6 Software and your computer

Objectives
At the end of this chapter you will be able to:
• distinguish between the two categories of software
• define ‘application software’
• give examples of different types of application software
• explain the terms ‘general-purpose software’, ‘integrated
software’, ‘specialised software’, ‘customised software’ and
‘custom-written software’
• define system software and operating systems (OSs)
• define the term ‘booting’
• list different types of operating systems (OSs)
• explain the functions of the operating system (OS)
• explain the meaning of some of the icons found on the Windows
desktop
• perform file management functions, such as naming files,
creating folders, copying folders, deleting files and copying files
from one location to the next
• explain the term ‘utility program’
• list the functions of some utility programs
• explain the term ‘device driver’
• state the function of language translators.
What is software?
As described in Chapter 1, software is the general name given to all
the programs (sets of instructions) that computers use to perform
different tasks. Software can be classified into two major types:
application software and system software.
Application software
Application software, or apps, are programs that carry out specific
tasks or solve particular problems. Word processors and graphics
packages are examples of application software. For example, you
would need to use a word processor to type a document, or a
graphics package to design an invitation. See Figure 6.1.
Selecting the right application software for the task you want to
complete is important. Computers are usually sold with systems
software and some application software, but you might find that you
need additional application software. Examples are entertainment
software such as games, home or personal software such as CD-
ROM encyclopaedias, productivity software such as word processing
and spreadsheet packages, and specialist software such as desktop
publishing and graphics packages.
Application software can also be categorised as follows:
• general-purpose software
• integrated software
• specialised software
• customised software
• custom-written (tailor-made) software.

General-purpose software
General-purpose software is software that is not written for any
specific business or organisation but can be used or adapted to suit
specific needs. For example, a teacher can use a spreadsheet
package to prepare students’ end-of-term grades reports, and a word
processing package to write letters to the parents. The same
packages can be used in a business to perform tasks such as
accounting or writing memoranda. General-purpose software
packages, also called ‘off-the-shelf’ software, are usually well tested
and relatively inexpensive.
Integrated software
An integrated software package is a set of related programs
combined in one package that allows data to be transferred easily
between the programs. Examples include Microsoft Office used by
PC computers and AppleWorks® used by Apple® Macintosh®
computers.
A basic integrated package may contain word processing,
spreadsheet, database, drawing, painting, and presentation
programs. A major advantage of these packages is the ease with
which data can be transferred from one program to another. For
example, if you are working on a word processing document you can
quickly incorporate a graph created in the package’s spreadsheet
program via a simple cut- or copy-and-paste operation. See Figure
6.2.
Additional advantages of integrated software are:
• It takes up less disk space than individual applications.
• You can move much faster from one application to the next.
• It is usually easier to learn, as the user interface for choosing
commands is the same.
• It tends to be more powerful and versatile than individual
applications.
• It is less likely to crash and contains fewer errors, since it has been
widely tried and tested.
• The producers’ after-sales service is often good (such as online
help facilities); users can also get support from user groups and
magazines.
• It is usually cheaper than purchasing each package separately.
Some disadvantages of integrated software are:
• Not all the features of single applications are included.
• Some integrated packages do not contain all the applications that
may be required to complete a task.

Specialised software
Specialised software is software that has been written for a specific
purpose rather than for a broad application area. For example, a
payroll program will usually only be able to deal with the aspects of a
company’s payroll. Other examples of specialised software are expert
systems (software that operates like an expert in a field, such as
medical expert systems), accounting programs such as ACCPAC,
and theatre or airline booking systems.

Customised software
Customised software refers to general-purpose software that has
been modified to better meet the needs of an individual or
organisation. These packages are customised through the writing of
code or macros. Macros are short programs written to automate
several steps in software such as databases, spreadsheets, and word
processors. An instruction (usually a keystroke or keystroke
combination) signals the computer to perform a predefined sequence
of instructions.

