This book is compiled for all

BS/ADP disciplines. First 10

chapters (from page 1 to 205)
included in this book are
related to computer concepts
and other chapters are related
to the Windows 7, MS office
2010 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint,
Access), and InPage 2000 with
practical.
 INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER

Chapter 5
Computer Software
Contents
• Computer Software
• Operating System
• Utility Programs
• Device Drivers
Computer Software
Chapter 5 – Computer Software
 Computer Software
• A set of instructions given to the computer to solve a particular problem (or to
perform a specific task) is called software
• Software is also called a computer program
• A computer cannot do anything without software
• Software tells the computer what to do and how to do
• Hardware operates under the control of a given set of instructions
• Therefore, a computer performs different operations according to the given
instructions
• Software is developed in a particular computer programming language
• Types of Software
 Application Software
• A program or set of programs that are specially designed to perform a specific
task or to solve a specific problem is called application software
• Today, various application software are available for different purposes
• Some application software are developed for a particular organization or
customer such as software developed to maintain the records of students of a
particular college
• Similarly, some application software are developed by software development
organizations (or any programmer) to solve some common problem of many
people or users such as word processing software
• Kinds of application software are given in next slides
 Application Software
Productivity Software
• Software which is used for creating documents, worksheets, presentations,
and graphs, etc. is called productivity software
• It is used to solve some common problems of many people or users
• Examples of productivity software
• Word Processing Software
• This software is used for creating and editing documents such as letters, memos, reports, essays, etc.
• Example → Microsoft Word
• Spreadsheet Software
• Spreadsheet software is used to organize data into an electronic sheet in the form of rows and
columns and to perform calculations on the data
• Columns and rows collectively are called a worksheet
• Spreadsheet software also provides the facility to create various types of charts for displaying data
graphically
• Example → MS Excel
 Application Software
Productivity Software
• Database Management Software
• A database is a collection of related data or records on any subject such as records of the books in a
library, and information about the students of the college
• Data in a database can be accessed very easily
• Database management software is used to create, access, and manage databases
• Examples → Microsoft Access, Oracle, and MySQL
• Presentation Software
• Presentation software is used to create slides for making presentations to communicate ideas,
messages, and other information to a group
• Example → Microsoft PowerPoint
• Software Suite
• A software suite is a collection of individual-related applications available as a single package
• It is also called an application suite or productivity suite
• Example → Microsoft Office
 Application Software
Graphics and Media Software
• Graphics software is used to create, manipulate, and print graphics
• Graphics can be any drawing, sketch, picture, or photograph
• Mostly engineers, architects, desktop publishers, and graphics artists use graphics and media
software
• Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
• CAD software is a type of 3-D graphics application
• It is mostly used by engineers, architects, and scientists for creating engineering, architectural, scientific designs and
models
• Engineers use CAD software to create designs of vehicles, electronic devices, roadways, bridges, and designs of
security systems, etc.
• Similarly, architects use CAD software to design the structures of buildings
• Scientists use them to create designs of molecular structures
• Examples → AutoCAD and Chief Architect
• Desktop Publishing Software
• Desktop Publishing (DTP) software is used to design high-quality commercial documents that contain text and graphics
and different combinations of colors
• DTP software is ideal for designing or producing high-quality textbooks, brochures, newsletters, marketing literature,
advertisements, postcards, greeting cards, letterheads, business cards, banners, calendars, logos, product catalogs, and
annual reports
• Examples → Adobe InDesign, Adobe PageMaker, Microsoft Publisher, and QuarkXPress
 Application Software
Graphics and Media Software
• Paint Software
• Paint software is used to create and modify graphics
• Paint software is also called Illustration software
• This software allows users to draw pictures, shapes, and many other graphical images
• Example → MS Paint
• Image Editing Software
• Image editing software also provides the same capabilities as Paint software but it has additional
