1. CSCI-235 Micro-Computer Applications
Application Software

2. Software
Software – All the programs that give the computer its instructions
Two categories of software:
System software Application software
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3. Application Software
Application software refers to programs that enable the user to be productive when using the computer
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4. Application Software Personal Productivity Internet Home/Education
Word Processing
Spreadsheets
Address Books
Web Browsers
Home/Education
Multimedia/Graphics
Personal Finance
Tax Preparation
Reference
Games
Desktop Publishing
Photo Editing
3D Rendering
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5. Personal Productivity
Word Processor
Spreadsheet
Database
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6. Word Processor
Software for creating text documents (e.g., Microsoft Word)
More sophisticated programs for creating large documents (e.g., books) or documents with lots of graphics (e.g., brochures) are often referred as Desktop Publishing Software
Most modern word processors allow the integration of graphics with text
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7. Text Editors
A text editor is a program that you can use to create and modify files
UNIX systems typically offer a choice of text editors of which the vi editor is the most common
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8. Text Editors vs Word Processors
A text editor is not a word processor
A word processor typically does more than a text editor. Besides adding text to a file, most word processing programs allow you to control the appearance of the text (e.g., paragraph styles, typefaces, etc…) when it is printed
In contrast, a text editor does just that – edit text
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9. Spreadsheet
Software for working with numeric data, calculations and graphing/charting (e.g., Microsoft Excel, Lotus 1-2-3)
Modern spreadsheets include lots of built-in analysis tools and functions
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10. Databases
Software that allows the creating of highly structured containers for storing information (e.g., Microsoft Access)
Allows the user to perform queries
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11. Presentation/Multimedia
Software that allows the user to combine several data formats (e.g., text, audio, video) to create presentations (e.g., Microsoft Powerpoint)
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12. Multimedia/Graphics Desktop Publishing Photo Editing 3D Rendering
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13. Internet
Web Browser
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14. Home/Education Personal Finance Tax Preparation Reference Games
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15. Custom Software Specifically tailored to an organization’s needs
Organization hires computer programmers to design, write, test, and implement software
Can be extremely complex and take years to write
Used for specialized fields
Billing programs
Inventory tracking programs
Point of Sale software
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16. Custom Software
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17. Software Suite Individual applications share a common program code
Popular office suites offer a word processor, spreadsheet, database, presentation, and other programs
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18. System Requirements Sample Minimum System Requirements
IBM compatible PC with a 486 PC processor or better (Pentium® recommended)
Microsoft Windows® 95
12 MB RAM (16 MB recommended)
Hard disk space (standard installation approx. 100 MB)
CD-ROM drive (2x or better)
Mouse or other pointing device
System requirements refers to the minimum level of equipment needed to run a program
Platform– PC or MAC
Microprocessor
Drive– 3.5 Floppy or CD-ROM
RAM
Available hard disk space
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19. Software Version
Software producers include a version number with their products
Version numbers identify the release of the program being used
Recent releases have numbers greater than earlier releases (Recent Ver. 6.0; Earlier Ver. 1.0)
Whole numbers are major revisions (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, etc.)
Decimal numbers refer to maintenance releases or updates and fixes (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc.)
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20. Software Upgrades
Software upgrading is the process of keeping the application program current
Types of upgrades:
Patch – Small changes in the program
Service release – Major changes in the program
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21. Software Licenses and Registration
A software license gives the user the right to install and use the program on one computer
Organizations purchase a site license to install a program on many computers
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22. Types of software Most computer software is copyrighted
Software piracy – Infringing on a program’s copyright
Copyrighted software cannot be:
Copied
Altered
Used on more than one computer
Types of copyrighted software:
Commercial – Buy before using it
Shareware – Try it before you buy it
Freeware – Free software, but it can’t be copied and/or sold
Public domain software is not copyrighted. There are no restrictions on using, copying, altering, or selling the software
Zip, quickzip
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23. Installing and Managing Application Software
Install the software on the hard drive
Installation utilities guide you through the process
Installation changes the registry of the operating system
Use an uninstall utility to remove a program from the hard drive
Do not just delete a program from your files
Example
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24. Intelligent Software?
The field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) attempts to build intelligent entities
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25. Artificial Intelligence
AI is one of the newest sciences (1956) (McCarthy)
A truly universal field
learning and perception
playing chess
proving mathematical theorems
writing poetry
etc …
Still has openings for several full-time Einsteins
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26. How would we decide whether a computer is intelligent?
The Turing Test (Alan Turing, 1950)
Eliza
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27. The Turing Test Proposed by Alan Turing (1950) (the father of AI)
Based on indistinguishability from undeniably intelligent entities (i.e., we)
Is a computer that passes the test really intelligent?
Programming a computer to pass the test provides plenty to work on
Natural Language Processing
Knowledge Representation
Automated Reasoning
Machine Learning
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28. Acting Humanly: The Turing Test
Today, AI researchers devote little effort to passing the test
More important to study underlying principles of intelligence
Turing Test suggested major components of AI
Natural Language Processing
Knowledge Representation
Automated Reasoning
Machine Learning
Computer Vision
Robotics
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29. AI in the 21st century AI is everywhere
Fuzzy logic is used in elevators, washing machines, cars
Intelligent agents are used in many software applications
Robots explore other worlds, and toy robots play with children (and with some adults)
Expert systems diagnose diseases recommend cures
Computer games use AI
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30. State of the Art Which of the following can be done at present?
Play a decent game of table tennis
Driving in the center of Cairo
Buying a week’s worth of groceries at the market
Buying a week’s worth of groceries on the web
Playing a decent game of bridge at a competitive level
Discovering and proving new mathematical theorems
Writing an intentionally funny story
Giving competent legal advice in a specialized area of law
Translating spoken English into spoken Swedish in real time
Performing a complex surgical operation
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