Computer Software By Richard Tyler Walker The Two

Computer Software By: Richard Tyler Walker

The Two Kinds of Software Are: • Systems Software, which includes operating systems, utilities, and device drivers • Application software, which is characterized as general purpose and special purpose

System Software • Enables the application software to interact with the computer hardware • System software is background software that helps the computer manage it’s own internal resources • It is not a single program, rather it is a collection of programs

The Collection of Programs Are: • Operating Systems, which are programs that • • coordinate computer resources Utilities, also known as service programs, which also perform special tasks related to managing computer resources Device Drivers, which are specialized programs designed to allow input or output devices to communicate with the rest of the computer system

Application Software • Described as end-user software • These programs can be categorized as either general purpose or special purpose applications • General Purpose Applications, also known as basic applications, are widely used in nearly all career areas

To Be Computer Competent: • General Purpose Applications are programs you need to know to be considered computer competent • One of these basic applications is a browser to navigate, explore, and find information on the internet

Two Most Widely Used Browsers: • Netscape Navigator • Internet Explorer • two of the most utilized internet browsers

Basic Applications: Type Description Browser Connect to Web sites and display Web pages Word Processor Prepare written documents Spreadsheet Analyze and summarize numerical data Database Management System Organize and manage data and information Presentation Graphics Communicate a message or persuade other people

Special Purpose Applications: • Also known as specialized applications • Include thousands of other programs that are narrowly focused on specific disciplines and occupations • Some of the best known applications are graphics, audio, video, multimedia, webauthoring, and artificial intelligence programs

Overview You should now have a better understanding of : • The two major kinds of software • Three types of systems software programs • And be able to define and compare general purpose and special purpose applications