Custom-written (tailor-made) software

Custom-written (tailor-made) software is specially written, or tailored,
to meet the specific needs of a company. Such a solution can help a
company to achieve its goals and offers many advantages compared
with general-purpose pre-packaged applications. Custom-written
software is needed when there are no commercial applications or ‘off-
the-shelf’ packages available. The software may be written by in-
house programmers, or it may be contracted out to a software
house (a company that specialises in writing software).
The main advantage of custom-written software is that the
solutions it offers give the greatest breadth and flexibility in meeting
the needs of a company. Another advantage is that the software
developer delivers and installs the software and trains the end-users
how to use the new product.
System software
System software manages and supports the resources and
operations of a computer system. The programs enable application
software to run and manage the system resources. Four main
categories of system resources include the operating system (OS),
utility programs, device drivers and language translators. System
software acts as a buffer, or cushion, between the hardware and
application software. Figure 6.3 shows a conceptual arrangement of
hardware, system software, application software and the user.
Operating system (OS)
An operating system (OS) is the software that performs all the basic
tasks such as file management, memory management, process
management, handling of input and output, and controlling peripheral
devices such as disk drives and printers. It is an interface between a
computer user and computer hardware. The OS also makes it
possible for a system to run several programs at the same time. All
PCs, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and servers require an OS.
Without OS software, the computer cannot function. See Figure 6.4.

In most mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones, the OS

may be installed in the device in firmware. Firmware consists of
ROM chips or flash memory chips that store instructions permanently.
However, for most PCs and larger computers the OS is stored on disk
and is switched on as soon as you turn on, or ‘boot’, the computer.
The term booting refers to the process of loading OS software into a
computer’s main memory from disk. The OS remains in main memory
until you turn off the computer.

Types of operating systems (OSs)

The most common operating systems (OSs) are Microsoft Windows,
Some older operating systems that were used in PC computers
include: MSDOS, Windows 3.X, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows
ME (Millennium Edition), Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista
and Windows NT. Windows 7 was the successor to Windows Vista
and included enhancements such as multi-touch support, Internet
Explorer 8, improved performance and start-up time and improved
security.
Windows 10 was introduced in 2015 as Microsoft’s Windows
newest OS. This system features fast start-up and resume, built-in
security and the return of the Start menu in an expanded form. This
version of Windows also features Microsoft Edge, Microsoft’s new
browser. Devices such as tablets, PCs, smartphones and Xbox
consoles can use Windows 10.
Some OSs that are still in use today include: Windows 7, Windows
10, Apple® OSs (such as OS9 and OS X®), OS/2, Linux and Unix.
There are Unix OSs for PCs, mini and mainframe computers.

Functions of operating systems (OSs)

The functions of an operating system (OS) depend on the size and
complexity of the computer system. It may also depend on whether
the system is a single-user system such as a PC, or a multi-access
system such as a mainframe or network. A multi-access system is
one that allows a number of users with online terminals to interact
with the same computer at the same time. An online system is one
where the terminals and the computer are linked interactively.
Although the OSs of mainframes and networks are much more
complex and perform a wider range of functions than those of PCs,
the functions of most OSs can be grouped under the headings
discussed below.
1 Managing resources
Managing all the resources of the computer system is a large part
of the OS’s function. The OS allows application software or user
programs such as word processing, spreadsheet and database
packages to communicate with the computer’s hardware. For
example, if you are working on a document in Excel and you want
to print the document, you simply access the print command. Excel
directs the OS to select a printer (if there is more than one) to print
the document. The OS then notifies the computer to begin sending
 data and instructions to the appropriate program to get the
document printed. Figure 6.5 shows how the OS acts as an
interface between application programs and the hardware.

