1. SOFTWARE 3
Chapter

2. Chapter Topics 3.1 System Software
Common Features of the User Interface
Common Operating Systems
Application Software
Word Processing Software
Spreadsheet Programs
Database Software

3. 3.1 System Software
The Power behind the Power

4. Application Software System Software
Software developed to solve a particular problem for users
Either performs useful work on a specific task
Or provides entertainment
We interact mainly with this software
System Software
Enables application software to interact with the computer
Helps the computer to manage its own internal and external resources

6. System Software has 3 basic components
Operating System
—The principal component of system software
Device Drivers
— Help the computer control peripheral devices
Utility Programs
— Used to support, enhance, or expand existing
programs in the computer

7. Operating System (OS)
Low-level, master system of programs to manage basic computer operations
Every general-purpose computer must have OS to run other programs
OS allows users to concentrate on applications rather than on complexities of the computer
Each application program is written to run on top of a particular OS
Some OS functions: booting, CPU management, file management, task management, security management

8. Booting The process of loading an OS into the computer’s main memory
Booting involves four steps:
Turn the computer on
Test the main memory, CPU, and other hardware
Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) programs are copied to main memory
BIOS contains instructions for operating the hardware
The computer needs those instructions to operate the hardware and find a copy of the OS
Boot program obtains the OS and loads it into computer’s main memory

9. Central Processing Unit (CPU) Management
Supervisor is the software that manages CPU
Remains in memory while the computer runs
Memory Management
OS keeps track of memory locations to prevent programs and data from overlapping each other
Swaps portions of programs and data into the same memory but at different times

10. File Management A file is either a The file system arranges files in a
Data File: a named collection of data
Program File: a program that exists in a
computer’s secondary storage
The file system arranges files in a
hierarchical manner
Top level is directories (folders)
Subdirectories come below folders
Find files using their pathname. Example:
C:/MyDocuments/Termpaper/section1.doc

11. Task Management
Computers are required to perform many different tasks at once—to do task management
Task: An operation such as storing, printing, or calculating
Multitasking: Handling more than one program concurrently
Example: You do word processing while playing music on your computer
OS directs processor to alternate time on each program until processing is complete

12. Security Management
Operating Systems permit users to control access to their computers
Users gain access using an ID and password
You set the password the first time you boot up a new computer
After that, when you boot up, you’ll be prepared to type in your user name and password

13. Device Drivers Utilities
Specialized software programs that allow input and output devices to communicate with the rest of the computer system
When you buy a computer, many device drivers come with the system software
Device drivers also come with new hardware (on CDs/DVDs) or can be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website
Utilities
Service programs that perform tasks related to the control and allocation of computer resources
Some come with the OS, others can be bought separately like (e.g., Norton SystemWorks, McAfee Utilities)

14. 3.2 Common Features of the User Interface

15. Graphical User Interface (GUI)
Allows you to use a mouse or keystrokes to select icons and commands from menus
Three main features of GUI are desktop, icons, and menus
Desktop: The system’s main interface screen
Icons: Small pictorial figures that represent programs, data files, or procedures
Menus: Lists of built-in commands and/or options from which to choose

16. Most Operating Systems have the following:
Title Bar: runs across the top of the display window
Menu Bar: shows the names of the pull-down menus available
Toolbar: Displays menus and icons representing frequently used commands
Taskbar: The bar across the bottom of the Windows screen that contains the Start button
A window: A rectangular frame on the computer screen through which you can view a file of data or an application

18. 3.3 Common Operating Systems

19. Two principal systems are
Platform
The particular processor model on which a computer system is based
Two principal systems are
Mac platforms—run Apple Macintosh
PC platforms—run Microsoft Windows (e.g. XP, Vista, 7)
Some legacy systems still used—outdated but still functional
DOS (Disk Operating System)
Original Microsoft OS—hard-to-use command-driven user interface

20. 3.4 Application Software

21. Types of Application Software (Not standard)
Entertainment
Games
Education
Encyclopedias
learning programs
Productivity
Word processing
Spreadsheets
Databases
Specialized uses
Financial
Drawing & painting
Video editing
Animation

22. 3.5 Word Processing Software

23. Word Processing: uses computers to create, edit, format, print, and store text
Microsoft Word best known
Others:
Corel WordPerfect, Apple iWork Pages, Google Apps, Open Office, Zoho Writer

24. Editing Documents—Making alterations in content
Inserting: adding text to documents
Deleting: removing text from documents
Find & Replace
Find: lets you go straight to any text in your document
Replace: lets you automatically replace it with something else
Cut, Copy, & Paste
Select the text you want to move
Copy (or cut) to clipboard, then paste in new location

25. Spelling Checker: tests for incorrectly spelled words
[Note: Do not rely on spelling and grammar checkers to be 100% accurate!]
Grammar Checker: highlights poor grammar, wordiness, incomplete sentences, and awkward phrases
Thesaurus: offers suggestions for alternative words with the same meaning

26. 3.6 Spreadsheet Programs

27. Spreadsheets: to create tables and financial schedules
Enter data and formulas into rows and columns on screen
Programs; Microsoft Excel, Corel Quattro Pro, Lotus 1-2-3
Organized into columns and rows on a worksheet
Labels are descriptive text
Cells are where a row and a column meet
Cell address is the position of the cell
Range is a group of adjacent cells
Values are numbers or dates entered into a cell
See Microsoft Excel

28. Analytical Graphics: Creating Charts
Spreadsheets allow you to automatically create graphs
Analytical graphics: graphical forms that make numeric data easier to analyze
Examples of types of analytical graphics:
Column charts
Bar charts
Line graphs
Pie charts
Scatter charts

29. 3.7 Database Software

30. Database: structured collection of interrelated files
in a computer system
Database software: sets up and controls the structure of a database and access to data
Principal microcomputer databases: Microsoft Access, Corel Paradox
Benefits databases:
Data redundancy is minimized
Data is integrated and stored in a structured fashion
Data in databases has more integrity
Data may include text, numbers, and graphics

31. Relational database: data organized into related tables
Each table contains rows (records) & columns (fields)
Key is field used to sort data
Most frequent key field is social security number
Tables with the same key field are linked together
Querying and displaying records
Database software offers a quick way to locate records
Saving, Formatting, Printing, Copying, Transmitting
Can save results, format them in different ways, print as reports, copy to other documents, & transmit as