Lesson 3 - Computer Software

Lesson 3: Computer Software

Computer Software

is a general term for the various kinds of programs used to operate computers and related devices.

Computer Software

is also a collection of instructions that enables the user to interact with a computer, its hardware, or to perform tasks.

Computer Software

is a set of instructions and associated documentation that tells a computer what to do or how to perform a task.

Software

is the instructions that the computer follows.

Application Software

is used to accomplish specific tasks other than just running the computer system.

Single Program

consists of a program, such as a n image viewer

Software Package

a small collection of programs

Software Suite

a larger collection of related but independent programs and packages that have a common user interface or shared data format, such as Microsoft Office.

Productivity Tools / Application Suite

A collection of related programs sold as a package.

Multimedia Software

Tools used for a mixture of audio, video, image and text content.

Media Players

Tools used to play audio or video files.

Internet Browsers

Used to access and view websites.

Communication Software

Tools that connect systems and allow text, audio, and video-based communication.

Database Software

Used to store data and sort information.

Antivirus Program

Tools that lets you protect your system from malicious threats

System Software

helps the user, hardware, and application software to interact and function together.

System Software

is a type of computer program that is designed to run a computer's hardware and different application programs.

Driver Software

is often classified as one of the types of system software.

Driver Software

operate and control devices and peripherals plugged into a computer

Drivers

are important because they enable the devices to perform their designated tasks

Drivers

each device connected with your computer requires at least one device ______ to function.

Programming Software

is the type of software that is not used by end-users. It is not for you unless, of course, you are a developer or a programmer who writes code

Programming Software

are programs that are used to write, develop, test, and debug other software

Programming Software

For someone who works at a software development company, for example, this type of software would make their life easier and efficient

Version

represents the progression or evolution of a product or system over time.

Version

are sequential updates or iterations, often introduced to add features, fix bugs, or improve performance.

Version

typically replace their predecessors and provide a better user experience.

Version

Example: From Windows 10, new version was released called as Windows 11.

Variant

refers to an alternative or adapted form of a product or system

Variant

usually coexist within the same time frame, each serving a distinct audience or purpose. They are often derived from a shared base design or platform but differ in specific attributes or features.

Variant

Example: Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro Edition

Patches

are small updates released by software developers to fix specific issues or vulnerabilities in a program.

Patches

are the changes or modifications are made to existing features instead of the release of new key features.

Patches

are designed to address bugs, security flaws, or other issues that have been identified after the initial release of the software

Patches

is typically small in scope and targeted to address a problem.

Patches

Example: From Windows 8 to Windows 8.1

Richard Stallman

developed the “free and open source software”

FOSS

free and open source software

FLOSS

free, libre and open source

Free and Open Source Software

a software which could be copied by others and made changes too as they pleased.

Open Source Software

can be defined as software distributed under a licensing agreement which allows the source code (computer code) to be shared, viewed and modified by other users and organizations.

Free and Open Source Software

is a software that respects the user freedom that means you can have the software freely without any charge (pay no licensing fees to use).

4 Essentials of Freedom

1. Freedom to run the program whenever you wish (free to use)

2. Freedom to study the source code of the program and change it to make a program that do what you wish (free to modify)

3. Freedom to distribute the copies of the program to others (free republication / recopy)

4. Freedom to distribute the copies of the modified version

Linux

The most well-known example of open source software

Open Source Software

it is a software you can modify and adapt it to your necessities.

Free Software

commonly, cannot be transformed. You can use it for free but only with qualities or features with it was created. It is not flexible at all

Proprietary Software

reserves all rights to the author except a license to run the software on the purchaser's computer.

Proprietary Software

Herein, the software developers attempt to prevent outsiders from gaining access to their source code (closed-source), this in order to protect the sole right of the proprietor to add features or correct defects.

Software License

is a document that provides legally binding guidelines for the use and distribution of software.

Software License

provide end users with the right to one or more copies of the software without violating copyrights.

Software License

allows an individual or group to use a piece of software.

Perpetual License

authorizes users to utilize the software permanently, normally at a single one-time charge.

Perpetual License

tend to minimize lifetime ownership costs which means after buying the license the licensee can use that software forever.

Subscription License

are obtained on a monthly or annual basis and give users the ability to use the software only within the specified subscription period.

User-Based Licensing

is a type of software licensing that requires software providers to set their licensing fees depending on the number of users using the software in the company.

User-Based Licensing: Users Named

each software license is mainly given for each person, and that is also with a login and password that can be used to safely access the software from any such type of computer

User-Based Licensing: Concurrent Users

requires a specified amount of users of an enterprise or company to share consumer licenses.

Metered / Consumer-based Licensing

limits software access based on something that can be counted. The criteria can be the number of times the user has signed in, the number of times they've used a particular feature, or even the amount of time they've spent using the software.

Metered / Consumer-based Licensing

software provider charges licensing fees based on how and where users access specific device functions, data, or other services.

Feature-based License

makes different features available to different customers. It allows you to offer the same software at different price points.

Network License

are a common model for a software license for companies with more than 1000 employees.

Network License

provides software connectivity to all apps and computers linked to a single network.

Network License

may support an infinite number of users or could be used to promote a concurrent licensing model that limits the total range of network sessions for such particular use.

Trial License

it’s the license for the trial of the premium plugin, theme, or any other software. These free trials help a lot to introduce your product and all the effective features

Fixed-Term License

a license provides a start date, usually the date of purchase, and an end date for access to the software. Although technically a subscription license can also fit this definition, fixed-term licensing implies that the customer don't necessarily expect to renew the license.

Academic License

is used by companies that build educational software for schools, colleges, universities.

Original Equipment Manufacturer

is a license for software that is delivered with the hardware and is only for use on that piece of hardware

Project-based License

lets collaborators from outside an organization hop on to the organization's software licenses for as long as they're working together

Project-based License

lets a software customer grant access to other people, sometimes even letting the customer decide on the features or use-time that the new user can access

End User License Agreement

This is a contract between the software developer and a potential user. By means of this contract it is established that the developer of the software is its de facto owner, and that a copy of the respective software bought from a vendor (or downloaded from the Internet) only licenses it to a user.

Free Software License

is a notice that gives the software user rights to modify the software that’s provided for free

General Public License

It is a widely used free software license, which guarantees end users the freedom to run, study, share and modify the softwares in the free and open-source software dom

General Public License

one of the most popular software licenses in the free and open-source software domain

Berkeley Software Distribution License

originated from a Unix-type operating system. They fall under the category of permissive licenses, and there is minimal restriction on how you use and distribute them.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology License

a type of licensing where you can change software code to their own needs and create a new product without facing any restrictions or at least minimal restrictions.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology License

One of the main reasons that the ___ license is so popular is that they can modify the code, add to it, and then publish and distribute their own version as well as being able to sell it.

Internet Systems Consortium License

is a permissive license. It could be described as a ‘stripped-down’ version of the MIT license as it removes some of the language and jargon that some people consider unnecessary.

Apache License

Produced by the Apache Software Foundation, Apache is a permissive free software license that is very popular with developers and commercial organizations.