Working with Computer

Software
Computer Software
Types of Software
FOSS vs Proprietary
Software License
  is a set of instructions, data or programs used to operate
computers and execute specific tasks. It is the opposite of
hardware, which describes the physical aspects of a computer.
Software  is a generic term used to refer to applications, scripts and
programs that run on a device. It can be thought of as the variable
part of a computer, while hardware is the invariable part.
Main  Application Software
categories of  System Software
Software
  is software that directly operates the computer hardware and
provides the basic functionality to the users as well as to the other
software to operate smoothly. Or in other words, system software
basically controls a computer’s internal functioning and also
System controls hardware devices such as monitors, printers, and storage
devices, etc. It is like an interface between hardware and user
Software applications, it helps them to communicate with each other
because hardware understands machine language(i.e. 1 or 0)
whereas user applications are work in human-readable languages
like English, Hindi, German, etc. so system software converts the
human-readable language into machine language and vice versa.
Types of  Operating System

System  Language Processor

Software  Device Driver

  It is the main program of a computer system. When the computer
system ON it is the first software that loads into the computer’s
memory. Basically, it manages all the resources such as computer
Operating memory, CPU, printer, hard disk, etc., and provides an interface to
System the user, which helps the user to interact with the computer
system. It also provides various services to other computer
software. Examples of operating systems are Linux, Apple
macOS, Microsoft Windows, etc.
  As we know that system software converts the human-readable
language into a machine language and vice versa. So, the
Language conversion is done by the language processor. It converts
programs written in high-level programming
Processor languages like Java, C, C++, Python, etc(known as source code),
into sets of instructions that are easily readable by
machines(known as object code or machine code).
  is a program or software that controls a device and helps that
device to perform its functions. Every device like a printer,
mouse, modem, etc. needs a driver to connect with the computer
Device Driver system eternally. So, when you connect a new device with your
computer system, first you need to install the driver of that device
so that your operating system knows how to control or manage
that device.
 • System Software is closer to the computer system.
• System Software is written in a low-level language in general.
Features of • System software is difficult to design and understand.
System • System software is fast in speed(working speed).
Software • System software is less interactive for the users in comparison to
application software.
  Software that performs special functions or provides functions
that are much more than the basic operation of the computer is
Application known as application software. Or in other words, application
software is designed to perform a specific task for end-users. It is a
Software product or a program that is designed only to fulfill end-users’
requirements. It includes word processors, spreadsheets,
database management, inventory, payroll programs, etc.
Types of  General Purpose Software

Application  Customized Software

Software  Utility Software

General  This type of application software is used for a variety of tasks and
Purpose it is not limited to performing a specific task only. For example,
MS-Word, MS-Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
Software
  This type of application software is used or designed to perform
Customized specific tasks or functions or designed for specific organizations.
Software For example, railway reservation system, airline reservation
system, invoice management system, etc.
  This type of application software is used to support the computer
Utility infrastructure. It is designed to analyze, configure, optimize and
maintains the system, and take care of its requirements as well.
Software For example, antivirus, disk fragmenter, memory tester, disk
repair, disk cleaners, registry cleaners, disk space analyzer, etc.
 • An important feature of application software is it performs more
specialized tasks like word processing, spreadsheets, email, etc.
• Mostly, the size of the software is big, so it requires more storage
Features of space.

Application • Application software is more interactive for the users, so it is easy

to use and design.
Software • The application software is easy to design and understand.
• Application software is written in a high-level language in general.
  allows users and programmers to edit, modify or reuse the
software’s source code. This gives developers the opportunity to
improve program functionality by modifying it.
Free and Open  The term “free” indicates that the software does not have
constraints on copyrights. The term “open source” indicates the
Source software is in its project form, enabling easy software
Software development from expert developers collaborating worldwide
without any need for reverse engineering.
(FOSS)  Some of the best-known examples include the Linux kernel, the
BSD and Linux operating systems, the GNU Compiler Collection
and C library; the MySQL relational database; the Apache web
server; and the Sendmail mail transport agent.
 • Access the source code.
• Permission to make software modifications.
Features of • Free distribution of source code and changes.
Open Source • Distributing derivative works under the same terms as the original
Software program.
• The initial license for the software. You can obtain a new license,
but doing so is not required.
 • Source code can be tailored to your requirements.
• Reproduction and distribution are possible without payment.
• Free assistance because the community that utilizes the product
constantly answers problems, gives advice, creates forums, and
provides comprehensive documentation.
Advantages of • Fewer errors and more rapid resolutions. This relates to the prior
FOSS argument.
• Open source projects have the potential to be viewed, utilized,
and enhanced by millions of individuals.
• Consequently, some experts consider open source software to be
more secure.
• It is worldwide.
 • Limited coverage. This occurs because many people can alter it.
Additionally, they typically lack liability or infringement
Disadvantage indemnification coverage.

