Computer Software

Computer Software:

            The term “Computer Software” refers to the set of instructions provided by the programmer to perform automatic and user required tasks.

            Software Program is a set of instructions (codes) and it includes all the necessary steps or commands to perform a task. Generally, the software products are released after analyzing the codes written within it. This procedure is called as “Software Analyzing” in order to avoid runtime errors. So we experience correctness of performing tasks by a software program. Another example of a calculator program which has wrong instruction and displays the result of 1+1=3!

            The size of a software program depends on its codes and resources it uses. For example, if I make a software program with just an instruction to shut-down my computer, it may take less space. A program like Microsoft Office, which works with a lot of codes and instructions as well as a number of resources and hence take more space for installation.

Classification of Computer Software:

• Operating System Software

• Office Software

• Internet Software

• Painting or Illustration Software

• Game Software

• Educational Software

• Media Software

• CD Burning Software

• Utilities Software

• AntiVirus Software

• Computer Virus or Threat Software

Operating System Software:

            Operating System (simply, an OS) is a very important type of software, required to be loaded in computers to make them usable. The operating system is software which controls all the activities performed by the user as well as the programs installed. To install any program, game, you must have installed operating system. It is a set of lot of instructions compared to any application software, which are described follows. Operating system may be called as a Primary Software, as its work is more than of standard programs or software.

            Examples of operating systems are- Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Mac OS etc.

Office Software:

            Office or Business, Work Software includes all those software which are directly and indirectly used to maintain, share, print-out office documents, including letters, spreadsheets, presentations, databases and much more. Best examples of this software are Microsoft Office, OpenOffice.org etc. The category office software also includes programs that enable you to maintain accounting books, taxes, and employee’s salary information like Tally.

            The Office Software helps you create, read and modify office documents with support of formatting and other features like Mail Merge. Generally, an Office Software is a package which includes word processor, spreadsheet program, presentation program, database management software, e-mail software, mathematical software etc. depending on the manufacturing company. Hence, it may cost you a lot. But you may be having choice to purchase the programs separately that it contains. For example, if you only required a word processing and spreadsheet program, you can purchase only them, not to.

 Internet Software:

            This type includes all the web browser, e-mail and downloads management software programs.

Sub-Types of Internet Software:

• Web Browser Software: The software which enables you to view web sites, download contains on them and play online game is called “Web Browser” or “Navigating” software. Examples of this software are Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Web Brower, Netscape Navigator, Google Chrome etc.

• E-Mail Software: E-mail software facilitates you to create e-mails and sent them to your friends, colleagues. It also keeps the records of sent (outgoing), incoming (inbox), temporary deleted and spam e-mails. Examples of this software are Microsoft Office Outlook, Windows Mail, and Mozilla Thunderbird etc.

• Download Manager Software: A download manager software helps you maintain downloads on a web browser quicker and safer. Various useful options i.e. pause, stop download, automatic downloads and store downloaded contents with groups like programs, games, compressed files, documents, music and video.

Painting or Illustration Software:

            The software designed for creating illustrations or drawings and colouring them, is called as Painting or Illustration Software. Examples are, Microsoft Paint, CorelDraw etc.

            For making banners, advertisement and publishing them, you will need this type of software.

Game Software:

            Actually games are included in the term of software program. The game is software that is designed for entertainment of kids, younger. Computer Games are more developed than Video Games. The data stored in video games erases when you turn off the video game machine. But the data stored in computer games may not erase (depending upon the technology made) even after you turn off your computer.

Educational Software:

            This software is designed to teach something with the use of various features like multimedia, tours and presentations. For example, an educational CD teaching how to use the computers.

Media Software:

            Media Software help you manage media on your system and play, record and burn them. Examples are, Windows Media Player, VLC Media Player etc.

CD Burning Software:

            This is the software which enables you to copy disks and add data to disks. The process of adding files to the CDs or copying CDs is called as “Burning”. A CD Burning Software may include related programs that are usable to create covers to your disks. An example of this software is Nero.

            Latest updates of the CD Burning software allows you to add files to your DVDs. Some advanced software helps you insure the quality and health of the disks where they displays you the percentage of scratches on the disks.

            With CD Burning software, you may add your documents, music files, games and software programs to compact disks. Rewritable disks allow you to erase the contents on them and add-remove files on them. The process of erasing all the information on a disk and re-arrange the clusters on the disk, is called as”formatting a disk”. It is advisable you to choose Complete (Full) Format option instead of choosing Quick Format option. This may help you to preserve the life of the disk.

            Some CD Burning Software may provide you the option to add files to the CD later even after one burning completed. To do so, you should make sure that the option Allow Files to be Added Later is checked.

Utilities Software:

            Utility software allows you to customize the way that you use your computer. It provides you a number of customization options for your system such as changing computer theme, appearance, icons, and screensavers. To administrate your system (managing startup programs & services), utilities software provides a lot of settings. Utilities software also helps you optimize your system to boost-up its speed and correct the problems you having with it, such as, disk defragment, registry defragment, registry cleanup.

            Examples of this software are TuneUp Utilities, C-Cleaner, and StartupManager etc. Normally, utilities software is the package of all important tools. It is advisable for you to enable automatic maintenance of your system weekly of monthly.

AntiVirus Software:

            Antivirus software may be called as a Police Man who helps you insure that your computer does not contain any virus or Trojan horse software. The objective of this software is to help protect the system from viruses, spywares, Trojan horse software, spasm and any dangerous threats.

            It is advisable for you to keep your antivirus software is up-to-date. The process of updating adds definitions of latest viruses. This is because, suppose, you do not have updated your antivirus software yet, and scanned your entire system for viruses, it may not show you correct result. Although if your system is infected by latest viruses, the antivirus software may not detect them and you will think that your system is safe!

            Examples of antivirus software: AVG Internet Security, Kaspersky, Norton etc. If you experience failures in installations when antivirus is enabled, try disabling it, if the installation program came from a trusted source. If you are daily scanning your system for potential viruses, threats, and considering necessary protection steps, your system may be safer than of others.

Computer Virus or Threat Software:

             The simple meaning of the term “computer virus” is that a program containing harmful or dangerous instruction to damage to your system or data safety. There are various types of viruses- some are harmful to your system, some are harmful only to your data, some are the Trojan horses, which enters in your system with developed technologies.

            Viruses can make their own copies as they want and mainly without your permission. This is the main cause of spreading viruses from a computer to the removable hardware devices connected to it i.e. pen drives, compact disks etc.

To avoid viruses, you must have up-to-date antivirus software. Only download the programs those you trust.

            May be or may not be viruses are made by some antivirus software products manufacturers in order to increase their sells. Also it is true that some mad computer experts also help to create and develop new viruses for the purpose of fun and to get important data, passwords of others.

            The common symptoms of virus infection are as follows:

1)      Task Manager is Disabled: If you see the message “Task Manager has been disabled by your system administrator” every time you click to launch the task manager, this may be the cause.

2)      Folder Options are Unavailable: When you find that the sub-menu Folder Options from Tools Menu in Windows Explorer is unavailable or disabled, this may be the case.

3)      Computer is Running Very Slow: This is one of the symptoms of a virus infected computer, because viruses normally runs in the background and perform their tasks.