Chapter (2)

Software
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE ICT
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 System Software

Application Software
Software
Software Licensing

Software Updates
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 Software
• The programs that run on a computer are called
software.
• Programs are instructions that are carried out
or executed by the computer’s processor, which
provides other instructions for the rest of the
computer.

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 Single purpose computers

• They are only able to run one piece

of software
Single and • For example, the software used to
general control a microwave

purpose General purpose computers

computers • They are able to carry out a range of
tasks
• For example, the software used in a
tablet or a laptop

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 Utility Software
Operating System

System Memory Management

Software Resource Management
Security
Print Spooling
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System Software

• Programs that are designed to maintain or operate the computer system are known as system
software.

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 Utility • Utility software is one form of
system software, which carries out

software
configuration and maintenance
tasks.

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 Backup

Defragmentation
Utility
software Compression

Disk Formatting

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 Backup utilities create a copy of
files and programs.

Backups
Backups can be set to run
automatically (usually at a time
when the system is not in use)
or can be started by a user.
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 Defragmentation

• As data is stored to hard disk, systems spread it across

the disk wherever there is free space.
• Data is fragmented and stored out of order or out of
sequence.
• When the data from files are loaded, data has to be
retrieved from multiple locations.
• It takes extra time and slows down the process of
loading the files.

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 Defragmentation

• To speed up the system, disk defragmentation

utilities reorder the fragments of data so that
they are stored as close to each other as
possible.

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Compression

• Compression utilities reduce the original size of a

file or set of files.
• Where there are repeated patterns of data, rather
than storing every repeated instance, only the first
instance of the data is stored.
• Compression utilities also have the ability to
decompress (extract) the data from a compressed
file.

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 Disk formatting prepares storage
media such as a hard disk drive
or USB flash drive for its first use.

Disk
formatting If a disk has already been used,
then formatting it will make all of
the data on the disk unreadable
by normal applications

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Operating
System
• The operating system (OS) allows
the user to control and manage the
computer’s hardware.
• Example:
• Windows 10
• Mac OS
• Linux OS
• Android OS
• iOS

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Operating System
• Single-user operating systems
• Network operating systems

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 Only allow for a general user
and do not provide the
option to customize the user
Single-user interface for different users.
operating
They are often found in
systems household appliances.

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Network operating systems
• They have additional functionality:
• Sending requests to a server when users log in with their username and
password
• Separating user accounts and ensuring that users cannot access each other’s
files
• Providing access to network storage and shared resources such as networked
printers.
• Example:
• Windows Server 2019
• Linux OS (Ubuntu, Fedora, RedHat, CentOS)

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Memory Management

The operating system allocates the required amount of memory

(RAM) to one or more applications.

When the application no longer requires the memory space, the

operating system makes the space available for other applications to
use.

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 Resource
Management
• System resources include internal components, such
as the processor and graphics card, and external
devices, such as printers.
• Operating system ensures that system resources are
made available to applications when they are
required.

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Security

Operating systems can give users secure access to a computer’s storage and
other hardware through usernames and passwords, biometric scanning or
personal access cards.

This process is called authentication.

Operating systems can provide software firewalls to authorize or prevent network

data from remotely accessing a service or application.

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 During large print jobs, the computer will
have the pages ready for the printer faster
than the printer can produce them.

Print The operating system keeps each page in

Spooling a queue ready for printing.

This process is called print spooling.

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Application Software
• Software applications (Apps) allow users to produce a digital
product, such as a presentation or image, or carry out
specific tasks that are not related to the operating system.

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 Office Productivity Software
Web Authoring Software
Image Editing Software
Application Sound Editing Software

Software Presentation Software

Control Applications
Project Management
Communication Software
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 Office productivity software is any
application that can carry out
work-related tasks.
Office They are often available as an
Productivity application suite.
Software
Application suite is a collection of
application software that share
the same look and user interface.
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 Word Processing

Office Desktop Publishing (DTP)

Productivity
Software Spreadsheet

Database

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Word Processing
• Word processing software lets users create documents that mostly include words,
but also some images.
• They can also include tables, hyperlinks, equations, simple drawings and shapes and
charts.
• Word processors are a good choice of application for creating:
• Letters
• Reports
• Essays
• Books
• Example of word processing software:
• LibreOffice
• Microsoft Word

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 • DTP software has many similar
features to those in word
processing software.
Desktop • The main difference is the way in
which the software allows users to
Publishing work with complicated page
layouts.
(DTP) • Example of DTP software:
• Adobe InDesign

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Spreadsheet
• Spreadsheet applications are used to do calculations.
• Users can use and create formulae and functions to perform
automatic calculations that are carried out automatically
when values change
• Example of spreadsheet software:
• Microsoft Excel

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Database
• Database management systems (DBMS) are used to enter, edit and search data.
• Some systems can also produce reports that dynamically display real time changes to the
data as it updates.
• DBMS software features include:
• data entry forms so that users can input data
• query editors so that users can select all data that meets certain criteria
• report builders so that users can display data in a more readable format.
• Example of DBMS software
• Oracle
• MySQL
• MicroSoft Access

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 • Web authoring software lets users create web pages
that include text and images.
• The pages are output as Hypertext Markup Language
(HTML).
• HTML is read by web browser software such as

Web • Google Chrome

• Microsoft Edge

authoring • Mozilla Firefox

• Web browsers translate HTML into pages that people

software
can see and read.
• Web pages can be linked together to create a website
for people to view on an intranet or on a web server
on the internet.
• Example of web authoring software:
• Adobe DreamWeaver
• HTML-Kit

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 • Image editing applications let users create and
change bitmap images, such as digital
photographs, or vector graphics, such as
drawings or logos.

