Introduction to information & Communication technologies Current fastest speed is 56 Kbps Multimedia Software

Network Media Quality of phone lines dictates speed It is the software that is able to play, create or record images,
Media refers to the means used to link a network's nodes together V.92 is the current modem standard audio or video files.
communications channel is the transmission media on which data, Several modems type They are used for video editing, animation, graphics, and image
instructions, or information travel in a communications system. Internal editing.
Choice impacts External Some examples of Multimedia Software are:
Speed Voice
Adobe Photoshop
Security Fax
VLC Media Player
Size
Communication Channel Software Windows Media Player etc.
The amount of data that can travel over a communications channel Software is a computer program that provides instructions and tell
sometimes is called the bandwidth a computer what to do. Academic Software’s
Latency is the time it takes a signal to travel from one location to Software comprises the entire set of programs, procedures, and These types of software are specifically designed to facilitate
another on a network routines associated with the operation of a computer system learning on a particular subject. They are also termed as Education
Transmission media are materials capable of carrying one or more Classification of Software. or reference software.
signals Some examples are:
There can be multiple ways to classify different types of computer
Broadband media transmit multiple signals simultaneously Chem Draw
software.
The software can be categorized based on the function they Mendeley
Physical Transmission Media Graphics Software:
Twisted Pair is used for telephone systems and network cabling perform.
The software can also be classified based on their availability and As the name suggests, Graphics Software has been devised to work
Coaxial cable is often used for cable television wiring
shareability. with graphics.
Fiber optic cable is capable of carrying significantly more data at
Classification based on Functionality They help the user to edit or make changes in visual data or
faster speeds than wire cables.
Less susceptible of interference (noise) and therefore more secure Software can be classified into two categories based on the images. It comprises of picture editors and illustration software.
Smaller size (thinner and lighter) functionality. Some examples are:
SYSTEM SOFTWARE Adobe Photoshop
Twisted Pair Cable APPLICATION SOFTWARE CorelDRAW
Most common LAN cables System Software Modo
Called Cat6 or 100BaseT It is a software to manage computer’s hardware behaviour so as to Paint Shop Pro
Four pairs of copper cable twisted Web Browsers:
provide basic functionalities that are required by the user.
May be shielded from interference These applications are used to browse the internet. They help the
When we turn on our computer, it is the system software that is
Speeds range from user in locating and retrieving data across the web. Some examples
1 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps initially loaded into memory.
System software helps the user, hardware, and application of web browsers are:
software to interact and function together. Google Chrome
Coaxial Cable
Unlike application software, the System software is not used by us. Internet Explorer
Similar to cable TV wire
It only runs in the background of our device. Microsoft Edge
One wire runs through cable
Shielded from interference Mozilla Firefox
Speeds up to 10 Mbps Operating System (OS) Opera
It is a collection of software that handles resources and provides Safari
Fiber-optic Cable general services for the other applications that run over them. UC Browser
Data is transmitted with light pulses Every device, whether a desktop, laptop or mobile phone requires Another Classification.
Glass strand instead of cable an operating system to provide the basic functionality to it. Software’s can also be classified on the basis of their availability
Immune to interference and shareability. These are:
Some examples of Operating Systems are as under
Very secure Freeware
Microsoft Windows
Hard to work with Shareware
Speeds up to Mac. Linux. Apple’s iOS. Android
Open-Source Software
100 Gbps Closed Source Software
Physical Transmission Media Driver Software
It is a type of software that controls particular hardware which is Utility Software
Wire, cable, and other tangible materials used to send
attached to the system. These are also termed as Trendy Software.
communications signals
Drivers are important because they enable the devices to perform Freeware
Wireless Media their designated tasks. Freeware Software’s also known as free of cost software’s.
Data transmitted through the air They do this by translating commands of an Operating System for Any user can download these from the internet and use it without
LANs use radio waves the Hardware or devices, assigning duties. paying any fee. However, freeware does not provide any liberty for
WANs use microwave signals Therefore, each device connected with our computer requires at modifying the software or charging a fee for its distribution.
Easy to setup least one device driver to function. Examples are:
Difficult to secure Adobe Reader. Skype. Team Viewer. Yahoo Messenger etc.
Some examples of device drivers are
Display Drivers Shareware
Wireless Transmission Media Sharewares are software applications that are paid programs, but
Broadcast Radio distributes radio signals over long and short Printer Drivers
Mouse Driver • Sound card Driver are made available for free for a limited period of time known as
distances ‘trial period’.
Cellular radio is a form of broadcast radio that is used widely for USB Drivers etc.
Shareware allows us to test drive the software before we actually
mobile communications
Programming Software invest in purchasing it. Some examples of Shareware that we must
Microwaves are radio waves that provide a high-speed signal
transmission Programming software are programs that are used to write, be familiar with are:
A microwave station is an earth-based reflective disk used for develop, test, and debug other software, including apps and Adobe Photoshop
microwave communications. system software. Media Portal
It must transmit in straight line with no obstructions Different programming language editors, debuggers, compilers and IDM
A communications satellite is a space station that receives IDEs are examples of programming software. McAfee Antivirus
microwave signals from an earth-based station, amplifies it, and For example: Open-source
broadcasts the signal over a wide area These kinds of software are available to users with the source code
Eclipse – a Java language editor
Used when inconvenient, impractical, or impossible to install which means that a user can freely distribute and modify the
Coda – programming language editor for Mac
cables software and add additional features to the software. Open-Source
Includes Bluetooth and IrDA Notepad++ – an open-source editor for windows
Sublime Text – a cross-platform code editor for Mac, Windows, and software can either be free or chargeable. Some examples of open-
Linux source software are:
Network Linking Devices
Application Software Apache Web Server. GNU Compiler Collection
Connect nodes in the network
Application Software are software that helps the user in Moodle. Mozilla Firefox. Thunderbird
Cable runs from node to device
Crossover cable connects two computers completing tasks such as doing online research, jotting down notes, Closed Source Software
setting an alarm, designing graphics, keeping an account log, doing These are the types of software that are non-free for the
Network Interface Cards calculations or even playing games. They lie above the system programmers. For this software, the source code is the intellectual
Network adapter software. property of software publishers. It is also called ‘proprietary
Connects node to the media Application Software or simply apps can also be referred to as software’ since only the original authors can copy, modify and
Unique Machine Access Code (MAC) nonessential software as their requirement is highly subjective and share the software.
their absence does not affect the functioning of the system Some of the most common examples of closed-source software:
Communication Devices .NET. Java. YouTube. Microsoft Office. Adobe Photoshop
Types of Application Software’s
A network card (NIC) enables a computer or device to access a Utility Software
network There are two familiar types of software:
Customize/User-Designed : They manage the performance of our hardware and application
Available in a variety of styles software installed on our computer, to ensure they work optimally.
Wireless network cards often have an antenna. The types of software that a user prepare or buys for its own
requirements. Example: LMS,DBMS etc. Some features of utility software include:
Ready made: Antivirus and security software
A hub or switch connects several devices in a network together
Device that provides central point for cables in network Such a software which is already developed for general purposes. File compressor
For example MS Office, Adobe Reader etc. Disk cleaner
Hubs Disk defragmentation software
Center of a star network Database Software Data backup software.
All nodes receive transmitted packets This software also known as the Database Management System or
Slow and insecure (DBMS) is used to create and manage a database. They help in the
Switches
organization of data. Some examples of DBMS are:
Replacement for hubs
Clipper
Only intended node receives transmission
Fast and secure dBase
Modem FileMaker
Modulator/Demodulator FoxPro
Modulator converts digital to analog MS Access
Speed measured in bits per second (bps)