DOMAIN 3: Applications & Software

System software

Software that runs the computer itself, e.g. the operating system

Application software

Programs that let users perform tasks, e.g. Word, browsers

Operating System (OS)

Manages hardware and software resources on a device

Driver

Software that lets the OS communicate with a specific piece of hardware

Firmware

Low-level software embedded in hardware, e.g. BIOS/UEFI

Local/installed application

Software installed and run directly on the device

Web-based application

Software that runs inside a browser with no install needed

Mobile application

Software built specifically for phones and tablets

Software license

Legal permission to use a piece of software

Open source software

Software whose source code is public and free to modify

Proprietary software

Closed-source software owned and controlled by a company

Software patch

An update that fixes bugs or security issues

Software upgrade

Moving to a newer version of software with new features

BIOS/UEFI

Firmware that initializes hardware when a computer boots

Single-user license

A software license that allows only one user

Multi-user/site license

A software license allowing multiple users or an entire site

Freeware

Software available at no cost, but not necessarily open source

Shareware

Software free to try, often limited until purchased

Compatibility

Whether software works properly with a given OS or hardware

Application architecture

How software is structured: local, web-based, or mobile