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CHAPTER 7

Software and Business Applications

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Chapter Objectives

• Describe what software is.

• Explain the difference between system software and application software.

• Describe the various types of software applications

• Explain what Security software is.

• Describe planning involved in purchasing software.

• Explain software copyrights and licenses.

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The word software can be defined many different ways. If we agree that the definition of a computer program is really a set of instructions telling the computer what to do …

Software then, is made up of many of these programs that work together to complete an overall task.

Tasks may include document creation, file management, and Web browsing just to name a few.

What is Software?

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Software Categories

Software can be classified into two major categories: System software that provides the basic control

functions of the computer.

Application software which is used by users to accomplish specific tasks.

Software Categories

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System software is responsible for controlling and managing the individual components of a computer system.

In general, system software consists of an operating system and some fundamental programs such as disk formatters, file managers, display managers, text editors, user management tools, and networking and device control software.

System software is programs that help control the computer as a whole. Examples of system software are operating systems like Windows 7, UNIX and Mac OS. System software does not have to be an operating system. System software could be device driver program that controls how a physical computer device works or even a computer programming language.

System Software

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Application software is used to accomplish specific user tasks rather than controlling the computer system. Application software may consist of a single program, or a collection of programs that work closely together to accomplish a user task. Examples include text processing, spreadsheets, photo editors, databases, games and so on.

If you have heard the term ‘App’…it refers to application

software. The term application is a synonym for the word use. A computer can have many uses and each use is really an appropriate place for application software to be developed.

Application Software

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System vs Application Software

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Most computers provide basic applications for performing certain user tasks. Although these software applications are good, users may want enhanced features that are not available in the basic application included with the computer. We will look next at the different types of application software that is available.

Types of Applications

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Document Production Software

Document production software can be defined as software that assists the user with designing, creating, editing, printing and publishing all kinds of documents. Document production software can be further broken down into three main categories; Word processing, Desktop publishing and Web authoring.

Types of Applications

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Document Production Software

Word processing software is mainly used for producing letters, reports, memos, and research papers. Word processing software has become so complex that some software can also handle some desktop publishing and web authoring as well. Microsoft Word is an example.

Desktop publishing software is a kind of advanced word processor that brings in the ability to create elaborate graphics and layouts in addition to being able to handle text creation. QuarkXPress is an example.

Web authoring software is used to create and maintain web pages to publish on the Internet. Dreamweaver is an example.

Types of Applications

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Document Production Software

Types of Applications

Microsoft Word

QuarkXPress

Dreamweaver

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Spreadsheet Software

A spreadsheet uses rows and columns of numbers or data to create a model or representation of a real situation.

The word "spreadsheet" came from "spread" in its sense of a

newspaper that covers two facing pages, extending across the center fold and treating the two pages as one large one. The compound word "spreadsheet" came to mean the format used to present book-keeping ledgers—with columns for categories of expenditures across the top, invoices listed down the left margin, and the amount of each payment in the cell where its row and column intersect.

Types of Applications

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Spreadsheet Software

Types of Applications

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Spreadsheet Software

Some tasks that spreadsheets are used for are: 

Budgets Tracking investments Grade books Loan payments Estimating project costs

Popular spreadsheet software titles include Microsoft Excel, OpenOffice Calc and iWork Numbers.

Types of Applications

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Mathematical and Statistical Software  Software that performs mathematical or statistical calculations and modeling

are especially helpful to teachers, students, scientists and engineers. The ability to solve complex calculations quickly and then display the computer modeling of the data is typical of this kind of software

Some examples of mathematical and statistical software titles include STATISTICA, PASW Statistics and SPSS Inc.

Types of Applications

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Financial and Tax Software

Financial software offers tools for tracking investments and financial transactions. The software also keeps track of income and expenses, budgeting, investing and bill paying.

Some examples of financial software titles include Microsoft Money and Quicken.

Types of Applications

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Tax Preparation Software

Tax software is a specialized type of finance software that has one goal…to do your taxes. Functionality includes finding deductions, expense tracking and calculating tax payments.

  

  Some examples of tax software titles include Turbo Tax and TaxAct.

Types of Applications

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Database Software  A database is a collection of information that is organized so that it can easily be accessed,

managed, and updated. A database contains information stored on a computer. Databases are in use all around us. It is hard to go through a modern day and not interact with some sort of database. Some examples of information that is easily managed in a database:

Library Card Catalog Address Book Customer Lists Mailing Lists Recipes Insurance Claims Product UPC codes Customer Billing Data Wireless Data Usage EBay Auctions Store Inventory

  

 

Types of Applications

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Database Software

 Databases are made up of tables that store data in records.

Tables are made up of records (Row). Records are made up of fields (Column). Fields hold the data. A record is a single row of related information for a single entity. A field holds one piece of data that is relevant to the current record.

 Some examples of database software titles include Microsoft Access, IBM DB2 and Oracle Database 11g to name a few.

 

 

Types of Applications

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Database Software Databases are made up of tables that store data

in records.

 

 

Types of Applications

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Graphics Software

Graphics software is designed to help the user create, edit and print graphics. The term graphics refers to a picture, sketch, image, clipart, photograph, drawing or icon that can be displayed on your computer screen.

  The amount and type of graphic software available has exploded

in the last ten years as the need for graphics for desktop publishing and web pages keeps growing. As a result, graphics software can be further broken down into the following categories.