Image • bitmap graphic

• a computer image that is stored or printed
Editing as an arrangement of bits
Applications • vector graphic
• a graphical image made up of points and
lines
• Photo Editors
• Graphic Editors

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Photo Editors
• These allow users to edit and enhance digital photographs
and images.
• Example of photo editing software:
• GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP).
• Features of photo editors include:
• adjusting brightness and contrast
• resizing the image
• altering sharpness and blurring
• applying filters and effects such as distortion
• red-eye removal
• cropping

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 • Graphics editing applications allow users to create or
edit vector graphics.
• An example of graphics editing software
• Serif Affinity Designer.

Graphics
• Features of graphics editors include:
• vectorizing images (that is, converting or tracing
bitmap graphics to vector graphics)

Editors • layers (that is, having the ability to place some

graphics on top of others)
• adding text
• adding or drawing shapes and lines
• resizing, aligning or moving shapes and lines
• altering the colour of shapes, lines and fill areas.

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Sound Editing
• Sound editing software allows users to edit audio files or to join together
different audio files in order to create multitrack music or soundtracks for
video.
• Example of sound editing software:
• Audacity
• Features:
• Cut and join audio clips
• Mute and solo some audio tracks
• Alter volume levels for individual tracks
• Change tempo
• Frequency equalization
• Add effects like reverberation (prolonging a sound)
• Apply audio processing: reverse, noise reduction, normalization, fade the
volume, etc.

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Presentation Software
• Presentation software allows users to create engaging multimedia
content, including images, text, animation and video.
• Example:
• Prezi Present, Microsoft PowerPoint
• Features:
• Allow users to practice timings and add narration
• Automatically play back on the slides
• Notes can be added to remind and prompt the presenter

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Control Applications
• Control applications are used to make something happen in
the physical environment.
• Control software is used to automate the movement of
control devices or actuators, such as motors.
• Control software takes input from one or more sensor(s),
makes a decision based on the input value and then outputs
something.

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Astronauts on the International Space Station use control software to move
a robotic arm into position in order to capture a supply capsule.

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Lift doors are opened and closed automatically by control software when a
sensor detects that the lift is level with the floor and has stopped
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Control Software
• Control software is used in engineering, vehicles and building
control systems.
• Control software is used in home automation systems, where
devices can be monitored and controlled using a smartphone
app.

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Smartphone apps can be used to control home heating
and cooling systems
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Project Management
• Project management applications are used to help plan and track
the individual tasks in a project.
• When all of these dependent tasks are combined into a timeline, it
is easy for the project manager to see the critical path.
• These applications can also be used to set milestones.
• Project management software can be used to allocate tasks to
individual people or groups of people.

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Gantt charts are often used to visualise the timelines and milestones for
the individual tasks in a project
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Communication Software
Web Browsers
Email
Social Media
SMS (Short message Service)
MMS (Multimedia message Service)
Instant Messaging
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Web Browsers
Web browsers allow users to view web pages and websites created
in web authoring software and hosted on servers that are connected
to the internet.
Browsers also allow users to access other systems such as file
transfer protocol (FTP) servers.

FTP is a method of exchanging data and files across a network

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 Emails can be sent and received by software
installed on a computer.

This locally installed software acts as a client to an

email server.

Users can access email through webmail software,

Email which they reach through a web browser.

Some webmail applications allow users to store

emails offline

Email applications often provide features such as

labels to help organised emails and filters.

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 Social media can be accessed
through a web browser or by using
locally installed apps.
Some apps provide access to
Social Media multiple social media accounts.

TweetDeck is an example of
communication software used with
social media.

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 SMS
Short messaging service (SMS) applications are found on mobile
phones.

They allow users to send up to 160 text characters per message

using the mobile phone network.

They do not require an internet connection.

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 MMS
Multimedia messaging service (MMS) applications extend the
capabilities of SMS.

MMS can deliver more than 160 characters per message and can
include video, animations, images and audio.

They are sent using the mobile phone network and do not require
an internet connection.

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 Instant messaging applications are similar
to MMS but they require a connection to
the internet.

They allow users to see when other users

Instant are typing, and users can also prevent
messaging others from seeing when they are typing.

Messages sent via instant messaging

applications can include location data.

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Software Software licence is a legal
Licensing arrangement that gives a user the
right to install and use software.
Using software without a
required licence is called software
piracy.
Software distributed without the
right to do so is called pirate
software.
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Types of
Software Free or open-
licence
source

Proprietary

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 Free software licences give users the right to
study, modify, copy or distribute a program.

The user can decide if, and how much, to

charge for a copy of the software or any service
provided by the software.
Free Software
Free software can be made available for a fee
or free of charge.

‘Free’ refers to the user’s freedom to charge

whatever they want because there are no
restrictions on the use of the software.

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Open-source software
• Open-source software licences make the source code
available to users so that they can modify how the software
works or distribute the modified or unmodified software.
• Open-source software focuses on the practical benefits of
sharing the source code with the community and encouraging
collaborative development.

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 Proprietary software is software that is marketed and
distributed by its owner under a brand name.

The software owner can decide the fee for the software
and whether or not the software should be distributed.

Proprietary Proprietary software can be made available for a fee or

free of charge.
Software
When no fee is required, the software is called freeware.

Software with a proprietary licence does not make its

source code available.

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Software Updates

• Updates to software are released by software developers for

the following reasons:
• fixing security vulnerabilities or bugs
• increasing compatibility with newer operating systems
• improving performance and efficiency
• introducing new features
• improving usability
• It is important to back up a system and files before updating
software in case the update introduces problems.

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