Types of Software
Types of Software
Types of Software
i. Off-the-shelf software
- ‘Off-the-shelf’ is the sort of software that is written especially to meet the
requirements of a client.
- Examples include word processors, spreadsheets, databases, desktop publishing
packages, graphics packages etc.
- This type of software tries to be a ‘jack-of-all-trades’ which provides many features
that the majority of users will want e.g. formatting text, creating charts, organising
tables. But there will be a vast number of features that you may never use e.g.
statistical functions, mail merge.
- This makes the storage size of these applications fairly large.
Examples of use:
Graphics application - manipulating images that can be used at home, school or a business
It will have been thoroughly tested so there won’t be any serious problems
or bugs
There will be lots of user support i.e. books, user guides, online help and
discussion forums on the Internet
ii. Custom written software
- Although most organisations use off-the-shelf software, some organisations will find
that it just does not do exactly what they want or it doesn’t work with their current
systems.
- In this case, they might decide to have the software system they need designed and
developed specifically for them. This is called ‘custom written’ or ‘bespoke’
software.
The company will get the exact software/system that they need
The software will work exactly how they want it to work
The software will only have the features that they specifically need in their business.
It takes a long time to develop such a system, between a few months to years
It costs a great deal of money to develop such a system.
The company may need to employ a team of people such as business analysts,
programmers, testers etc
Unlike off-the-shelf software, there is unlikely to be any internet forums or web sites
to help users. For example popular spreadsheet applications have dozens of online
help sites run by users and professionals. It is down to the company to provide
employee training which is an added cost.
iv. Freeware
- A software that is available free of cost for use and distribution but cannot be
modified as its source code is not available is called freeware. Examples of freeware
are Google Chrome, Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader, Skype, etc.
- While free software, commonly, cannot be transformed. You can use it for free but
only with qualities with it was created. It is not flexible at all.
With free software you can:
A software that is initially free and can be distributed to others as well, but needs to be paid
for after a stipulated period of time is called shareware. Its source code is also not available
and hence cannot be modified.
i. It has to be bough
ii. Has a license which is the property of a developer, company or the owner.
iii. Without access to its source code
iv. Free distribution or copy is prohibited. Actually, it is a crime
v. Its use depends on the end-users agreement
vi. They can take you to jail if you violate any rule or agreement you accepted before.
i. Limited warranty. This happens because lots of people can change it. Also usually
they haven’t liability or infringement indemnity protection.
ii. Open source software can have compatibility issues, and solving it could cost a lot of
money.
i. Stability. This maybe is the most important advantage. Creator gives you a software
which it was probed and it is capable to do perfectly all things an actions you saw
before buying it.
ii. Reliability and warranty of 100% from creators.
iii. Proprietary software is unique. You won’t find it in any place different from the
provider.
iv. Most compatibility in some cases.
i. Higher cost.
ii. You cannot modify the source code.
iii. You cannot share it or distribute it.
iv. You will be totally dependent on creators to upgrade and maintain the software in the
source.
v. Some specialist thinks that Proprietary software is less safe because security will
depend on software producers.
Open Source:
1. Linux Kernel
Proprietary
1. Avast:
It is an antivirus software and security suite that was launched in 1990. From there, they have
been on the top of the security software market.
2. Microsoft Window
Microsoft Windows is a group of several graphical operating system families, all of which
are developed, marketed, and sold by Microsoft. They are a family of software distributions
for PC, smartphone, servers and embedded systems, developed and sold by Microsoft and
available for multiple architectures, such as x86, x86-64 and ARM
3. Mac OS
MacOS is a series of graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Apple Inc.
since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac family of computers. Within
the market of desktop, laptop, and home computers, and by web usage, it is the second most
widely used desktop OS, after Microsoft Windows.
4. Adobe Suite
User interfaces
- The user interface (UI) is the point of human-computer interaction and
communication in a device.
- This can include display screens, keyboards, a mouse and the appearance of a
desktop.
- It is also the way through which a user interacts with an application or a website.
- Can be referred as the boundary between system (the user and the computer system)
- UI mainly performs two functions
i. Accepting the user’s input
ii. Displaying the output
Command line interfaces (CLI)
- Prompt the user to provide input by typing a command string with the computer
keyboard and respond by outputting text to the computer monitor.
- Used by programmers and system administrators, in engineering and scientific
environments, and by technically advanced personal computer users.
Features of CLI
i. You can only type text to give commands to the computer as in MS dos.
ii. There are no images and graphics on the screen.
iii. There was no need of a mouse as CLI. Did not support the use of pointing devices.
iv. In CLI only one task can run at a time.
v. It is also known as a single user interface.
vi. Example: DOS and Unix
Advantages of using a command-line interface are:
i. It is faster than the other types of user interfaces.
ii. Fast data transfer in CLI.
iii. Memory (RAM) is used lesser than GUI.
iv. It is cheaper to use as a lesser resolution screen can be used.
v. Lesser CPU processing time is needed.
vi. It does not need Windows to run.
- A GUI (Graphic User Interface) is a graphical representation in which the users can
interact with software or devices through graphical icons.
- A graphical user interface is the most common type of user interface available today.
- It is a very user friendly because it makes use of pictures, graphics, and icons - hence
why it is called 'graphical'.
i. In GUI more than one task can run simultaneously
ii. It is a very user-friendly interface
iii. Most modern computer use GUI
iv. This is an interface that makes use of graphics, images, and icons etc.
v. This interface made it possible for a mouse.
vi. GUI is much easier for CUI.
vii. Example: Windows, Linux, MAC OS
Windows − A rectangular area on the screen where the commonly used applications run.
Menus − A list of options from which the user can choose what they require.
Pointers − A symbol such as an arrow which moves around the screen as user moves the
mouse. It helps user to select objects.
i. GUI takes up a much larger amount of hard disk space than other
interfaces.
ii. They use more processing power than other types of interface.
iii. They need significantly more memory (RAM) to run than other interface
types.
iv. They let you exchange data between different software applications.
Dialogue interface
Advantages
- It allows users to interact with computers using speech. This is ideal for people with
impaired mobility and people with sight loss.
- Spoken Dialogue Systems do not require users to use unfamiliar gadgets. A phone is
all users need to interact with the system.
- They are faster since word can be spoken quickly than typing
- No need for physical interfaces hence are suitable for system such as home
automation where the commands can be given from anywhere to control equipment
such as light, entrainment system and curtains.(no remote is needed to control a T,
anyone in the room can give the command to increase the volume)
Disadvantages
- At present, Spoken Dialogue Systems are still mainly geared to younger and
technologically-knowledgeable users. They are currently less suitable for older and
inexperienced users.
- Problems with speech recognition may lead to frequent misunderstandings due to
differences to accent, voices, stummer and background noises
- The is need to know what commands are understood by the computer system as
otherwise the system will not know how to respond.
- Systems may lack intelligent to understand request in any format the user may choose.
Gesture based interfaces
Electronic industry- It is an industry where everyone is coming with the highest focus
on a user interface. Like Samsung galaxy, s4 immediately scrolls down when your
eyes reach the bottom of the page.
Medical industry benefit- One of the most benefits of gesture based human computer
interaction is surgeon can review patient’s case file.
Great for marketing strategy- Gesture based human computer interaction and virtual
reality mixture is a great strategy from marketing view point. Customer will feel real
and accurate experience which stands out your product from others.