Computer Software Types Lesson Objectives At the end

Computer Software Types

Lesson Objectives • At the end of this lesson you will be able to explain how and why particular hardware or software is suitable for a particular task; • and list and discuss criteria which can be used to evaluate or judge the suitability of hardware and software.

Main Types Of Software Generic • General-purpose software, such as word processors and spreadsheets. Specialised packages • Sold for specific uses, e. g. managing the accounts of a large organisation. Bespoke software • Written specially for the end user by a team of people within the company or by external consultants; for example the software which manages London's congestion-charging system.

All computers are a part of a system made up of: • hardware • software • the data being used A system like this can fail if any of the parts do not fit together, but there are ways to fine-tune the system: Train and re-train people as the system changes. Training is often needed due to a decision to change either the hardware or software. Keep the data as accurate as possible. Upgrade software and hardware and replace it as new versions and types become available. Add new input and output devices if they will improve efficiency. Use evaluation criteria to decide what software and hardware to buy and how it will be used.

Software Evaluation • Evaluation is performed to ensure the most suitable piece of software (or hardware) is purchased. Typically evaluation criteria will include: • End User Needs - what does the user of the software want to do, what are their present skills and how do they intend to use the software? It is important to be very clear about the problem that is to be tackled by the software. For example, a disabled person who wants to write letters but cannot type might strongly consider software with lots of ready-made letter templates that can then be added to using voice recognition. • Functionality - does the software perform the functions required? Does it have specific facilities? For example, someone buying a spreadsheet application might need to produce graphs and charts.

, , , Performance - how well does the software work? This is normally available as benchmark test reports where independent tests have been carried out using the software. Ease of use - how easy is the software to use? Is there built-in help? It is important to be happy with the user interface. Compatibility with existing data - will the new software be able to read any data that is already in use, i. e. in a different format or file type? If not, is it easy to convert existing files to a readable format? Compatibility with existing hardware - software is written to run on a specific operating system, e. g. Windows, OSX (Macs) or Linux. It is sometimes written to run on and take advantage of specific hardware too. The new software needs to be compatible with the existing operating system and hardware.

, , , , • Robustness - how does the software handle problems? Robust software works well in combination with different hardware and software without crashing. • Cost - costs have to be weighed against the benefits that the software will bring. These may be about making more money or doing something quickly or with fewer staff hours involved. Price doesn't always dictate the best piece of software for the job, i. e. just because it's more expensive it doesn't necessarily means it's better. • Support - the level of support when using the software can be crucial to making it a success or failure. Is a telephone or web based helpdesk available for the software? Are there any tutorials or training courses available? • Customisation - will the software allow users to change the look and feel so that it does exactly what they need? If so, is this easy to do?

Benchmark Tests These are standard tests to assess how well particular types of software or hardware work. They are used to evaluate new software and hardware releases using a series of scored tests. Many computer magazines publish the test results. A typical test for a printer might be how long it takes to print a page of text. Advantage It's a good way of getting cheap advice on the suitability of one product when compared to what else is available. Disadvantage Benchmark tests may not include a feature that is really important to a particular end user. In fact they may be based on features the user may not be interested in at all.

Conclusion There are many different types and there use depends on the tasks at hand the capabilities of the hardware.

Next: • Applications and programming languages • System software • Programming software

Further Reading • https: //www. reference. com/technology/difference-between-systemsoftware-application-software-examples 7 a 1 c 3 c 6460586 e 3 b? qo=content. Similar. Questions • https: //www. wisegeek. com/what-are-the-different-types-ofsoftware. htm • https: //www. webopedia. com/Did. You. Know/Hardware_Software/type s_of_software. asp

Exercise • How Many Types of Software Are There? • What Are Two Main Types of Software You Will Find in a Computer? • What Are the Different Types of System Software? • The Difference Between System Software and Application Software With Examples