capabilities that are used for editing or modifying the existing images
• Examples → Coral Draw and Macromedia Free-hand
• Photo Editing Software
• Photo editing software is a type of image editing software
• It is used to edit and customize digital photos
• This software provides features to improve the quality of photos by modifying contrast & brightness
and adding special effects such as shadows and glows
• Examples → Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office Picture Manager
 Application Software
Graphics and Media Software
• Video & Audio Editing Software
• Video consists of full-motion images played at various speeds
• Video Editing software is used to modify a section or part of a video, called a clip
• For example, it can be used to change (reduce) the length of a video clip, reorder a series of clips, or
add special effects to clips such as words that move horizontally across the screen
• Example → Adobe Premiere
• Web Page Authoring Software
• Web page authoring software is used to create web pages that include graphical images, videos,
audios, animations, and other special effects
• This software also allows users to organize, manage, and maintain their websites
• Examples → WordPress, Dreamweaver, and Microsoft FrontPage
 Application Software
Software for Communication
• Software for communication is used by the people for exchanging information
electronically among each other
• Computer files can also be transferred from one computer to another through
communication software
• Many communication applications/software are available
• Email Software
• Email stands for electronic mail
• Email software is used to exchange messages and files through a computer network (such as the
Internet)
• Example → Microsoft Outlook
• Browsing Software
• Browsing software is used to access and view web pages on the Internet
• Browsing software is called the web browser or simply browser
• Example → Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer
 Application Software
Software for Communication
• Chat Software
• A chat is a real-time online typed conversation with one or more online users
• Chat client software is used to chat with others who are online at the same time
• Chat client programs are built-in in some operating systems, websites, and most browsers
• These programs are also available for free on the web
• Example → ICQ
• Video Conferencing Software
• Video conferencing software is used for conducting live conferences between two or more
participants at different sites through a computer network
• Examples → Zoom, CU-SeeMe, GoToMeeting, iMeet, and WebRTC
 Application Software
Entertainment Software
• Software which is used for the entertainment of people (users) is called
entertainment software
• Computer games are the most popular types of entertainment software
• Similarly, some entertainment software are available to watch the movie and
listen to music, etc.
• Examples → Windows Media Player and Real Player
 System Software
• Software which controls and coordinates different operations of a computer
system or mobile device is called system software
• It controls the working of different parts of the computer (computer
hardware)
• It also helps to run application programs on the computer
• System software is an essential part of the computer system
• Examples
• Operating system
• Device driver
• Utility software
• Language processors
Operating System
Chapter 5 – Computer Software
 Operating System
• An operating system is a set of system programs that controls and coordinates the
overall operations of a computer system or mobile device
• A computer needs an operating system to do work
• We cannot operate a computer (or mobile device) without an OS
• Without an OS, a computer or mobile device is like a car with no fuel
• OS acts as an interface between the user and the computer system or mobile device
• Users interact with computer (or mobile device) through OS
• Examples of OS → Microsoft Windows, Linux, UNIX, Mac OS, Chrome OS, and
Android
• Most OS perform similar functions i.e.
• Providing a user interface
• Managing application programs
• Managing memory
• Coordinating tasks
• Managing files on the storage devices
• Managing and controlling I/O devices, etc.
 Operating System
• An OS must be installed on computer or mobile device to perform different tasks
• In a desktop computer or laptop, an OS is mostly installed on hard drive
• In a mobile device, an OS is installed on ROM chip or flash memory chip (which is a part
of a mobile device)
• An application program cannot access input/output devices or execute program
instructions itself
• OS performs these tasks through CPU on behalf of application programs
• OS acts as a platform on which various application programs are executed
• User requests application program to perform a particular task and application program
refers the request of the user to OS
• OS that a computer uses sometimes is called the platform because applications run “on
top of” it
• Some applications can only run on a single OS, while some applications can run on
multiple OS
• These applications are called cross-platform applications
 Operating System