of FOSS • There can be compatibility concerns with open-source software,

and resolving them could be expensive.
  is any software that is copyrighted and bears limits against use,
distribution and modification that are imposed by its publisher,
vendor or developer. Proprietary software remains the property of
its owner/creator and is used by end-users/organizations under
predefined conditions.
 is primarily commercial software that can be bought, leased or
Proprietary licensed from its vendor/developer. In general, proprietary
software doesn’t provide end users or subscribers with access to
Software its source code. It can be purchased or licensed for a fee, but
relicensing, distribution or copying is prohibited.
 Examples of proprietary software include Microsoft Windows,
Adobe Flash Player, PS3 OS, Orbis OS, iTunes, Adobe Photoshop,
Google Earth, macOS (formerly Mac OS X and OS X), Skype,
WinRAR, Oracle's version of Java, Huawei's HarmonyOS and some
versions of Unix.
 • It requires purchase
• Possesses a license that belongs to a developer, company, or
Features of owner.
• Copying or distributing the file is illegal without access to the
Proprietary source code. It is illegal.
Software • The end-users consent is required for its use.
• You can be taken to jail if you breach any regulation or agreement
that you previously accepted.
  Stability
Advantage of  Revenue
Proprietary  Customer Support
Software  Effective user Interface
  The software is reliable because the proprietor is solely
responsible for its development. Therefore, the software's
Stability operation is stable. Additionally, it is not prone to crashing.
Consequently, they should be utilized for business goals.
  Since customers pay for the software, it is a significant money
Revenue stream for the developers.
Customer  Since the users pay for the program, it is the responsibility of the
sellers to provide customer support. However, since vendors get
Support revenue from clients, they cannot refuse to give technical help.
  Because the vendors rely on users to purchase their software, it is
Effective user essential to develop user-friendly software. In addition, there are
other open-source software options available. Therefore,
Interface developers must create a positive user experience. Consequently,
this program is user-friendly.
 • The software's longevity is dependent on the providers.
Consequently, if this software is taken from the market, there may
Disadvantage be a substantial loss for businesses using it.

of Proprietary • Software is quite expensive.

• The software has a rigorous design. However, it indicates that you
Software cannot customize the features to suit your needs.
• Users are not permitted to share the program.
  Management
 Protection
Differences of  Driver Support
FOSS and  Comparative Usability
Proprietary  Obscurity
Software  Price
 Scalability
  The mere notion that developers and programmers may examine
and edit the source code as they see fit screams control. More
Management control equals greater adaptability so that non-programmers can
benefit from open collaboration. Proprietary software, on the
other hand, restricts control to the software's owner.
  Because anyone with the necessary skills can add or alter extra
features to the program's source code to make it perform better, it
enables the software to be more sustainable, as software errors can
Protection be routinely fixed.
 In addition, as developers can operate without limitations, they can
correct flaws that the original developers or publishers may have
overlooked.
  Given that an open community of users has access to every line of
code, it is normal for open-source software products to be lacking
drivers.
 The program may incorporate modified code by one or more
individuals. Each of them is subject to various terms and
Driver Support restrictions.
 The project can be jeopardized by a lack of official sponsorship or
the usage of generic drivers. On the other hand, closed-group
assistance provided by proprietary software improves
performance.
  In contrast to open-source projects, proprietary ones are often
created with fewer end users with restricted skills.

Comparative  Moreover, unlike the open source community initiatives, they

target a small group of end consumers. Users outside the
Usability programming community will not even view the source code,
much less edit it.
  With no control over potential workarounds, the viewing
limitations prevented end users from efficiently altering or
troubleshooting the code.
 In addition, the internal structure of proprietary software is
rigorously closed-access, which lacks transparency and makes it
Obscurity nearly impossible for consumers to suggest improvements or
enhancements.
 Open source, on the other hand, encourages open participation,
resulting in fewer defects, faster bug patches, and fewer
complications.
  Companies attempting to choose between open source and
proprietary software frequently base their decision on price.