2 Managing files and memory

The OS manages all the files on a computer. It keeps track of the
locations where programs and data are stored within the
computer’s memory. For example, when you open a file that has
been saved to your hard drive, you are first instructing the
computer to find that file, and then to open it. The OS also allows
you to easily find files stored in other secondary storage devices.
Other file management functions include copying, erasing,
renaming and backing-up files. In the case of mainframe
computers, the OS has to share storage between the many
programs that may be running at the same time.
3 Maintaining security
In networks and larger computers, each user is given a user name
or ID and password to gain access to the computer system. The
OS keeps a register of all these names so that only persons with
valid usernames or IDs and passwords can access the system.
This prevents access by hackers and unauthorised persons. The
OS also keeps a log, which records which users logged in, the
length of time each user stayed on the system, and what they did.
Administrators can check the log for breaches and abuse of
resources.
4 Managing tasks
A single-tasking OS runs only one program or app at a time.
However, due to the fast speed of the CPU and the much slower
speeds of input/output devices, the CPU remained idle for much of
the time. To reduce the idle time of the CPU, multitasking OSs
were developed. Multitasking is the ability of the computer to
 appear to run more than one program at the same time, although
at a specific instant in time the CPU is dealing with only one
instruction for one of the active programs. The OS manages which
instruction to send to the CPU.
For example, many students like to listen to music on their
computer while typing a document or playing a computer game.
Another example of multitasking is the computer’s ability to type an
email while another email is being sent. These tasks seem to be
happening simultaneously (at the same time). Because computers
are so fast, the OS can switch the program executed in the CPU so
quickly that the user cannot tell that in reality, the music playing
and typing functions are performed at individual moments in time.
Multitasking therefore accelerates the throughput of the system by
efficiently using the CPU time.
In an effort to further enhance productivity, multiprocessing
systems were developed. This refers to a computer system’s
ability to support more than one process (program) at the same
time. Multiprocessing OSs enable several programs to run
concurrently. This is accomplished by linking two or more
computers or processors which can then work on different
programs or different parts of the same program simultaneously.
This generally increases processing times. Multiprocessing is
much faster than multitasking, as more than one program is
processed at the same time. This type of processing is used in
real-time systems where fast processing speeds are very
important.
5 Providing a user interface
Many OS functions are never apparent on the computer’s display
screen. What you do see, however, is the user interface. The user
interface is the user-controllable part of the OS, which allows you
to communicate, or interact, with it.
User interfaces
There are four types of user interfaces, both for operating systems
and applications software: command driven, menu driven, graphical,
and touch.

Command-driven interface
The command-driven interface is used in PCs that either operate
exclusively with the MSDOS operating system (OS), or in PCs that
are currently in MSDOS mode rather than Windows mode. This
interface requires you to enter a command by typing in codes or
words. You have to type the command at the prompt on the display
screen. For example, at the C:\> prompt, where C:\ generally refers to
the hard disk, you can type the following command:
C:\>delete *.*
This command tells the OS to erase all the files on the hard disk.
Figure 6.6 shows an example of a command-driven interface.

Menu-driven interface
A menu-driven interface allows you to use either a mouse or cursor
movement (using the arrow keys) to select from a menu. Menus
contain commands to ‘Print’, ‘Save’, ‘Send to’, and so on. Menus are
easier to use than command-driven interfaces because you do not
have to remember commands. You simply select from the lists
provided. Figure 6.7 shows options in the Microsoft Word File menu.

Graphical user interface

The graphical user interface (GUI) (pronounced ‘goo-ee’), also called
WIMP (windows, icons, menus and pointing devices), is the easiest
interface to use when interacting with the CPU. It allows you to use
graphics (images), menus and keystrokes to choose commands, start
programs, see lists of files and other options. Some images take the
form of icons. Icons are small symbols or figures that represent
programs, procedures, folders, files, tasks, and so on. Another
feature of the GUI is the use of windows. A window is a rectangular
boxed area on a computer screen.
The screen can show different windows with individual application
programs running at the same time, such as, a word processing
document in one window and a spreadsheet in another. Or, two
windows may show two different documents being run by the same
program. A window can also show other things, such as a directory of
files on your hard drive. The windows appear over a common
background known as the desktop. Figure 6.8 shows the
components of the Windows 10 GUI interface.
 Note
Do not confuse this ‘window’ with ‘Windows’, for example, Windows
10, with a capital W, which is the Microsoft operating system.

Touch user interface (TUI)

Touchscreen devices are found all over, such as on smartphones, in
retail stores and restaurants, and in cars, residential homes and at
workplaces. Touchscreens allow users to control a device or machine
through a touch-based user interface. A touch user interface (TUI) is
computer-pointing technology that is based on the sense of touch. It
is a graphical user interface (see Figure 6.9) using a touchpad or
touchscreen display as a combined input and output device. It gives
users, especially people with visual impairments, an added level of
communication, based on touch or Braille input.
The Windows 10 desktop
If you are on an Apple® Macintosh® computer, your operating system
is probably Mac® OS X®. If you are on a personal computer (PC),
your operating system is probably Windows. There are many
versions of these operating systems, as they continue to change and
evolve. In this chapter, we will focus on the Windows 10 operating
system. It is almost certain to be the starting place for your use of
computers. From here you will perform tasks and functions such as:
• interacting with the CPU and the hard drive
• opening software programs
• managing files, folders and directories
• creating documents
• printing photos
• listening to music.