• Operating systems are developed to run on specific types of computers or

mobile devices
• For example, desktop computers or laptops use Windows or Mac OS
• While smartphones use Android, iOS, or Windows Phone
• Same types of computers, such as desktop computers, may use different
operating systems (such as Windows and Linux)
 Operating System
Parts of Operating System
• Usually, an operating system is divided into two parts:
• Resident part
• This part of OS is known as kernel
• It is the central component of an operating system
• It is loaded into the main memory during booting process of computer
• It performs various functions residing in the main memory
• For example, it provides main services required by applications and other parts of
operating system
• Every operating system has a kernel
• Non-resident part
• This part of OS is loaded into main memory when required
 Operating System Functions
• When the computer is turned on, OS is loaded into the main memory from
the disk
• Most of the operating systems perform similar functions
Booting
• Operating system starts the computer or mobile device and makes it ready to
work
• Process of starting or restarting a computer or mobile device is called booting
• Types of booting
• Cold Boot
• When a computer or mobile device is switched on, booting process is started.
• Warm Boot
• The process to restart computer or mobile device that is already powered on
• If a program or app stops working, a warm boot option is adopted because this process clears
memory
 Operating System Functions
Providing a User-Interface
• User interface means how user interacts with computer to perform various tasks
• User runs application programs, opens the document, enters the data, prints the output reports,
etc.
• All these are examples of user interfacing
• OS plays the main role in interfacing between user and computer
• Hardware devices like keyboard, mouse, and monitor, etc. are used for interfacing
• Types of user interfaces
• Command-line User Interface
• In command-line user interface, OS provides a prompt line on computer screen
• The command is typed manually from the keyboard to perform a specific task
• This type of interfacing is difficult
• Example → operating system DOS
• Graphical User Interface (GUI)
• In a graphical user interface, OS provides graphical images on computer screen
• These images are known as icons or command buttons
• User clicks the icon to open the document or to execute the command
• GUI is very easy to interact with the computer
• Example → Microsoft Windows operating system
• A graphical user interface designed for touch input is called a touch user interface
• Today, many OS for mobile devices (such as smartphones) have a touch user interface
 Operating System Functions
Memory Management
• Memory management is an important function of an operating system
• Data and programs are loaded from the storage device i.e. hard disk into RAM
• Different programs and data can be loaded into the main memory at the same
time
• Operating system also occupies some amount of space in memory itself
• Operating system manages and allocates space in memory for programs and
data
• Operating system carefully monitors the contents of memory
• When any program terminates its execution, OS de-allocates (clears) memory
area allocated to that program and its related data
 Operating System Functions
Resource Management
• A computer consists of different types of hardware resources
• Examples of these resources are input/output devices, memory, processor, and
disks, etc.
• Different programs or applications try to use memory, storage device, and processor
at the same time
• Operating system is responsible for allocating and managing various resources for
different applications
• It shares the time of processor between various applications or input/output devices
File Management
• Operating system manages the storage devices of a computer
• Data and programs are stored permanently on storage devices such as hard disk or
USB flash drive for later use
• Files of data and programs are placed or stored in folders
• A folder may contain many files or sub-folders
• Operating system keeps track of all the folders and files and sub-folders
 Operating System Functions
Job Scheduling
• A job or task is an activity or operation that a processor performs
• It may be receiving data from an input device, sending output to an output device or loading data
from disk into RAM, etc.
• There may be many jobs to execute at the same time
• OS determines the order in which the jobs are to be processed
• An operating system may use different scheduling mechanisms to execute these jobs
Configuring Devices
• OS controls all devices connected with the computer
• The functions of devices are controlled by the special system software called device drivers
• Device driver tells the operating system how to communicate with a specific device
• Each device has its own device driver
• Today, most devices and operating systems support plug and play
• It means that OS automatically configures new devices as they are connected with the computer
• Usually, modern OS has built-in device drivers for commonly used input/output devices
• When a new hardware device is attached to the computer, OS automatically detects the device and
installs its driver (if available in OS)
 Operating System Functions
Monitoring Performance
• OS also monitors the performance of the computer system
• It checks and reports information about various computer resources and devices
• For example, users can monitor the performance of the processor, memory usage, drives, and
network, etc.
• Information in the performance reports helps the users or administrators to identify the problems
with resources or devices so that they can try to resolve them
Providing Services to Programs
• OS also provides the interface between the programs and the user
• Through the program, the user accesses other computer resources such as a printer, backing
storages, or other application programs
• Actually, in the program, the built-in instructions are known as “system calls” are used that request
services from the operating system
• For example, in word processing program when the Save command is applied to save a document, the “Save
As” dialog box appears. In this way, the program requests services from OS
