Software

What is software?  Review: recall the difference between hardware and software (rigid vs. fluid)  Software, in essence, is a set of instructions that tell your computer’s hardware how to behave

OS (The Operating System)  Operating system: specialized software that coordinates all the activities among the hardware  Contains instructions for running application software  Also known as “platform” or “software platform”  Programs that can be run on different operating systems are called “cross platform” applications  The OS is basically the internal traffic cop for your computer

The User Interface  The user interface is the portion of the system software that allows you to interact with data on your computer  There are two types:  GUI (Graphical User Interface)  Command Line  GUI is more user friendly (mouse, icons, windows, etc.)  But the command line is faster

Application Software  Application software: a set of programs that are designed to perform specific tasks for the user  They serve to help users be more productive, not have to start from scratch every time  Example categories of applications: (iPhone folders)  Productivity  Graphic design  Home / personal / educational  Communications

So, let’s try writing a program …  Exercise: Your little sister is home alone while you’re out at a baseball game. She’s so hungry but can’t cook anything. She calls you and asks for instructions on how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Being as precise as you can possibly be, write down exactly what you would tell your sister over the phone.

Basic Idea  Computers are not that smart, but they are obedient  When writing software/programs, you must be very detailed and precise as your computer will often crash if you do not specify what exactly it is supposed to do