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Software

Software

Software is a finite set of instructors which is supposed solve a problem; software has beginning point and ending point. Software is an implementation of an algorithm which runs in computer system. We use different types of software daily:

• Application Software: Application software helps users with their frequently occurring tasks and activities like: creating documents, creating tables, formatting documents, surfing internet, checking emails, communicating. Word processor, spreadsheet, web browser, presentation tools, messaging programs are examples of application software.
• System Software: System software control, manage the hardware and prepare environment for application software to execute. Operating system is system software without which computer is nothing. Linux, Windows, macOS are examples of the operating systems. Operating system performs following tasks:
  • Resource management: Operating system allocates and deallocates memory for the processes as required.
  • File Management: OS manages files in the system; helps in creating file, accessing files.
  • Task Management: OS manages and schedules tasks in the computer system; which tasks should run when, to how long etc are decided by operating system.

Types of Application Software

Software can be categorized into two types based on how is it built.

• Custom-built Software: Software build for individual customer after collecting and understanding requirement of the users from the software is customer software. The user owns their custom-built software. They can do what they like with that software.
• Commercial-Off-the-shelf (COTS) software: This kind of software is produced or built for huge number of customers; This kind of software will have features and functions which most of the customers will required; customers have to purchase license of this software; customers don’t own it.

Software suit and Integrated Packages

Software suit is collection of several software; Microsoft office is an example of software suit. The applications bundled in the suit are easy to use; lots of features and functions will be similar in those applications; as users get familiar with one application, they can use another also. As users get idea about MS word s/he can also use MS Excel, MS PowerPoint easily. The applications will have numerous features; customers may not need all those features; or customers never use all of those features. MS word is loaded with so much features and functions; all of those features may not be required by the users. The software suits used to be big in size; they occupy huge memory in computer. This is one of the limitations of the software suite.

Integrated Packages: Integrated software includes features of more than one application program. The integrated software will not be heavy as software suit. It includes only those features from different application programs which are necessary for the customers. This software is cheap compared to software suit.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)

Software hosted in server computers for customers usage are examples of the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). SaaS provides different tools that are used from the web browser. Google Docs is an example of SaaS. With the gmail account user can access and use application of Google Docs; user have to login the goolge with their ids then they can access documents from anywhere anytime. The document are shareable, protected; users don’t have to think of losing their documents; Google with take care of the documents.

Open-Source Software

Open-Source software is software which source code or base code is available for study, enhancement, modification, and use. Different programmers can contribute to improve the open-source software. The open-source software can be improved by anybody, but they can’t sell it to other customers.