Software Components

Contents Computer Instructions or data, anything that can be

stored electronically is Software

System Software Application Software Educational software Entertainment software Open source Software and Proprietary Software

System Software System software is a term referring to any

computer software which manages and controls the hardware so that application software can perform a task.

System Software have direct control and access to your computer hardware , and memory locations .

They perform I/O operations on various memory locations , and control the hardware , to make the application software do a task . Operating systems , are the main examples for system software .

System Software Examples

Microsoft Windows Linux Unix Mac OSX DOS BIOS Software Device Driver Software i.e Graphics Driver Linker Software Assembler and Compiler Software

Application Software

Application Software consists of programs that tell a computer how to produce information.

Application software run under System Software , and are made to do a specific task i.e ( Word Processing etc) , which have indirect access to the hardware (i.e Behind

System Software) .

General Purpose Application Software Special Purpose Application Software

General Purpose Application Software

This category includes common software packages that are found on most of the desktop computers.

Opera (Web Browser) Microsoft Word (Word Processing) Microsoft Excel (Spreadsheet software) MySQL (Database Software) Microsoft Powerpoint (Presentation Software) iTunes (Music / Sound Software) VLC Media Player (Audio / Video Software ) World of Warcraft (Game Software) Adobe Photoshop (Graphics Software)

Word Processing

Word Processing software is used to create and print documents. A key advantage of word processing software is that users easily can make changes in documents.

Electronic Spreadsheets

Electronic spreadsheet software allows the user to add, subtract, and perform user-defined calculations on rows and columns of numbers. These numbers can be changed and the spreadsheet quickly recalculates the new results.

Presentation Graphics

Presentation graphic software allows the user to create documents called slides to be used in making the presentations. Using special projection devices, the slides display as they appear on the computer screen.

Database Software

Allows the user to enter, retrieve, and update data in an organized and efficient manner, with flexible inquiry and reporting capabilities.

Special Purpose Application Software

This software is made for some special purpose. There are thousands of specialist applications that are available to perform tasks such as

Keeping Business Accounts Stock Control information Payroll General Practice managements and

appointments

Educational Software

Software that can be used for learning purposes…

Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing Encarta or World Book

Entertainment Software

Games

Open Source Software:

Open source software (OSS) is computer software whose source code is available under a license that permits users to use, change, and improve the software, and to redistribute it in modified or unmodified form.

It is often developed in a public, collaborative manner.

Well-known OSS products are Linux, Netscape, Apache, etc.,

Proprietary Software:

Proprietary software (also called non-free software) is software with restrictions on using, copying and modifying as enforced by the proprietor. Restrictions on use, modification and copying is achieved by either legal or technical means and sometimes both.

Proponents of proprietary software are Microsoft.

Ex: CAD, Nortan Antivirus etc.,