IB ITGS - 3. Software
Operating System software is responsible for managing and controlling all of the computer's hardware.
It provides a user interface to let the user manage programs.
It provides a platform on which application software can run.
It carries out multiple tasks:
Task and memory management: manage background programs and assign resources.
Security management: security for multiple users by requiring each user to authenticate themselves with a username and password.
Firewall software: to restrict incoming and outgoing traffic and prevented unauthorized access.
Command Line Interface: where the user types a series of commands using the keyboard.
Graphical User Interface: operated with a mouse or similar pointing device.
Communicating with hardware: the operating system controls all hardware devices such as disk drives, printers, and screens that are attached to the computer. It does this transparently to the user.
The term 'platform' is often used to describe a particular combination of hardware and operating system.
Windows: the most common operating system for personal desktop and laptop systems.
MacOS: Apple's OS for Mac computers.
Unix: known for security, stability, and scalability - the ability to take advantage of many types of hardware configurations, such as multiple processors.
Linux: a 'Unix-like' OS which is free software.
SymbianOS: for mobile phones, managed by Nokia.
Android: based on Linux and developed by Google for mobile phones.
iOS: Apple's OS for mobile devices.
Utility software is the basic software included with operating systems to performing common 'housekeeping' tasks, helping to maintain and manage the computer.
Disk defragmentation: optimizes hard disk performance by arranging files into contiguous sectors.
Backup programs: used to compress and back up important files.
Encryption: secure files, folders, and disks in the event of theft or loss of the computer.
System monitoring: monitors system resources such as processor and memory usage and optimizes them to improve performance.
Disk clean up: detects and deletes unneeded files, such as temporary files created by some applications, that have built up over time. This helps reclaim valuable disk space.
Accessibility options: sets options for disabled users, such as increased font size or screen contrast.
Anti-virus software: used to detect and remove malicious software such as viruses, Trojan horses, and spyware.
System updates: updates the operating system with the latest security and performance 'patches' released by the software's creators.
Compression software: used to compress files to save disk space or network bandwidth, and decompress them again.
Disk fragmentation: a file is stored in several sectors which are scattered across different parts of the disk.
Reduces risk performance.
Caused by hard disks being divided into sectors, each sector can only store data for one file.
A full backup is a complete backup of all data on a computer system.
An incremental backup is used to backup only the files that have changed since the last backup.
For security reasons, backup copies should be kept off -site in a secure location away from the main copy of the data.
Application software allows the user to perform tasks to solve problems, such as creating documents, managing finances, or editing images.
Also called productivity software.
Types:
Word processing software: allows the creation of typed documents.
Mail merge: allows a single template document to be customized for individual people.
Desktop Publishing software: allows the creation of documents such as leaflets, brochures, posters, newsletters, and magazines.
Presentation software: focuses on the creation of slides for giving verbal presentations.
Spreadsheet software: used to perform tasks involving lots of calculations.
Database software is used to create, store, structure, and sort a collection of data about a set of items, search for certain data using queries, and produce printed reports.
Web development software: to design and create websites.
Graphics software is used to create or edit digital images.
Vector graphics software focuses on the creation of images using mathematical shapes.
3D rendering software allows the creation of 3D objects.
Computer Aided Design (CAD) software focuses more on product design.
Audio software is used to record, edit, and mix digital audio.
Video editing software allows images, sound, and video to be combined.
Accounting software helps manage finances.
Note taking software is designed for users who frequently attend lectures, classes, or conferences. It differs from word processing software because the text entered is free-form.
Often separate application programs which perform related tasks are sold together in application suites.
Computer software is a form of intellectual property and is therefore protected by copyright laws.
Commercial software is software which is licensed or sold for profit by the companies that create it.
Shareware is software which is distributed for no cost and is free to use for a limited period of time.
Freeware can be distributed for no cost, but the software's copyright is still maintained by the author.
Public domain software is software for which the creator has relinquished all rights.
The central idea of Free and Open Source Software (also called open source, FOSS, or software libre) is that users have the freedom to use the software as they please. T
Single user license: allows only one user to use the software.
Multi-user license or concurrent license: allows a fixed number of users to install and use the software.
Site license: allows the software to be installed on as many computers as desired, and used by as many users as needed, provided that they exist in the same organization or on the same physical site
Cloud computing is a new phenomenon in computing which takes a different approach to the storage and availability of software and data.
