Questions and Answers
What is the primary function of system software?
To manage computer hardware and provide common services to computer programs.
What is the purpose of device drivers in a computer system?
To allow the operating system to interact with hardware devices.
What is the main difference between low-level and high-level programming languages?
Low-level languages are closer to machine language and require more code, while high-level languages are farther from machine language and easier to use.
What is the primary function of application software?
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What is the purpose of utilities in a computer system?
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Study Notes
Software
Definition
- A set of instructions or programs that tell a computer what to do
- Contrast with hardware, which refers to the physical components of a computer
Types of Software
-
System Software: manages computer hardware and provides common services to computer programs
- Operating System (OS): manages hardware and provides a platform for running application software (e.g. Windows, macOS, Linux)
- Device Drivers: allow OS to interact with hardware devices
- Utilities: perform maintenance and management tasks (e.g. disk formatting, virus scanning)
-
Application Software: performs specific tasks or solves problems
- Productivity Software: helps with tasks such as document creation, calculation, and presentation (e.g. Microsoft Office)
- Graphics and Multimedia Software: creates and edits images, audio, and video (e.g. Adobe Photoshop, Premiere Pro)
- Games: entertainment software
Software Development
-
Programming Languages: used to write software
- Low-level languages: close to machine language, require more code (e.g. Assembly, C)
- High-level languages: farther from machine language, easier to use (e.g. Python, Java)
-
Software Development Life Cycle: process of designing, building, testing, and maintaining software
- Requirements gathering and analysis
- Design
- Implementation (coding)
- Testing and debugging
- Deployment and maintenance
Software Licensing
- Proprietary Software: owned and controlled by a single entity, often with restrictive licensing
- Open-Source Software: freely available, modifiable, and distributable source code
- Free Software: emphasizes user freedom and flexibility, often open-source
Software Definition
- A set of instructions or programs that tell a computer what to do
- Contrasted with hardware, which refers to the physical components of a computer
Types of Software
-
System Software: manages computer hardware and provides common services to computer programs
- Operating System (OS): manages hardware and provides a platform for running application software (e.g. Windows, macOS, Linux)
- Device Drivers: allow OS to interact with hardware devices
- Utilities: perform maintenance and management tasks (e.g. disk formatting, virus scanning)
-
Application Software: performs specific tasks or solves problems
- Productivity Software: helps with tasks such as document creation, calculation, and presentation (e.g. Microsoft Office)
- Graphics and Multimedia Software: creates and edits images, audio, and video (e.g. Adobe Photoshop, Premiere Pro)
- Games: entertainment software
Software Development
-
Programming Languages: used to write software
- Low-level languages: close to machine language, require more code (e.g. Assembly, C)
- High-level languages: farther from machine language, easier to use (e.g. Python, Java)
-
Software Development Life Cycle: process of designing, building, testing, and maintaining software
- Requirements gathering and analysis
- Design
- Implementation (coding)
- Testing and debugging
- Deployment and maintenance
Software Licensing
- Proprietary Software: owned and controlled by a single entity, often with restrictive licensing
- Open-Source Software: freely available, modifiable, and distributable source code
- Free Software: emphasizes user freedom and flexibility, often open-source
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