After booting up a PC running Windows 10, the desktop appears as

shown in Figure 6.10. If you are using an earlier version of the
Windows operating system (OS), the desktop may be quite different.
Think of the Windows desktop as a traditional office desk. In the
same way as you can move things on or in a real desk, such as
putting items in drawers and adding and removing objects, you can
do the same on a Windows desktop. The desktop contains a number
of shortcuts allowing you to access various processes available to
you in the OS. Some of the components (or default icons) of the
Windows 10 desktop are described in Table 5.5.
Components of the Windows 10 desktop
• Start menu: This lets you launch applications, shut down your
computer, access system settings, and much more.
• Search box: This allows you to quickly search your computer and
the internet at a point, right from the taskbar.
• Task View/Timeline: This allows you to manage your virtual
desktops and move application windows between them.
• Pinned apps: Applications that you use often can be pinned to
your taskbar. By default, Windows has some that it pins for you.
• Task tray: If an application is open, and has not been pinned to
the taskbar, it will show in the task tray.
• Notification tray & Clock: This shows icons of applications that
are running in the background and provides access to internet and
sound settings. The clock displays the current time and date.
• Action Center: This is Windows’ main notification system. Any
slide-out notification that you receive will be stored in this panel
until you clear them. The Action Center also provides quick
access to system features such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, tablet mode
and All settings.
• Desktop: This holds your desktop icons and has a customisable
background image.
• File Explorer: This is the utility used for file management
functions in the Windows 10 operating systems. It can be used to
move, copy, rename, duplicate, delete files, and to browse through
the directory.
• Quick Access toolbar: Here you can save (pin) your most often
accessed commands. Quick Access also automatically pins your
most often accessed folders.
Table 5.5 Some of the default icons on the Windows 10 desktop
File management operations using Windows
Naming files
Each file on your computer has to be given a name to identify it. File-
naming conventions are important for maintaining a well-organised
electronic directory. A file-naming convention (FNC) can make it easy
to identify the file that contains the information that you are looking
for, just from its title, and by grouping files that contain similar
information close together. A good FNC can also help others to better
understand and navigate through your stored files.
Here are some tips to follow when naming files:
• Name the files so that they can be easily identified and
distinguished from one another.
• Make sure the names are logical and reflect the content of the file.
Do not use names that only you understand.
• Use title case, which means making the first letter of every word a
capital letter.
• Keep file names short and relevant. File names can be up to 255
characters long, but in reality, you will not use file names that long.
Note that these symbols cannot be used in a file name: \ / : * ? “ , .
• Use the format Year-Month-Day (four-digit year, two-digit month,
two-digit day) for dates: YYYY-MM-DD. This will keep the files in
chronological order, for example: 2019-03-04 Agenda, 2019-03-24
Minutes of Meeting.
• Use version numbers if files have multiple changes. This will keep
the files in numerical order in the file directory, for example: Project
v01, Project v02, Project v03.
• State the name of the person who created the file.
• Another aspect to consider when naming files is the use of the file,
which can be ‘archive’, ‘backup’ or ‘current’. An archived file is not
actively used and is usually the original version of a file. This file will
need to have a more detailed name to make it easier to find later. A
backup is a copy of the file currently being worked on, which can be
used if the current file is lost or damaged. It is usually stored in
 another location or device. For example, here are three versions of
the same file, one is labelled for current use, one for backup, and
one for archive.
• File name for current use: 20190615_
Tower1_ProjectReportv03.xls
• Backup file name: 20190610_ Tower1_ ProjectReportv02.xls
• Archived file: The archive file name has more information added:
20191025_ Contract231_ Negril_
Tower1_ProjectReportv01_Brown.xls

Did you know?

There are internet-based email clients – such as Hotmail from MSN
and Yahoo! mail – which can also be used to send and receive
email. You will learn more about these in Chapter 7.

Did you know?

If you ever have difficulties when using Windows 10, a handy feature
can help: Simply click the ‘Get help’ menu button. The window
appears.

Note
A file name in DOS can be no longer than eight characters; file
names in later operating systems can be much longer.

