source code is available to the general
public for use and/or modification from its original design free of charge
• Open source code is typically created as a collaborative effort in which programmers
improve upon the code and share the changes within the community.
• Open source sprouted in the technological community as a response to proprietary
software owned by corporations.
• Bespoke software
• Bespoke software is software customized for a specific purpose.
• Bespoke programs may include custom accounting software for a certain company or
a network monitoring tool for a specific network.
• Bespoke programs are also considered a vertical market software, because bespoke
software is custom-made for a specific purpose.

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 Software Acquisitions (Cont)
• Package Software
• An application program developed for sale to the general public.
• Packaged software is designed to appeal to a large audience of users, and although the
programs may be tailored to a user's taste by setting various preferences, it can never be as
individualized as custom-programmed software.
• When you purchase software such as Windows, Office, or Windows Server on its own (not
preinstalled on a PC), this is called packaged software.
• Typically, packaged software can be purchased from a retail store, an authorized reseller, or an
online reseller.
• A software suite, or collection of related application or utility software
• Read - http://www.zdnel.com/companies-still-favor-packaged-software-7000003884/
• Advantages of Integrated Packages:
• Cheaper to buy than separate packages.
• All the software programs integrate together well, i.e. mail merge, or importing a graph into a
word processor.
• Consistency in the programs, menus, help, etc, making them easier to learn to use.
• Disadvantages of Integrated Packages:
• Cheaper packages may have weaker features than the separate packages, and may not need all
of them.
• Some features may also be left out.
• Use large amounts of disk space, may need extra resources i.e. memory to have more than one
application open.

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 Software Concepts
Multitasking
• A processing activity that allows a user to run more than one application at the same
time.
Multithreading
• A processing activity that is basically multitasking within a single application.
Time-sharing
• A processing activity that allows more than one person to use a computer system at
the same time.

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 Types of Interfaces
• In information technology, the user interface (UI) is everything designed into an information
device with which a human being may interact -- including display screen, keyboard, mouse, light
pen, the appearance of a desktop, illuminated characters, help messages, and how an
application program or a Web site invites interaction and responds to it.
Command Driven Interface
• The Command Driven Interface sometimes also referred to as a "CLI" or "Command Line
Interface" is operated via the keyboard alone.
• It can display ASCII text characters and accept them as valid input, but cannot handle graphics
beyond rudimentary square blocks and simple lines (known as "text-mode graphics").
• Communication with the Operating System is performed by entering commands such as "copy"
or "dir".
• The Operating System communicates back to you by displaying the results of your command,
generally directly below the area of the screen in which you type the command.
Graphical User Interface (GUI - Commonly pronounced "gooey”)
• Originating mainly in Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center, adopted and enhanced by Apple
Computer, and finally effectively standardized by Microsoft in its Windows operating systems.
• Graphical User Interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic
devices using images rather than text commands.
• GUls can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players
or gaming devices, household appliances and office equipment.
• Represents the information and actions available to a user through graphical icons and visual
indicators.
Menu Driven Interface
• Commands are issued by making selections from onscreen menus.

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 Emerging Technologies – Software under Three Years Old

• Apples iOS 6 for iPhone, iPad and iPod.

• Windows 7 and Windows 8
• Microsoft 2013 Office Suites
• Microsoft Windows Memory Diagnostic - Tests the Random Access Memory (RAM)
on your computer for errors
• Norton Anti-Virus 2013 - Full-featured virus protection program that automatically
detects and removes viruses
• SmartDraw - SmartDraw is a powerful drawing package for creating flowcharts,
organization charts and other diagrams
• AutoCAD Architecture software - the version of AutoCAD software for architects,
combines architectural design tools with a familiar AutoCAD software-based working
environment.
• Increase design productivity and improve collaboration with architectural software
based on one of the world’s leading CAD programs

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