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Computer Software

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13 views

Computer Software

Uploaded by

k0delegend.1920
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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• Computer software is a set of instructions telling the computer what to do.

• Also known as computer programs.


• Comparing to “hard”ware which we can see and touch, software is intangible, thus, the
name “soft”ware.
• Without software, a computer is USELESS!

System Software includes

• The Operating System which governs ALL computer resources


• Device Drivers which control all devices connected to the system
• Utilities which maintain resources in the computer

Programming Software

• Assists programmers to create new software, i.e.


• Design and develop sets of instructions (software) for specific purposes,
• Using some humanly understandable “languages” which will be translated or “compiled”
into machine codes by a programming software package called “Integrated Development
Environment” (IDE)

Some popular programming Languages

• C, C++, Objective-C, C#
• Java
• Visual Basic, Python, Perl, Ruby
• JavaScript
• PHP

Application Software
• Allows you to fulfill the purpose for which you actually buy the computer for. For Example,
• Social networking
• Playing games
• Surfing the internet
• Working on assignments
• Listening to music
• Organizing your photos

Document Preparation

• Commonly known as “Word Processor”


• Provides “What You See Is What You Get” (WYSIWYG) interface to edit and preview a
document.
• Allows “automatic” formatting of a document, e.g.
• Styles – fonts, size, color, etc.
• Insertion of header, footer and page numbers;
• Creation of table of contents, footnotes, bibliography, etc.
• Allows document tracking for collaboration
• Examples: Microsoft Word, LibreOffice Writer, Google Docs

Spreadsheet Software

• Simulates a paper accounting worksheet, with a grid of cells


• Allows “automatic”
• Complex calculations, e.g. summation, average, max, min, etc.
• Data filters for easy viewing and sorting
• Creation of different forms of charts
• Examples: Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc, Google Docs/ Google Forms

Presentation Software

• Allows the creation of a slide show for presentation, usually via an overhead LCD projector
• Easy editing of slides with visual aids
• Bullet points, numbering
• Clip arts, images and videos
• Tables or charts
• Animations and transitions
• Examples: Microsoft PowerPoint, LibreOffice Impress, Google Docs

Document / File Formats

• Different software suites produce different file formats


• They are usually incompatible between different suites, or different versions,
• The popular Microsoft Office has two incompatible versions in use
• Office 2003 and before (e.g. .doc, .xls, .ppt)
• Office 2007 and after (e.g. .docx, .xlsx, .pptx)
• Due to the incompatibility of different file formats, Confusion may arise in document
exchange,
• Solution ----> Portable Document Format (PDF)

Other Productivity Software

• Equation Editor
• Database manager
• Desktop publisher
• Project manager
• Diagram or flowchart creator
• E-mail and information manager

Online Productivity Tools

• On the Internet, same set of productivity tools are available based on the idea of “cloud
computing”,
• Not as powerful as desktop tools but at lower costs
• Better features on collaboration and sharing of work and documents, e.g. version control
• No confusion on file format compatibility
• Examples: Google Drive, Microsoft Office in the Cloud

Internet Software

• To enjoy different features of the Internet, many tools are available:


• Web browser - Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome
• E-mail clients - Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird
• Instant messengers -Skype, Facebook messenger, Wechat
Multimedia Software

• With the abundant availability of multimedia files today, tools are available for
organization, and sharing, for example,
• Picasa, Instagram– Photo “management”
• Windows Media Player – Music and Video
• iTunes – Music store
• For advanced multimedia production, tools are also available, for example,
• Graphics - Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, GIMP
• Animation and video - Adobe Flash, Adobe Premiere Pro, MovieMaker
• Music - Apple GarageBand, Audacity

Software for Games

• Game programs – when you play a video game on the computer, you actually execute the
program for that game
• Emulator programs – allow you to simulate another gaming console and run games on it
• Browser games – available from a web site where you can have fun with, e.g. Flash games.

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