• Application program sends the request to OS and OS gives a response to the application program
 Operating System Functions
Providing Services to Programs
• Main services that an operating system provides to programs are as follows:
• Saving data from memory in files on the disk
• Loading files from disk into memory
• Sending the document on the printer
• Copying or moving data from one document to another or from one program to
another
Controlling Network
• Some operating systems are specially developed for networking
• These operating systems are called network operating systems or NOSs
• A network operating system organizes and coordinates multiple users and
makes it possible to access and share resources on the network
• These resources include files, programs, and hardware devices such as printers
and drives, etc.
 Categories of Operating System
Desktop Operating Systems
• A desktop operating system is also called the stand-alone operating system
• It works on desktop or laptop computers
• Some desktop operating systems also work along with a server operating system
• These desktop operating systems are called client operating systems
• The client operating systems can work with or without a network
• Examples → DOS, Windows, UNIX, Linux, Mac OS, and Chrome OS.
• DOS
• DOS stands for Disk Operating System
• It is a single-user and command-line interface operating system
• It was developed by Microsoft for IBM (Internal Business Machines) in 1981
• It was the standard operating system for IBM-compatible personal computers
• It was the most popular operating system in microcomputers before the Windows
• Windows
• Windows is a popular operating system
• It was developed by Microsoft Corporation of the USA
• Nowadays, it is most commonly used in desktop computers and laptops
• Windows is a graphical user interface (GUI) operating system
 Categories of Operating System
Desktop Operating Systems
• Mac OS
• Mac OS (or Macintosh OS) was developed by Apple Corporation in 1984 for Apple
computers and devices
• This operating system provides the GUI
• It was one of the first operating systems that introduced the GUI
• Mac OS has multitasking capabilities
• It also provides basic networking services
• UNIX
• UNIX is a popular multiuser, multitasking operating system
• It was developed at AT&T Bell Labs of the USA in the early 1970s
• Various versions of UNIX are available
• Some versions of UNIX have a command-line interface but most versions provide a
graphical user interface
• It has powerful security features
 Categories of Operating System
Desktop Operating Systems
• Linux
• Linux is a popular multitasking operating system
• It was developed by Linus Torvalds, a student in Finland in 1991
• Linux provides a graphical user interface
• However, some versions of Linux provide a command-line interface
• Linux is based on the UNIX operating system
• It means that Linux is modeled on the UNIX system and is an advanced version of UNIX
• Therefore, the fundamental architecture and features of UNIX and Linux are identical
• Chrome OS
• Chrome OS is a Linux-based operating system
• It was developed by Google in 2009 for web-based applications and cloud computing
• It uses the Google Chrome web browser as a user interface
• Chrome OS is used on specialized laptops and desktop computers
 Categories of Operating System
Server Operating Systems
• An operating system that is designed to be used on the server in the computer
network is called a server operating system
• It is a multiuser operating system
• It organizes and coordinates the activities of multiple users connected to the
network
• Sometimes, server operating system is called a network operating system
• Examples → Windows Server, OS X Server, and Solaris, etc.
• Windows Server
• Windows Server is a series of server operating systems developed by Microsoft
• Server computer in the network uses this operating system
• Windows server provides server-oriented services such as applications and website
management, user management, resource management, messaging, security, and
authorization, etc.
• OS X Server
• OS X Server is a server operating system designed by Apple in 1999
• It was formerly known as Mac OS X Server
• Its user interface is similar to the desktop version of OS X
 Categories of Operating System
Server Operating Systems
• UNIX
• UNIX is also used as a server operating system
• It can handle a high volume of transactions in a multiuser environment
• It can work with multiple processors
• It is widely used on web servers because it has powerful security features
• Linux
• Linux is also used on network servers because it provides a secure, stable multiuser
environment
• Linux is mostly used on web servers and on supercomputers
• Solaris
• Solaris is a version of UNIX
• It was developed by Sun Microsystems
• It is a server operating system designed specifically for e-commerce applications
• It has very advanced security features
• It is used for online transaction systems
 Categories of Operating System
Server Operating Systems
• Novell’s Netware
• It is designed for client/server networks
• It has two portions:
• Server portion
• It resides on network server
• It controls devices such as printers, and computers connected to the network
• It also manages the files and application software on the server
• Client portion
• It resides on each client computer connected to the network
• It establishes the communication between the client computer and the server
• The client computers also have their own operating systems such as Windows
 Categories of Operating System
Mobile Operating Systems
• Mobile operating systems are designed to be used on mobile devices such as
smartphones/mobile phones, PDAs, tablets, and other handheld devices
• Mostly these operating systems are stored on the ROM chip used in the
mobile device
• Most of the mobile operating systems support contact management, voice
communication, text messaging, email, Internet accessing, touch screens,
digital cameras, media players, speech recognition, GPS navigation, various
apps, wireless connectivity such as cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, etc.
• Examples → Android, iOS, and Windows Phone
• Android
• Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google
• It is used by many smartphones and tablets
• It uses touch screen input to manipulate on-screen objects and uses a virtual keyboard
