Application Software CSC 151 Application Software Consists of

Application Software CSC 151

Application Software ¢ ¢ Consists of programs designed to make users more productive and/or assist them with personal tasks Uses l l To make business activities more efficient To assist with graphics and multimedia projects To support home, personal, and educational taks To facilitate communications

Application Software ¢ Forms of Application Software l Packaged • Mass-produced, copyrighted retail software • Meets the needs of a variety of users • Example, word processing and spreadsheet software l Custom • Performs functions specific to a business or industry • Companies use programmers to develop tailor-made software l Open-source • Provided for use, modification, and redistribution • No restrictions from the copyright holder regarding modification of the software’s internal instructions

Forms, cont. l Shareware • Copyrighted software that is distributed at no cost for a trial period • After the trial expires, the user sends a payment to the program developer to continue use of the software l Freeware • Copyrighted software provided at no cost by an individual or a company l Public-domain • Donated for public use and has no copyright restrictions

System Software ¢ ¢ System Software serves as the interface between the user, the application software, and the computer’s hardware. To use application software (ex. Word), your computer must be running system softwarespecifically an operating system l Examples • Windows XP, 2000 • Linux • Mac OS X

Operating System ¢ ¢ Every time you start a computer, the operating system is loaded (copied) from the computer’s hard disk into memory. Once that OS is loaded, it coordinates all the activities of the computer. l l ¢ Starting application software Transferring data between input and output devices and memory While the computer is running, the OS remains in memory.

Working with Application Software ¢ The desktop is an on-screen work area that has a graphical user interface l ¢ ¢ ¢ GUI-Type of interface that allows a user to interact with software using text, graphics, and visual images, such as icons An icon is a small image displayed on the screen that represents a program, document, or some other object. A button is a graphical element that you activate to make a specific action take place. A menu contains a list of commands from which you make selections l A command is an instruction that causes a program to perform a specific action.

Working with Application Software ¢ A window is a rectangular area of the screen that contains data and information l ¢ A file is a named collection of stored data, instructions, or information. A file can contain text, images, audio, and video. l ¢ The top of the window has a title bar, which is a horizontal space that contains the window’s name A file name is a unique combination of letters of the alphabet, numbers, and other characters that identify a file. A dialog box is a special window that provides information, presents available options, or requests a response.

Business Software ¢ ¢ Business Software is application software that assists people in becoming more effective and efficient while performing their daily business activities. Programs such as: l l l Word Processing (MS Word) Spreadsheet (MS Excel) Database (MS Access) Presentation Graphics (MS Power. Point) Software Suite (MS Office 2003)

Graphics and Multimedia Software ¢ Software designed for a specific field of work such as architects, desktop publishers, and graphic artists l l l Computer Aided Design (CAD) Desktop Publishing Software Paint/Image Editing Software Video and Audio Editing Software Multimedia Authoring Software Web Page Authoring Software

Home, Personal, and Educational Software ¢ Designed specifically for the home user l Inexpensive (less than $100) Software suite (MS Works) ¢ Personal Finance (Quicken) ¢ Tax Prep (Tax. Cut) ¢ Desktop Publishing (The Print Shop) ¢ Photo Editing ¢

Communications Software ¢ Allow users to communicate and share information with others Email l FTP l Web Browser l Video Conferencing l Chat Rooms l Instant Messaging l

Utility Programs Considered system software ¢ Assist user with controlling or maintaining the operation of a computer, its devices, or its software. ¢ Antivirus l Spyware Remover l Internet Filters l • Pop-up Blocker • Anti-Spam

Web Applications ¢ Application software that runs on a website i. Notes l Map. Quest l ¢ User information is stored on a server

Memory and Storage Sizes Storage devices hold data, instructions, and information for future use. ¢ Memory holds those items temporarily ¢ 1 kilobyte=1, 024 bytes ¢ 1 megabyte=1, 048, 576 bytes ¢ 1 gigabyte=1, 073, 741, 824 bytes ¢ 1 terabyte=1, 099, 511, 627, 776 bytes ¢