TYPES OF SOFTWARE

—  2 TYPES OF SOFTWARE

There are 2 basic type of software: System Software  & Application Software.

•       System Software – boots up (start and initialize) the computer system, controls input, output and storage and controls operation of application software

•       Application Software – various programs used by user to perform certain task

—  SYSTEM SOFTWARE

Ø  Consists of a variety of programs that control the individual computer  and make the users application programs work well.

Ø  Speeds up the computer by:

—  Creating cache memory

—  Reduces the amount of computer when multiple programs are running together

—  Cleans up the hard drive

—  Performs management tasks

—  Basic Input/Output System

Ø  Handles first level of  system control

Ø  Stored in ROM

Ø  1^st to function when computer is turned on.

Ø  Searches for an OS and load it on random Access  Memory (RAM)

Ø  Program is called “Firmware” (in between hardware and software).

—  OPERATING  SYSTEMS (OS)

Ø  ACTUAL SOFTWARE loaded from hard drive into the RAM as soon as the computer is turned on.

Ø  Can be upgraded or entirely changed.

Ø  Handles the connection between the  CPU & the peripherals.

Ø  The connection between CPU & peripheral is called an “interface”.

Ø  OS manages the interface to peripheral hardware , schedule tasks, allocates storage in memory & disks,& provide interface between machine & user.

—  User Interfaces

—  DISK OPERATING SYSTEM (DOS)

—  GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE (GUI)

—  Graphical User Interface

Ø  1979,Steve  Jobs of Apple Computers abandoned DOS interface

Ø  Rise of GUI system for new product called Macintosh

Ø  Brings to closer reality that computer can become “self teaching”

Ø  Requires minimal training

Ø  Bill gates of Microsoft corp. immediately began development of Windows,GUI for IBM PC platform.

Ø  Uses function using pictures rather than command

Ø  Supports icons (graphic image), Menu, Nested Menu (submenu and sub-submenu)

—  Utility programs

—  Designed to  enhance  function of OS

—  Include, algorithm(formula) for effeciently sorting a large set of numbers,copying files ,security program,etc.

—  World Wide Web

Ø  Network system utility program for the Internet.

Ø  Provides the protocol for document transfer across internet

 Internet – is a system of data and voice lines routed through dedicated servers to create a network of networks; that is, it consist of linkages that allow user from one computer network to access the documents and files available on another network.

—  Tim Berners-Lee

Ø  A scientist that originated the idea of having a protocol that would be standard for all documents and sites on the internet (in this way, use of internet would be facilitated not only for programmers, but just about everybody who might want to use it)

Ø  Conceived the WWW as a system utility program

Ø  The protocol is HTTP – facilitates the standard linking commands to incorporated in one document

—  Web Browser

Ø  A utility program that allows the user to access the web & the materials available through the web.

Ex. Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla, Opera, Chrome, Safari

—  Application Software

Ø  Includes various programs people use to do work, process data, play games, communicate with others, watch multimedia programs on computer.

Ø  Written in a particular programming language, program is compiled into machine language so the computer can understand  the instruction and execute the program.