Extension Association
BAT BATch files containing a series of DOS commands
COM Executable COMmand files
EXE EXEcutable command files
SYS Various types of SYStem files – usually drivers to control
devices
DOC DOCument files created by, for example, the word
processing program Microsoft Word
XLS A spreadsheet file created by, for example, the
spreadsheet program Microsoft Excel
WPD WordPerfect Documents (WordPerfect is another word
processing program)
TXT TeXT files – associated with the ‘Notepad’ program
JPG OR A graphics file commonly used for photographs and
JPEG illustrations
BMP BitMaPped graphics, such as photographs and
illustrations
PDF Portable Document Format – a file type that displays
finished text and graphics in an application such as
Acrobat Reader.
Table 5.6 Some file extensions and their association

A file name usually consists of two parts: the name and the
extension, separated by a dot. For example, the file name
RESUME.DOC has RESUME as the name and DOC as the
extension.
The extension tells you and the computer what type of file it is; in
this case, it is a DOCument. When you click on the file to open it,
your computer knows which application is needed. The
RESUME.DOC file is opened by Microsoft Word (or another word-
processing package you have installed) since ‘doc’ is a common file
extension for Word documents. Table 5.6 gives some extensions and
their associations.

Save documents offline

Saving documents offline refers to storing them on your hard drive or
other storage devices, for example: flash drive, external hard disk,
optical disc.
1 With the document open click File > Save As > select storage
option (hard disk, flash drive, and so on).
2 Input the name of the document.
3 Click Save.
Save documents online
The technology industry has been steadily moving away from local
storage to remote, server-based storage and processing – what is
known as the cloud. Some examples of cloud storage services are
iCloud®, Google Drive™ and Microsoft OneDrive. Saving your files to
the cloud can provide seamless access to all your important data –
Word docs, PDFs, spreadsheets, photographs, any other digital
assets from anywhere, making it easy to share them with family and
friends. Your files are saved online and also to your cloud provider’s
folder on your computer. Storing files in your cloud provider’s folder
on your computer allows you to work offline, in addition to online, and
your changes will be synchronised when you reconnect to the
internet. Some cloud services such as Dropbox, Google Drive™ and
Microsoft OneDrive are free, while others such as SpiderOak One
Backup require the user to pay a fee. To use the free cloud storage
services you need to register for the service online.

To save a file to OneDrive

1 With a document open, click File > Save As > OneDrive (Figure
6.11).
2 If you haven’t signed in, do that now by clicking Sign In.
3 After you sign in, name your document and save to OneDrive.

Directories or folders
At first, a new disk will not have any folders on it: there is just the disk
itself with a single base position called the root drive of the disk. The
root drive will be C:\ for the hard disk, D:\ for CD-ROM, CD-RW, E:\
for an external hard drive, F:\ for a flash drive, and so on. It is
possible to store your documents, programs, music files, and so on,
directly on one of these devices, without arranging them into the
different types of files you are adding. But, after continuously adding
files, it will become very difficult to find specific files stored on the
disk. You would need to do a search of all the files, in a long list, to
find what you want. A logical system for storing documents enables
you to locate and retrieve documents quickly.

One way of keeping all files of a certain type together for easy
viewing as needed, is to store them in a directory or folder. These
are used to hold documents, programs, files and even further sub-
directories and folders. There is no limit to the sub-levels you can
add. Directories allow users to group related files in one location. For
example, you may want to store assignment documents for each
school subject, such as English or Social Studies. You can store
these in drive C, in the ‘Documents’ folder in one folder per subject
(see Figure 6.12).
For even easier reference, you could place all the folders for the
different subjects in one folder called ‘Assignments’ (see Figure 6.12).
The name chosen by the user – ‘Assignments’ – is an ‘umbrella’ term
for the all the sub-folders that are in that folder.
If using this method, an English assignment document will
therefore be stored in drive C (this PC in Windows 10), in the
‘Documents’ folder, in the ‘Assignments’ folder and in the ‘English’
folder. This can be written as
C:\Documents\Assignments\English\DocumentName.doc. This
hierarchical structure for storing files makes file retrieval very easy:
you simply click through the hierarchy of folders to find the file you
want. Study Figure 6.12.

