Computer Software

Computer software is defined as a set of programs and procedures that are intended to
perform some tasks on a computer system. A software program is a set of instructions
that are aimed at changing the state of computer hardware. At the lowest level software
is in a form of an assembly language, a set of instructions in a machine-understandable
form. At the highest level, software is in a form of high-level languages, which are
compiled or interpreted into machine language code.

Major Types of Software

Computer software systems are classified into three main types, namely, system
software, programming software and application software. System software is
comprised of device drivers, operating system, server and other such software
components, which help the programmer abstract away from the memory and hardware
features of the system. Programming software assists the programmer in writing
programs by providing him/her with tools such as editors, compilers, linkers, debuggers
and more. Application software, one of the most important types of software, is used to
achieve certain specific tasks.

What is Application Software?

Application software utilizes the capacities of a computer directly to a dedicated task.
Application software is able to manipulate text, numbers and graphics. It can be in the
form of software focused on a certain single task like word processing, spreadsheet or
playing of audio and video files.

Different Types of Application Software

Word Processing Software: This software enables the users to create and edit
documents. The most popular examples of this type of software are MS-Word,
WordPad, Notepad and some other text editors.

Database Software: Database is a structured collection of data. A computer database

relies on database software to organize the data and enable the database users to
achieve database operations. Database software allows the users to store and retrieve
data from databases. Examples are Oracle, MSAccess, etc.

Spreadsheet Software: Excel, Lotus 1-2-3 and Apple Numbers are some examples of
spreadsheet software. Spreadsheet software allows users to perform calculations. They
simulate paper worksheets by displaying multiple cells that make up a grid.

Multimedia Software: They allow the users to create and play audio and video media.
They are capable of playing media files. Audio converters, players, burners, video
encoders and decoders are some forms of multimedia software. Examples of this type
of software include Real Player and Media Player.

Presentation Software: The software that is used to display information in the form of
a slide show is known as presentation software. This type of software includes three
functions, namely, editing that allows insertion and formatting of text, methods to include
graphics in the text and a functionality of executing the slide shows. Microsoft
PowerPoint is the best example of presentation software.

Examples of Application Software

Enterprise Software: It deals with the needs of organization processes and data flow.
The customer relationship management or the financial processes in an organization
are carried out by means of enterprise software.

Information Worker Software: Individual projects within a department and individual

needs of creation and management of information are handled by information worker
software. Documentation tools, resource management tools and personal management
systems fall under the category of this form of application software.

Educational Software: It has the capabilities of running tests and tracking progress. It
also has the capabilities of collaborative software. It is often used in teaching and self-
learning.

Simulation Software: Used to simulate physical or abstract systems, simulation

software finds applications in both, research and entertainment. Flight simulators and
scientific simulators find a place in the list of simulation software.

Content Access Software: It is used to access content without editing. The common
examples of content access software are web browsers and media players.

Thus we see that application software have made it possible for us users to interact with
the computer systems. Application software has served as a boon in harnessing the
computing power in the accomplishment of certain important individual and
organizational tasks.

Utility Software
Because no one likes to really think about utilities
Utility software is the name applied to a broad category of software that helps you run
applications and software, usually as an add-on. It is software that performs a specific
utility rather than a major function or application. Some examples of utility software are
disk defragmenters and/or disk cleaners, and there are many more ways that software
is used to aid the efficiency of other software suites and applications.

Utility software is a kind of system software designed to help analyze, configure, optimize and
maintain the computer. A single piece of utility software is usually called a utility (abbr. util) or
tool.

Utility software should be contrasted with application software, which allows users to do things
like creating text documents, playing games, listening to music or surfing the web. Rather than
providing these kinds of user-oriented or output-oriented functionality, utility software usually
focuses on how the computer infrastructure (including the computer hardware, operating system,
application software and data storage) operates. Due to this focus, utilities are often rather
technical and targeted at people with an advanced level of computer knowledge.

Most utilities are highly specialized and designed to perform only a single task or a small range
of tasks. However, there are also some utility suites that combine several features in one piece of
software.

Most major operating systems come with several pre-installed utilities.

