INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER

Chapter 5
Computer Software
Revised by: Ansar Javed
Govt. Graduate College Garhmaharaja, Jhang.
Slides Copyrights © PM Series (Original Authors)
Computer Software
Chapter 5 – Computer Software
 Computer Software
• A set of instructions given to the computer to solve a particular problem (or to
perform a specific task) is called software
• Software is also called a computer program
• A computer cannot do anything without software
• Software tells the computer what to do and how to do
• Hardware operates under the control of a given set of instructions
• Therefore, a computer performs different operations according to the given
instructions
• Software is developed in a particular computer programming language
• Types of Software
 Application Software
• A program or set of programs that are specially designed to perform a specific
task or to solve a specific problem is called application software
• Today, various application software are available for different purposes
• Some application software are developed for a particular organization or
customer such as software developed to maintain the records of students of a
particular college
• Similarly, some application software are developed by software development
organizations (or any programmer) to solve some common problem of many
people or users such as word processing software
• Kinds of application software are given in next slides
 Application Software
Productivity Software
• Software which is used for creating documents, worksheets, presentations,
and graphs, etc. is called productivity software
• It is used to solve some common problems of many people or users
• Examples of productivity software
• Word Processing Software
• This software is used for creating and editing documents such as letters, memos, reports, essays, etc.
• Example  Microsoft Word
• Spreadsheet Software
• Spreadsheet software is used to organize data into an electronic sheet in the form of rows and
columns and to perform calculations on the data
• Columns and rows collectively are called a worksheet
• Spreadsheet software also provides the facility to create various types of charts for displaying data
graphically
• Example  MS Excel
 Application Software
Productivity Software
• Database Management Software
• A database is a collection of related data or records on any subject such as records of the books in a
library, and information about the students of the college
• Data in a database can be accessed very easily
• Database management software is used to create, access, and manage databases
• Examples  Microsoft Access, Oracle, and MySQL
• Presentation Software
• Presentation software is used to create slides for making presentations to communicate ideas,
messages, and other information to a group
• Example  Microsoft PowerPoint
• Software Suite
• A software suite is a collection of individual-related applications available as a single package
• It is also called an application suite or productivity suite
• Example  Microsoft Office
 Application Software
Graphics and Media Software
• Graphics software is used to create, manipulate, and print graphics
• Graphics can be any drawing, sketch, picture, or photograph
• Mostly engineers, architects, desktop publishers, and graphics artists use graphics and media
software
• Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
• CAD software is a type of 3-D graphics application
• It is mostly used by engineers, architects, and scientists for creating engineering, architectural, scientific designs and
models
• Engineers use CAD software to create designs of vehicles, electronic devices, roadways, bridges, and designs of
security systems, etc.
• Similarly, architects use CAD software to design the structures of buildings
• Scientists use them to create designs of molecular structures
• Examples  AutoCAD and Chief Architect
• Desktop Publishing Software
• Desktop Publishing (DTP) software is used to design high-quality commercial documents that contain text and graphics
and different combinations of colors
• DTP software is ideal for designing or producing high-quality textbooks, brochures, newsletters, marketing literature,
advertisements, postcards, greeting cards, letterheads, business cards, banners, calendars, logos, product catalogs, and
annual reports
• Examples  Adobe InDesign, Adobe PageMaker, Microsoft Publisher, and QuarkXPress
 Application Software
Graphics and Media Software
• Paint Software
• Paint software is used to create and modify graphics
• Paint software is also called Illustration software
• This software allows users to draw pictures, shapes, and many other graphical images
• Example  MS Paint
• Image Editing Software
• Image editing software also provides the same capabilities as Paint software but it has additional
capabilities that are used for editing or modifying the existing images
• Examples  Coral Draw and Macromedia Free-hand
• Photo Editing Software
• Photo editing software is a type of image editing software
• It is used to edit and customize digital photos
• This software provides features to improve the quality of photos by modifying contrast & brightness
and adding special effects such as shadows and glows
• Examples  Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office Picture Manager
 Application Software
Graphics and Media Software
• Video & Audio Editing Software
• Video consists of full-motion images played at various speeds
• Video Editing software is used to modify a section or part of a video, called a clip
• For example, it can be used to change (reduce) the length of a video clip, reorder a series of clips, or
add special effects to clips such as words that move horizontally across the screen
• Example  Adobe Premiere
