Computer Software Fundamentals

Flashcards covering the definitions, types, and examples of computer system and application software based on the lecture notes.

Software

Sets of instructions for a computer to perform specific operations or functions.

System Software

Software that directly operates the computer hardware and provides a platform for running application software.

Operating System

A type of system software that manages all the resources of the computer and provides common services for the other software that runs on top of them.

Linux

An example of an Operating System.

Device Driver

A special kind of software program that controls a specific hardware device attached to a computer, such as printers, graphic cards, modems, network cards, and sound cards.

Utility Software

Software designed to assist users in the maintenance and care of their computer, covering security, disk organization, and maintenance.

Utility Security

A category of utility software that includes Antivirus, Spyware Protection, and Firewall.

Utility Disk Organization

A category of utility software that includes Formatting, File Transfer, and Defragmentation.

Utility Maintenance

A category of utility software that includes System Information, System Cleanup, and Automatic Updating.

Application Software

Software which uses the computer system to perform special functions and provide entertainment functions beyond the basic operations of the computer.

Word Processing Software

Software used to format, beautify, and manipulate text, featuring error checking, grammar, and spell checking options; examples include MS Word, Wordpad, and Notepad.

Spreadsheet Software

Software used to store data in table format and perform calculations using intersecting cells for data fields such as time, date, text, and numbers.

Presentation Software

Software that lets you put forth thoughts and ideas in visual information by making interactive slides with videos, texts, charts, graphs, and images.

Multimedia Software

Software used to create or record videos, audio, and image files for use in video editing, graphics, and animations.

Web Browsers

Application software used to browse the internet to locate and retrieve data from the web.

Educational Software

Academic software particularly designed to facilitate learning, including all different kinds of tutorial software.

Graphics Software

Software used to make changes in visual data, images, and animation; examples include Adobe Photoshop, Unity 3d, and PaintShop.

Freeware

Software available free of cost for download and installation where users are not allowed to make changes to the source code.

Shareware

Software distributed on a trial basis where users must pay if they want to continue using it after the trial period.

Simulation Software

A monitoring program that allows the user to observe an operation without performing it, used in fields like engineering, robotics, and flight systems.