software+3

** SOFTWARE **


 * TASK 1: FILL IN THE GAPS **

Use the words below just **once** in order to fill in the gaps


 * SPREADSHEETS || SYSTEM || PROGRAMMES || UTILITY ||
 * VIRUS || HARDWARE || DATABASES || SOFTWARE ||
 * WORD || OPERATING || WEB ||  ||

Hardware is any physical device that makes up part of or plugs into your computer, you can see it, touch it and pick it up. Software is everything else, the system software or applications that allow you to perform your various tasks. There are two main types of computer software – system software and application software. System software includes the operating System, and utility programs that control how the hardware of a computer works. Application software includes common programs that you use daily, for example word processors, spread sheets and utility It also includes e-mail programmes, web browsers and antivirus software.


 * TASK 2: OPERATING SYSTEM **

Explain in one or two sentences what an operating system is and give an example of one.

An operating system is a type of program that manages and integrates your hardware and software, it may be graphical, command line, menu, hybrid, gui-less and other specialized types, windows is a good example
 * TASK 3: TYPES OF OPERATING SYSTEM **

Name the two main types of operating system

1. Graphical 2. menu driven interface


 * TASK 4: TASKS OF THE OPERATING SYSTEM **

What are some of the jobs that an operating system might do?

Operating systems have to monitor and control all the hardware in a computer and keep them in check, an operating system has to allow a user to operate and control data and the hardware without damaging itself, the hardware or injuring the user.


 * TASK 5: TYPES OF APPLICATION SOFTWARE **

There are three main categories of application software. They are known as:

1.Off the shelf 2. custom 3. bespoke


 * TASK 6: GENERAL PURPOSE APPLICATIONS SOFTWARE **

Explain briefly what this term means

General purpose software is the type of software you can just pick off the shelf or just download, this is intended for the general public and may fulfil most if not all of the owner’s needs, however these may not fulfil the needs of specialists or very advanced operations.

** GENERAL-PURPOSE SOFTWARE ** The most common types of general purpose software are listed in the table. You need to write a description of what they are used for, and an example of each.


 * ** General Purpose Software ** ||  ** Description **  ||  ** Example(s) **  ||
 * Database || Used to store and retrieve information || MS Access, FileMaker ||
 * Spreadsheet || Used to do calculations and store information in a grid format with inbuilt equations and calculations feature || Excel ||
 * Word Processing || Used to processes text information with efficiency and ease || TeX ||
 * Desktop Publishing (DTP) || Being able to publish documents with only needing a computer || Microsoft word( publication format) ||
 * Graphics Packages || Used to edit and process images and graphical information and create images. || Photoshop ||
 * Computer-aided design (CAD) || Used to design 3 dimensional or dimensional real life objects with textures. || AutoCAD ||
 * Communications || Used to communicate with other computer users || Skype ||
 * Presentation Graphics || Used to create digital presentations with graphics || Powerpoint ||
 * Web Design Packages || Used to create html and JavaScript websites and/or online content and animations || Flux 3 ||


 * TASK 7: REASONS FOR USING GENERAL PURPOSE APPLICATIONS SOFTWARE **

List the main reasons why people choose to use this type of software:

General purpose software is the most common and probably the easiest to use out of all the software, it is usually the cheapest and has the most support because it is the most commonly used, the limitations of general purpose software are that even though it tries to, it may not fulfil the needs of every person.


 * TASK 8: INTEGRATED PACKAGES **

Explain what this term means and why people might choose to use this type of software

Integrated packages as the name suggests is a collection suite, of useful software that will fullfill most or all needs of the general public but does have limitations because of how it is designed for the general public, it may become overly simplified or may not have very complex operations available.


 * TASK 9: TAILOR MADE OR BESPOKE SOFTWARE **

Explain what this term means and why people might choose to use this type of software

Tailor or custom made software is the most expensive software but usually custom made and built for certain people individually, this is very expensive and may be hard to operate for the general public and has little or no support. Tailor made software may also breach licensing permissions because it usually involves modifying a certain piece of software to do more, modifying an open source application is not illegal however modifying one that isn’t may have law repercussions.