Price  Sometimes, proprietary software incurs subscription fees and

licensing fees and maintenance charges. All of these expenses
contribute to the cost of proprietary software. The use of open
source software, on the other hand, is virtually always free.
  Regarding small-scale projects, proprietary and commercial
software are nearly identical. However, when the scope of the
project expands, factual distinctions emerge.
 Regarding major projects, proprietary software is nearly always
the undisputed victor. However, the option is evident if your
organization wants software for massive tasks.
Scalability  Proprietary software is the best option if your organization wants
software for minor projects but plans to scale up projects soon.
This is because premium software will make it easier for your
organization to increase its activity area.
 If, on the other hand, your company's operations are and will
remain on a modest scale for the foreseeable future, then open
source software will likely meet all of your needs.
  A software license is a document that provides legally binding
guidelines for the use and distribution of software.
 Software licenses typically provide end users with the right to one
or more copies of the software without violating copyrights. The
license also defines the responsibilities of the parties entering into
the license agreement and may impose restrictions on how the
Software software can be used.

License  Software licensing terms and conditions usually include fair use of
the software, the limitations of liability, warranties and
disclaimers. They also specify protections if the software or its use
infringes on the intellectual property rights of others.
 Software licenses typically are proprietary, free or open source.
The distinguishing feature is the terms under which users may
redistribute or copy the software for future development or use.
Why software  A software license establishes the rights of all parties involved
with the software: the author, the provider and the end users. It
licenses are defines the relationship between the software company and users
important? and explains how they are protected.
 • They protect developers' intellectual property and trade
How license secrets based on copyright laws.
agreements • They limit what other parties can do with the covered
software code.
protect • They limit the liability of the vendor.
developers?
 • They define what users can do with software code they did not
write.
• They establish how users stay in compliance with software
How license licenses, protect themselves from infringement claims and limit
their legal liability.
agreements • They help users maintain a positive relationship with software
protect users? developers and vendors.
• They prevent overspending on licenses by establishing clear
parameters of how many licenses an organization needs.
  Public Doman
Types of  Lesser General public license

Software  Permissive

Licenses  Copyleft
 Proprietary
  This software is freely available. Anyone can use and change it or
incorporate code from this software into an application. However,
businesses should use caution as altered code may not meet
Public Domain enterprise quality and security standards. Companies should be
wary of ambiguous licenses that appear to be public domain but
do not explicitly say so.
Lesser General  Developers can link to open source libraries within their software
Public License and use any licensing type for the code.
  This type of license will establish some requirements for
distribution or modification of the software. It also has
requirements for preserving license notices, copyrights or
Permissive trademarks. There are several variations of permissive licenses,
including Apache, BSD (Berkeley Source Distribution)
and MIT licenses.
  Licensed code may be distributed or modified as part of a
software application or project if all code involved is distributed
Copyleft under the same license. New products containing old code with
a copyleft license must comply with the restrictions laid out in the
old code's license.
  This is the most restrictive license type. Proprietary software
licenses make it illegal to copy, modify or distribute the software.
Proprietary These licenses provide the software owners with the most
protection from unauthorized use of the software.
  Rosencrance, L. (2021, March 4). What is software? definition, types and examples. App
Architecture. https://www.techtarget.com/searchapparchitecture/definition/software
 GeeksforGeeks. (2023, August 29). What is software? definition, types, examples, and
more. GeeksforGeeks. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/software-and-its-types/
 Free and open-source software. Techopedia. (2012, May 25).
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/24181/free-and-open-source-software--foss
 GeeksforGeeks. (2020, March 2). Software freedom in FOSS (free and open-source
software). GeeksforGeeks. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/software-freedom-in-foss-
free-and-open-source-software/

References  Proprietary software. Techopedia. (2017, February 15).

https://www.techopedia.com/definition/4333/proprietary-software
 Technologies, W. (n.d.). Open source vs. proprietary software: Pros, Cons, examples and
differences. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/open-source-vs-proprietary-
software-pros-cons-examples-#:~:text=Open%20source%20software%20makes
%20the,new%20versions%2C%20or%20making%20copies.
 Lutkevich, B., & Lebeaux, R. (2021, October 14). What is a software license? everything
you need to know. CIO. https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/software-
license#:~:text=A%20software%20license%20is%20a%20document%20that
%20states%20the%20rights,it%20will%20be%20paid%20for.