• Web Page Authoring Software
• Web page authoring software is used to create web pages that include graphical images, videos,
audios, animations, and other special effects
• This software also allows users to organize, manage, and maintain their websites
• Examples  WordPress, Dreamweaver, and Microsoft FrontPage
 Application Software
Software for Communication
• Software for communication is used by the people for exchanging information
electronically among each other
• Computer files can also be transferred from one computer to another through
communication software
• Many communication applications/software are available
• Email Software
• Email stands for electronic mail
• Email software is used to exchange messages and files through a computer network (such as the
Internet)
• Example  Microsoft Outlook
• Browsing Software
• Browsing software is used to access and view web pages on the Internet
• Browsing software is called the web browser or simply browser
• Example  Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer
 Application Software
Software for Communication
• Chat Software
• A chat is a real-time online typed conversation with one or more online users
• Chat client software is used to chat with others who are online at the same time
• Chat client programs are built-in in some operating systems, websites, and most browsers
• These programs are also available for free on the web
• Example  ICQ
• Video Conferencing Software
• Video conferencing software is used for conducting live conferences between two or more
participants at different sites through a computer network
• Examples  Zoom, CU-SeeMe, GoToMeeting, iMeet, and WebRTC
 Application Software
Entertainment Software
• Software which is used for the entertainment of people (users) is called
entertainment software
• Computer games are the most popular types of entertainment software
• Similarly, some entertainment software are available to watch the movie and
listen to music, etc.
• Examples  Windows Media Player and Real Player
 System Software
• Software which controls and coordinates different operations of a computer
system or mobile device is called system software
• It controls the working of different parts of the computer (computer
hardware)
• It also helps to run application programs on the computer
• System software is an essential part of the computer system
• Examples
• Operating system
• Device driver
• Utility software
• Language processors
 Operating System
• An operating system is a set of system programs that controls and coordinates the
overall operations of a computer system or mobile device
• A computer needs an operating system to do work
• We cannot operate a computer (or mobile device) without an OS
• Without an OS, a computer or mobile device is like a car with no fuel
• OS acts as an interface between the user and the computer system or mobile device
• Users interact with computer (or mobile device) through OS
• Examples of OS  Microsoft Windows, Linux, UNIX, Mac OS, Chrome OS, and
Android
• Most OS perform similar functions i.e.
• Providing a user interface
• Managing application programs
• Managing memory
• Coordinating tasks
• Managing files on the storage devices
• Managing and controlling I/O devices, etc.
 Categories of Operating System
Desktop Operating Systems
• A desktop operating system is also called the stand-alone operating system
• It works on desktop or laptop computers
• Some desktop operating systems also work along with a server operating
system
• These desktop operating systems are called client operating systems
• The client operating systems can work with or without a network
• Examples  DOS, Windows, UNIX, Linux, Mac OS, and Chrome OS.
 Categories of Operating System
Server Operating Systems
• UNIX
• UNIX is also used as a server operating system
• It can handle a high volume of transactions in a multiuser environment
• It can work with multiple processors
• It is widely used on web servers because it has powerful security features
• Linux
• Linux is also used on network servers because it provides a secure, stable multiuser
environment
• Linux is mostly used on web servers and on supercomputers
• Solaris
• Solaris is a version of UNIX
• It was developed by Sun Microsystems
• It is a server operating system designed specifically for e-commerce applications
• It has very advanced security features
• It is used for online transaction systems
Utility Programs
Chapter 5 – Computer Software
 Utility Programs
• A software that helps user to solve the specific problems related to hardware
or software or computer files is called a utility program
• A large number of utility programs are available for the service of hardware
and software
• Most operating systems include various utility programs
• Many other utility programs are available on CDs or can be downloaded from
the Internet
• Examples are
• File Manager
• Disk Cleanup
• Uninstaller
• File Compression
• Backup and Restore
• Antivirus
• Device Drivers
 Device Drivers
• Programs that control the operations of hardware devices are called device
drivers
• Each device requires a device driver
• When we attach any type of device to a computer such as a printer, scanner,
network card, or digital camera, etc., it will not work without a device driver
• We have to first install the driver of a device on our computer before using it
• Device drivers are provided by device manufacturers
• Some devices like mouse, keyboard, monitor, USB flash drive, etc. are “Plug
and Play” devices
• These drivers are built-in with Windows
• When a “Plug and Play” device is attached to the computer, its driver is
automatically installed
For more details, refers to

PM Series

Introduction to Computer

by
CM Aslam, Aqsa Aslam, Mussadiq Fida, &
Mudassir Ahmad

Publisher: Majeed Sons