• Today, Android is the most widely used operating system all over the world
 Categories of Operating System
Mobile Operating Systems
• iOS
• iOS (originally called iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc.
• It was specifically developed for Apple’s mobile devices such as iPhone, iPad, and iPod
Touch
• iOS was formerly (previously) known as the iPhone OS, the name was changed with the
introduction of the iPad
• iOS is based on Apple’s Mac OS X operating system
• It is the second most popular mobile operating system globally after Android
• Windows Phone
• Windows Phone is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft
• It is used on some smartphones
Utility Programs
Chapter 5 – Computer Software
 Utility Programs
• A software that helps user to solve the specific problems related to hardware or
software or computer files is called a utility program
• A large number of utility programs are available for the service of hardware and
software
• Most operating systems include various utility programs
• Many other utility programs are available on CDs or can be downloaded from the
Internet
File Manager
• A file manager is a utility program
• It is used to perform various operations or functions related to file management
• Example → Windows Explorer
Image Viewer
• An image viewer is used to view or display, copy, print the contents of a graphics file
such as a photo
• Many image viewers include some image or photo editing capabilities
• Most operating systems include the image viewer
• Example → Windows Photo Viewer (formerly Windows Picture and Fax Viewer)
 Utility Programs
Uninstaller
• An uninstaller is a utility program that is used to remove (or uninstall) an installed software from the
computer properly
• When software is installed on a computer, many files and folders are created on the storage medium such as
a hard disk
• Operating system records information about the software and its related files and folders in the system files
• Uninstaller removes or deletes all files and folders related to the software from the hard disk of the computer
• It also removes software entries from the system files
• Most operating systems provide the uninstaller program
• Windows operating system also provides the uninstaller program which is found in “Control Panel”
Disk Cleanup
• A disk cleanup utility program is used to search and remove unnecessary files
• Unnecessary files may include temporary Internet files, deleted files, downloaded program files, swap files,
and unused program files
• Most operating systems usually include a disk cleanup tool
• Windows operating system also provides disk cleanup
 Utility Programs
Disk Defragmenter
• When operating system stores data of a file on the disk, it stores the data of
the file in the first available space on the disk
• In this case, data of a file is stored on disk in a scattered form
• It is referred to as file is fragmented
• Fragmentation slows down the data accessing speed of the computer
• A disk defragmenter is a utility program
• It is used to re-organize the files and unused space on the disk so that the
operating system can access data more quickly
• In defragmentation process, data of each file is stored in continuous sectors
• Most operating systems usually include a disk defragmenter
• Windows operating system has a built-in utility program for defragmentation
called Disk Defragmenter
 Utility Programs
File Compression
• A file compression program is used to compress (or shrink) the size of a file
• Size of the file is reduced
• Compressed file takes up less storage space than the original file
• Compressed files are also called zipped files
• Usually, these files have extension ZIP
• A single compressed file may contain a large number of files or folders
• Mostly, files are compressed to send with e-mail or to upload the files on the Internet
• Through this technique, data is transferred from one location to another very easily and
quickly
• When we receive or download a compressed file from Internet then we have to
uncompress the zip file
• Unzip utility program is used for this purpose
• When zip file is unzipped, all the files and folders contained in that file are restored to their
original form
• Windows operating system has also built-in features to compress as well as unzip files
• Other popular utility programs for file compression and un-compression are PKZIP &
PKUNZIP and WINZIP
 Utility Programs
Diagnostic Utility
• Diagnostic utility is used to diagnose (detect) the problems related to computer
hardware and software
• These programs trace out the problems and suggest how to handle these problems
• Most of the operating systems provide a diagnostic utility
Backup and Restore
• A backup utility is used to make the backup of the selected files/folders or entire
storage medium to another storage location such as another hard disk, optical disc,
USB flash drive, or cloud storage
• Many backup utility programs compress the files during the backup process so that
the size of backup files can be reduced
• It is a good practice to make the backup of important data
• Your important data may be corrupted due to an attack of a virus or problem may
occur in the hard disk due to any reason etc.
• Backed up data can be restored on the hard disk as and when required
• A restore utility program is used to restore the backup files to their original form
• Windows operating system has the built-in Backup utility program
Device Drivers
Chapter 5 – Computer Software
 Device Drivers
• Programs that control the operations of hardware devices are called device
drivers
• Each device requires a device driver
• When we attach any type of device to a computer such as a printer, scanner,
network card, or digital camera, etc., it will not work without a device driver
• We have to first install the driver of a device on our computer before using it
• Device drivers are provided by device manufacturers
• Some devices like mouse, keyboard, monitor, USB flash drive, etc. are “Plug
and Play” devices
• These drivers are built-in with Windows
• When a “Plug and Play” device is attached to the computer, its driver is
automatically installed
For more details, refers to

PM Series

Introduction to Computer

by
CM Aslam, Aqsa Aslam, Mussadiq Fida, & Mudassir
Ahmad

Publisher:Majeed Sons
22- Urdu Bazar, Lahore