Utility software categories

 Disk storage utilities

 Disk defragmenters can detect computer files whose contents are broken across several
locations on the hard disk, and move the fragments to one location to increase
efficiency.
 Disk checkers can scan the contents of a hard disk to find files or areas that are
corrupted in some way, or were not correctly saved, and eliminate them for a more
efficiently operating hard drive.
 Disk cleaners can find files that are unnecessary to computer operation, or take up
considerable amounts of space. Disk cleaner helps the user to decide what to delete
when their hard disk is full.
 Disk space analyzers for the visualization of disk space usage by getting the size for each
folder (including sub folders) & files in folder or drive. showing the distribution of the
used space.
 Disk partitions can divide an individual drive into multiple logical drives, each with its
own file system which can be mounted by the operating system and treated as an
individual drive.
 Backup utilities can make a copy of all information stored on a disk, and restore either
the entire disk (e.g. in an event of disk failure) or selected files (e.g. in an event of
accidental deletion).
 Disk compression utilities can transparently compress/uncompress the contents of a
disk, increasing the capacity of the disk.
  File managers provide a convenient method of performing routine data management
tasks, such as deleting, renaming, cataloging, uncataloging, moving, copying, merging,
generating and modifying data sets.
 Archive utilities output a stream or a single file when provided with a directory or a set
of files. Archive utilities, unlike archive suites, usually do not include compression or
encryption capabilities. Some archive utilities may even have a separate un-archive
utility for the reverse operation.
 System profilers provide detailed information about the software installed and
hardware attached to the computer.
 Anti-virus utilities scan for computer viruses.
 Hex editors directly modify the text or data of a file. These files could be data or an
actual program.
 Data compression utilities output a shorter stream or a smaller file when provided with
a stream or file.
 Cryptographic utilities encrypt and decrypt streams and files.
 Launcher applications provide a convenient access point for application software.
 Registry cleaners clean and optimize the Windows registry by removing old registry keys
that are no longer in use.
 Network utilities analyze the computer's network connectivity, configure network
settings, check data transfer or log events.
 Command line interface (CLI) and Graphical user interface (GUI) Allows the user to
contact and make changes to the operating system.
 operating system

)The most important program that runs on a computer. Every general-purpose

computer must have an operating system to run other programs. Operating
systems perform basic tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard,
sending output to the display screen, keeping track of files and directories on the
disk, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers.

For large systems, the operating system has even greater responsibilities and powers. It
is like a traffic cop -- it makes sure that different programs and users running at the
same time do not interfere with each other. The operating system is also responsible for
security, ensuring that unauthorized users do not access the system.

Operating systems can be classified as follows:

 multi-user : Allows two or more users to run programs at the same time.
Some operating systems permit hundreds or even thousands of concurrent
users.
 multiprocessing : Supports running a program on more than one CPU.

 multitasking : Allows more than one program to run concurrently.

  multithreading : Allows different parts of a single program to run
concurrently.

 real time: Responds to input instantly. General-purpose operating systems,

such as DOS and UNIX, are not real-time.

Operating systems provide a software platform on top of which other programs, called
application programs, can run. The application programs must be written to run on top
of a particular operating system. Your choice of operating system, therefore, determines
to a great extent the applications you can run. For PCs, the most popular operating
systems are DOS, OS/2, and Windows, but others are available, such as Linux.

As a user, you normally interact with the operating system through a set of commands.
For example, the DOS operating system contains commands such as COPY and
RENAME for copying files and changing the names of files, respectively. The
commands are accepted and executed by a part of the operating system called the
command processor or command line interpreter. Graphical user interfaces allow you to
enter commands by pointing and clicking at objects that appear on the screen.

These are the minimum requirements for basic functionality. Actual

requirements vary, depending on the system configuration and the programs
and features that you choose to install. If you are installing Windows XP over
a network, you may need additional available hard-disk space.

The minimum hardware requirements for Windows XP Home Edition are:

 Pentium 233-megahertz (MHz) processor or faster (300 MHz is

recommended)
 At least 64 megabytes (MB) of RAM (128 MB is recommended)
 At least 1.5 gigabytes (GB) of available space on the hard disk
 CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
 Keyboard and a Microsoft Mouse or some other compatible pointing
device
 Video adapter and monitor with Super VGA (800 x 600)or higher
resolution
 Sound card
 Speakers or headphones
For more information about system requirements for Windows XP Home
Edition, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/evaluation/sysreqs.mspx
(http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/evaluation/sysreqs.mspx)

For more information about Windows XP Home Edition, visit the following
Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/choosing2.mspx
(http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/choosing2.mspx)

The minimum hardware requirements for Windows XP Professional include:

 Pentium 233-megahertz (MHz) processor or faster (300 MHz is

recommended)
 At least 64 megabytes (MB) of RAM (128 MB is recommended)
 At least 1.5 gigabytes (GB) of available space on the hard disk
 CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
 Keyboard and a Microsoft Mouse or some other compatible pointing
device
 Video adapter and monitor with Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher
resolution
 Sound card
 Speakers or headphone.