Creating a folder
To create a folder on the desktop using Windows 10:
1 Right click on any clear area on the desktop.
2 When the pop-up menu appears, select ‘New’.
3 Select ‘Folder’ from the menu that appears, as shown in Figure
6.13.
4 A folder icon appears on the desktop and you can give it a name.
To create a folder in a hard drive or flash drive: select it, open it and
follow the procedure outlined above, or click the ‘File’ menu and
select ‘New’ and ‘Folder’. You can also create and store folders within
other folders.
To copy a file or folder:
1 Highlight the file or folder to be copied.
2 Right click and select copy.
3 Go to the desired location, such as a flash drive, and click the icon.
4 Click ‘Paste’.
To delete a file or folder:
1 Highlight the file or folder to be deleted.
2 Click ‘Delete’.
3 The Delete Folder box displays to confirm the Delete request. Click
‘Yes’.

Note
Deleting a file removes it from its current location and sends it to
the Recycle Bin; the file stays there until you empty the Recycle
Bin.

Utility programs
Utility programs are system software programs that provide useful
services, such as performing common tasks and ‘housekeeping’
routines. Some are included with the operating system (OS), for
example, disk-repairing programs; others are purchased separately
by the user. Some functions performed by utility programs include the
following. (See Figures 6.14 and 6.15.)
• Backup: This utility allows you to make a duplicate copy of every
file on your hard disk, which you can store on an external hard
drive.
• File defragmentation: When you store files in a new computer or
hard disk, they are stored next to one another (contiguously). After
using your computer for a while you will probably have deleted old
files and added new ones. The computer fills free gaps with new
files, including parts of files. After a while, the basic parts of a
typical file are scattered all over your hard disk – they become
‘fragmented’. This can slow down your computer a lot, as the OS
must first find all the parts of a file before restoring (putting them
back together) and loading them. A defragmenter utility finds these
fragmented files and rearranges them contiguously.
• Disk repair: A disk repair utility scans a hard disk for bad sectors
(defective areas) and either makes repairs to these sectors, or
marks the defective area so that the OS will not store any data in
that location.
• Virus protection: Anti-virus software programs are also utility
programs. These are covered in Chapter 9.
Device driver
A device driver is a software application that enables a computer to
interact with hardware devices that have been attached. A device
driver acts as a translator between the hardware device and the
programs or OSs that use it. There are device drivers for printers,
displays, cameras, CD-ROM readers, and so on. When you buy an
OS, many device drivers are built into the product. Without the
required device driver, the corresponding hardware device will fail to
work.

Language translators
Language translators (assemblers, compilers and interpreters) are
programs that translate programs written in a particular programming
language into another programming language without losing the
functional or logical structure of the original code. In most cases, the
program is translated into machine language (computer language).