 

Types of Applications

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Graphics Software

Photo editing software is used to fix or change photos. Modifying colors and contrast, cropping, removing red eye are all features. Adobe Photoshop is an example of photo editing software. 

Paint software is comprised of a set of computer based brushes, pens and paints for painting images on the computer screen. Many web page designers and graphic designers use professional paint software as their primary artistic tool. Corel Painter is an example of professional paint software.

  Drawing software is made up of computer tools that create lines, shapes and colors. Drawings can be

made into logos, diagrams, flow charts, and schematics. Adobe Illustrator is an example of drawing software.

  3-D graphics software is comprised of a set of computer tools for creating wireframes that represent

three-dimensional objects. 3-D graphics software can take the wireframe object and cover it with color and texture. Lightwave is an example of 3-D graphic software.

  CAD software stands for Computer-Aided Design is a unique type of 3-D graphic software that is

designed for engineers and architects who use computer software to create diagrams and blueprints. We can further define CAD as the use of computer technology for the process of design and design-documentation. CAD describes the process of drafting with a computer. AutoCAD is an example of CAD software.

Types of Applications

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Graphics Software Examples

Types of Applications

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Audio Software Audio software is any software, that as you might guess, interacts with

audio files. Audio files can be music from your favorite CD, a voice recording, a podcast or even just a sound that plays on your computer when a particular task is executed.

Audio Editing software is software that includes the ability to record a digital voice recording and then edit or manipulate that recording. Sound recorder is an example of Audio editing software.

Music software is defined as software that used to play back a variety of audio music files. This software has features such as playback of multiple music formats, the ability to ‘rip’ or copy music from CD’s to the computer hard drive, download new songs from the Internet. ITunes is an example of music software

Types of Applications

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Video Manipulation Software

Typical video manipulation software has gained in popularity over the last decade. Consumers love to record videos on their web cameras, personal camcorders and phones and then edit and publish them on their computer. The growth of websites like YouTube, sites that allow consumers to upload videos to share, has further fueled this kind of software. Once videos have been created, they can be uploaded to the Internet or copied to other media such as a DVD.

Types of Applications

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Entertainment Software

When you think of entertainment software on the computer, most people think of computer gaming. Computer game software is a huge industry (Over $1 billion every month in North America alone), and is the most popular type of entertainment software.

Computer gaming software is software that is produced for entertainment of the user. The software can be simple or complex and falls into the following sub categories.

Types of Applications

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Entertainment Software

Action Role-playing Puzzle Sports Simulation Adventure Strategy

Types of Applications

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Business Software  Business software is a general term that refers to vertical and horizontal market

software, which helps businesses and organizations accomplish routine or specialized tasks. Business software may not be for the general consumer but is very important to all kinds of businesses.

  Vertical market software is designed to automate specialized tasks in a specific market

or business. Vertical market software is aimed at addressing the needs of any given business within a specific industry or market. Vertical market software is readily identifiable by the application specific graphical user interface which defines it. One example of Vertical market software is point-of-sale software which is software that is customized for a particular business and its clients

. Horizontal market software is application software that is useful in a wide range of

industries. This is the opposite of vertical market software, which has a scope of usefulness limited to few industries. Horizontal market software is also known as "productivity software”. Since horizontal market software is developed to be used by a broad audience, is generally lacks any market-specific customizations. Horizontal market software includes Bookkeeping, payroll, and accounting applications. Examples include Peachtree Accounting and Microsoft Project.

Types of Applications

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Security Software

Security software is designed to protect computers from various forms of destructive software and unauthorized intrusions also known as Malware.

  Malware is defined as malicious software or a program that is designed

to enter a computer, gain access to data and disrupt normal processing. Security software is constantly updated to keep up with the latest malware.

  Malware refers to viruses, worms, Trojans, bots and spyware.  Security software is designed to combat all forms of malware and can be

classified as antivirus, anti-spyware, anti-spam and firewall protection.

Types of Applications

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Security Software

Different forms of malware:

Virus: A virus is a set of program instructions that attaches itself to a file and then spreads to other files within one computer.

Worm: A software program that replicates itself among computers. The program executes unauthorized activity on the user’s computer.

Trojan: Computer program that’s seems to perform one function while actually doing something else.

Bot: Software that can automate or start a task anonymously.

Spy ware: Software that secretly gathers personal information from the computer without the user knowing.

Types of Applications

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After looking at all the different software applications available, which ones are most important to the computer user?

That can be a tricky question but at the minimum a user should have the following software installed on their computer:

Email Client Internet Browser Word Processing software Security Suite DVD burning software

Purchasing Software

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As a general rule, software suites offer the best value. Purchasing individual software titles can get expensive. Software suites like Microsoft Office include many excellent applications bundled together.

Purchasing Software

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Always check the system requirements on a software title before buying it. The system requirements are located on the back or side of the software retail box. There is nothing worse than buying the latest software only to find out it won’t run on your system.

Purchasing Software

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Software Copyrights and Licenses  All retail software has copyrights and licenses associated with it.

A copyright is a form of legal protection that grants the author of the original work an exclusive right to copy, distribute, sell, and modify that work. Purchasers do not have this right.

A software license is a legal contract that defines the way the user may use the software. Most software is distributed under a single-user license that limits use to one person at a time. Large companies may opt for a site license. A site license is software that is priced at a flat rate and allows the software to be installed on all computers at a specific location.

Software Copyrights and Licenses

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END OF CHAPTER SEVEN

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