Windows XP
The Windows eXPerience operating system is
available as home and professional edition and are
similar suitable for the use on standalone
computers. The home edition is suitable for user
which worked with Windows 9x/ME till now and
don't need special network or security features in
theire environment. If the user have used Windows
NT/2000 private, in business or both, the
Professional Edition is not only with a view of the
administration optimally. Microsoft already encloses 10,000 drivers on the installation
media of Windows XP, about the Windows update further more 2,000 drivers are
available.
The Professional Edition of Windows XP has more network features than the Home
Edition. An update of Windows 9 x/ME is possible, with Windows NT/2000 only the
Professional Edition can be used for update. Optional FAT32 and NTFS are available as
a file system for the installation partition.

Windows XP (Windows version 5.1) becomes a predecessor of Windows 9x/ME as well

as Windows NT/2000 and is available for 32-bits CPUs in the following versions:

- Embedded
- Home Edition (1 CPU) for private user (Oct. 2001)
- Professional Edition (2 CPU) for business user (Oct. 2001)
- Media Center (1 CPU) especially for multimedia devices (Nov. 2002)
- Tablet PC Edition especially for Tablet PCs (Nov. 2002)
- Server Edition (4 CPU)
- Advanced Server (8 CPU), also 64-bit Intel CPUs
- Microsoft Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (July 2007)

A 64-bit version of Windows XP was announced officially of Microsoft in April 2003.

The RC2 was available in February 2005. Windows XP Professional x64 was published
in April 2005. At most 16 gbyte RAM are utilizably with that, the virtual address range
enlarges to 16 tbyte.

Same will be the product activation at all versions, which is needed at every new
installation or extensive upgrade of the PC devices. Company customers can use an
so-called Corporated version by a special licensing option without this product
activation.

As the most visual innovation the revised Windows interface with the new design is
well done, the design called Luna (as of beta 2428) can display window elements in
high colour. The return to the interface as of Windows 2000 is further possible. The
representation and organisation of the central registry is quit the same as used in
Windows 2000.

Standard features of Windows XP - Home and Professional

Fast user switching

Network assistant
Remote control for the diagnosis (Remote assistant)
Simplified user interface
Windows Media Player
Internet Explorer 6.0
Windows Movie Maker

Special features of Windows XP - Professional Edition

ASR - Automated System Recovery

Create of offline files
Backup/recovery function
User guidelines (Policies)
User administration (limited in Home Edition)
File system encrypting (only for NTFS)
Integration of the PC in a domain
Integration of dynamic data storage
Use as a terminal service client
Use as a NetWare-Client
Remote connection (desktop sharing)
Use of multiple monitors
EFS support in the file system
Send and received Fax support
SMP (use of more than one processor)
The graphic device interface (GDI) in the version GDI+ can take advance of gamma
correction and 3D interfaces in high colour depth. Windows XP is more based on HTML
than previous versions. The system control was designed complete in HTML. With the
new CD-R/CD-RW software It is it is possible to create easy and simple CDs. The
Windows terminal service makes the access to an shared Windows XP desktop with an
terminal client like the VNC solution.

With the new introduced multi-user function, user are now be able to run her
applications in the background even if the user signs off and another user is logging on
to Windows. If the previous user returns he can continue his work after that without
having to once more start the recent documents or applications.

The Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP needs about 900 mbyte of free storage
space. Another system modification is the Security Center, which shows the status
and settings of the firewall, automatic updates and one additional anti virus program.
The new memory function "data execution prevention" protects software code in the
memory in front of manipulation like the insert of malicious program code to be
executed (also called No Execute or NX), the protection works only with 64-bit
processors. The improved firewall now can detect waitign ports for connections and
the defination of exception rules for various network services.

The browser was extended by an pop-up blocker, the file execution protection (as
well for Outlook Express) with informations about the used download zone was
revised generally. Downloaded programs inherit the zone information of the browser
and warn before the execution from Internet files as well as with the NTFS file system
also before executing on local partitions.

Microsoft showed the naming for a Windows without Windows Media player on March
28, 2005. It is called Windows XP Home Edition N and Windows XP Professional
Edition N on the market. Microsoft followed with this change the demands of to the
EU-Kommision for a better competition between further software houses which offers
a own media player like Realplayer, QuickTime and Winamp. There is no price
difference to the standard Windows versions.