Scribd
Upload
16 views

Computer Software

Uploaded by

k0delegend.1920
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
16 views

Computer Software

Uploaded by

k0delegend.1920
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

• 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.

You might also like