According to Dictionary.com, computer software are programs used to direct the operation of a computer, as well as documentation giving instructions on how to use them. It also defines computer software as anything that is not hardware but used with hardware. Some common examples of computer software are programs such as Microsoft Word, Internet Explorer, and CD drives. Software is anything that enables the computer to perform specific tasks, as opposed to hardware. Although hardware and software work together, hardware is the physical components of the computer. Answers.com describes the pairs relationship as software being the set of instructions used to tell the hardware what to do. Although the distinction isn't clear, software is usually separated into three categories: system software, programming software, and application software.
System Software
System software is what helps run the computer hardware and computer system. It is mainly the operating systems on a computer. One example is the type of Microsoft Windows a computer uses. The latest version of Microsoft Windows, is called Windows Vista. On howstuffworks.com, they state that Windows Vista has two "behind-the-scenes" jobs:
- The first one is to manage hardware and software resources. This includes many of the main components of a computer such as the memory storage and processor.
- The other job is allowing programs to work in correspondence to the computers hardware.
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/inline-player.htm?videoId=2834&adCode=computer.howstuffworks.com/preempt/ros/computer/computer-software/os/windows-vista.htm
Programming Software
Another software branch is programming software. It is used to create, debug or support other software applications. Various programming language editors, such as Eclipse, fall into this category. What programming software basically does is convert numbers like 0'a and 1's into words like "add". Programming software is a mixture of analytical thinking and experimentation. After this information is analyzed, it is fed back to the program to see which which parts of the software need to be changed.
Here is a picture of programing software from whitefang.com.
Application Software
The last type of software is application software. Application software allows users to complete one or more specific tasks. Database software and multimedia software are the main examples of this specific type of software. Education software also falls under this category. Examples of how this is pertained to education is the use of mock tests, turning in assignments, and checking grades.
Here is the link to the website the University of Florida uses for assignments, tests, communication, and grade distribution. https://lss.at.ufl.edu/sakai-info/
I hope after reading this tutorial you have a better understanding of the different types of computer software and how they work. The relationship between hardware in software is extremely complex, so I tried to break it down in a way that is easily understood.
No comments:
Post a Comment