Note
Microsoft Edge (Windows 10)
Microsoft Edge replaced Internet Explorer as the default web
browser. Edge includes tools such as Web Notes, which allows
users to markup websites, and Reading View, which allows users
to view certain websites without the clutter of ads. Markup tools
help you to comment, discuss and collaborate right on web pages,
screenshots or PDFs. Such tools add context to the content and
make use of highlights, sticky notes, comments, and so on.
Chapter 6: Summary
• Software is the general name given to all the programs (set of
instructions) that computers use to perform different tasks.
• Application software programs are packages that carry out
specific tasks or solve particular problems.
• General-purpose software is software that is not written for any
specific business or organisation but can be used or adapted to
suit their specific needs.
• Specialised software is software that is written for a specific task
rather than for a broad application area.
• An integrated software package is a set of related, specialised
programs combined in a unified package that allows data to be
transferred easily between the programs.
• Customised software is general-purpose software that has been
modified to better meet the needs of an individual or
organisation.
• Custom-written (tailor-made) software has been written to meet
the specific needs of a company.
• System software manages and supports the resources and
operations of a computer system and include the operating
system (OS) and utility programs.
• An OS is a set of programs that governs the operation of a
computer. It manages computer resources, files, memory, tasks
and maintains security.
• The user interface is the user-controllable part of the OS, which
allows you to communicate, or interact, with it. The four types
are: command driven, menu-driven, graphical, and touch.
• The command-driven interface requires you to enter a command
by typing in codes or words.
• Menu-driven interfaces allow you to use either a mouse or cursor
movement (arrow keys) to make a selection from a menu. An
example is the ‘pull-down’ menu in Microsoft Word.
• The graphical user interface, also called WIMP (windows, icons,
menus and pointing devices), allows the use of graphics (icons),
 menus and simple keystrokes to choose commands, start
programs, see lists of files, and many other options. The most
popular example in use today is Windows.
• The touch user interface (TUI) allows the user to choose
commands, start programs, see lists of files and other options by
touching icons on a screen.
• Utility programs are system software programs that provide
useful services by carrying out common tasks and
‘housekeeping’ routines, such as: backup, disk fragmentation,
disk repair, virus protection, and language translation.
• Device drivers are programs that enable a computer to interact
with hardware devices that are attached to it.
• A language translator translates a program written in a particular
programming language into another programming language,
without losing the functional or logical structure of the original
code.
Chapter 6: Questions
Fill in the blanks
1 The general name given to all the programs that computers use
to perform different tasks is ______.
2 ______ are programs developed to carry out specific tasks or
to solve particular problems.
3 An ______ software package is a set of related programs
combined in a unified package that allows data to be
transferred easily between the programs.
4 Software that is written for a specific task rather than for a
broad application area is known as ______.
5 General-purpose software that has been modified to better
meet the needs of an individual or organisation is known as
______ software.
True or False?
1 General-purpose software is software that is not written for any
specific business or organisation.
2 An electronic encyclopaedia is an example of integrated
software.
3 A payroll program that deals with all aspects of a company’s
payroll is an example of specialised software.
4 Custom-written software is software that is written to meet the
specific needs of a company.
5 System software enables the running of application software
and the management of the system resources.
Multiple-choice questions
1 Which of these is an example of application software?
a Language translator
b Operating system
c Spreadsheet software
d Utility program
2 Which of these is system software?
a Word processing software
b Device drivers
c Entertainment software
d Simulation software
3 A file name usually consists of two parts – the name and the
extension, separated by a dot. Which is an example of a
graphic file extension?
a DOC
b TXT
c SYS
d JPEG
4 Which of the following is a service performed by a utility
program?
a Virus protection
b Boot up the computer
c Interact with hardware devices
d Language translator
5 Utility programs are an example of:
a system software programs.
b application software programs.
c graphic programs.
d productivity software.
Short-answer questions
1 With the use of examples, explain the difference between
application software and system software.
2 a Define the term ‘operating system (OS)’.
b Give TWO functions of the OS.
c Name ONE example of OS software used by personal
computers.
3 A command user interface requires you to enter a command by
typing in codes or words.
 a Name TWO other types of user interfaces.
b Explain how each of the named user interfaces functions.
4 The ABC Bauxite company has bought a software package
containing several applications to be used for different tasks
within the company.
a State the name of the type of package bought by the
company.
b Name ONE example of this type of package.
c Give TWO advantages and ONE disadvantage of buying this
type of software.
Research question
1 You are an analyst, working for a small manufacturing company
in Jamaica. The company has 200 desktop computers that run
the Windows 7 operating system (OS). This year the company
plans to upgrade the OSs of all the desktop computer to
Windows 10. You are asked to complete the following:
a How much would it cost to upgrade ONE computer?
b What are the memory and storage requirements of Windows
10?
c Will the existing system be able to run the OS or will new
systems be required?
d Which of the TWO OSs is best at protecting against
malware?
e What new features are included in Windows 10 that are not
available in Windows 7?
Crossword
Across
5 Software that is written for a specific task rather than for a
broad application area (11)
6 Software that contains a set of related programs combined in a
unified package that allows data to be transferred easily
between the programs (10)
 8 An OS that enables several program to run at the same time
(15)
Down
1 Consists of ROM chips or flash memory chips that store
instructions permanently (8)
2 Short programs written to automate several steps in software
such as databases, spreadsheets and word processors (6)
3 Software developed to carry out specific tasks or solve
particular problems (11)
4 Software that manages and supports the resources and
operations of a computer (6)
7 A type of system where the terminals and the computer are
linked interactively (6)
9 Programs that provide useful services, such as performing
common tasks and ‘housekeeping’ routines (7)
10 Small pictorial figures that represent, for example, programs,
folder, files, tasks and procedures (5)