Instead of being stored on a local computer or network server, cloud computing applications are web-based, stored on a remote server on the Internet ('in the cloud').
When the user saves their data, that too is saved 'in the cloud' - on the remote Internet server. No data is stored on the user's computer.
Graphical user interface: uses visual buttons, menus, icons, and windows to represent different parts of the computer, including the hardware, software, and data.
Command line interface: the user interacts with the computer solely by typing commands.
Menu-driven interface: let the user make selections from a series of predetermined options.
Operating System software is responsible for managing and controlling all of the computer's hardware.
It provides a user interface to let the user manage programs.
It provides a platform on which application software can run.
It carries out multiple tasks:
Task and memory management: manage background programs and assign resources.
Security management: security for multiple users by requiring each user to authenticate themselves with a username and password.
Firewall software: to restrict incoming and outgoing traffic and prevented unauthorized access.
Command Line Interface: where the user types a series of commands using the keyboard.
Graphical User Interface: operated with a mouse or similar pointing device.
Communicating with hardware: the operating system controls all hardware devices such as disk drives, printers, and screens that are attached to the computer. It does this transparently to the user.
The term 'platform' is often used to describe a particular combination of hardware and operating system.
Windows: the most common operating system for personal desktop and laptop systems.
MacOS: Apple's OS for Mac computers.
Unix: known for security, stability, and scalability - the ability to take advantage of many types of hardware configurations, such as multiple processors.
Linux: a 'Unix-like' OS which is free software.
SymbianOS: for mobile phones, managed by Nokia.
Android: based on Linux and developed by Google for mobile phones.
iOS: Apple's OS for mobile devices.
Utility software is the basic software included with operating systems to performing common 'housekeeping' tasks, helping to maintain and manage the computer.
Disk defragmentation: optimizes hard disk performance by arranging files into contiguous sectors.
Backup programs: used to compress and back up important files.
Encryption: secure files, folders, and disks in the event of theft or loss of the computer.
System monitoring: monitors system resources such as processor and memory usage and optimizes them to improve performance.
Disk clean up: detects and deletes unneeded files, such as temporary files created by some applications, that have built up over time. This helps reclaim valuable disk space.
Accessibility options: sets options for disabled users, such as increased font size or screen contrast.
Anti-virus software: used to detect and remove malicious software such as viruses, Trojan horses, and spyware.
System updates: updates the operating system with the latest security and performance 'patches' released by the software's creators.
Compression software: used to compress files to save disk space or network bandwidth, and decompress them again.
Disk fragmentation: a file is stored in several sectors which are scattered across different parts of the disk.
Reduces risk performance.
Caused by hard disks being divided into sectors, each sector can only store data for one file.
A full backup is a complete backup of all data on a computer system.
An incremental backup is used to backup only the files that have changed since the last backup.
For security reasons, backup copies should be kept off -site in a secure location away from the main copy of the data.
Application software allows the user to perform tasks to solve problems, such as creating documents, managing finances, or editing images.
Also called productivity software.
Types:
Word processing software: allows the creation of typed documents.
Mail merge: allows a single template document to be customized for individual people.
Desktop Publishing software: allows the creation of documents such as leaflets, brochures, posters, newsletters, and magazines.
Presentation software: focuses on the creation of slides for giving verbal presentations.
Spreadsheet software: used to perform tasks involving lots of calculations.
Database software is used to create, store, structure, and sort a collection of data about a set of items, search for certain data using queries, and produce printed reports.
Web development software: to design and create websites.
Graphics software is used to create or edit digital images.
Vector graphics software focuses on the creation of images using mathematical shapes.
3D rendering software allows the creation of 3D objects.
Computer Aided Design (CAD) software focuses more on product design.
Audio software is used to record, edit, and mix digital audio.
Video editing software allows images, sound, and video to be combined.
Accounting software helps manage finances.
Note taking software is designed for users who frequently attend lectures, classes, or conferences. It differs from word processing software because the text entered is free-form.
Often separate application programs which perform related tasks are sold together in application suites.
Computer software is a form of intellectual property and is therefore protected by copyright laws.
Commercial software is software which is licensed or sold for profit by the companies that create it.
Shareware is software which is distributed for no cost and is free to use for a limited period of time.
Freeware can be distributed for no cost, but the software's copyright is still maintained by the author.
Public domain software is software for which the creator has relinquished all rights.
The central idea of Free and Open Source Software (also called open source, FOSS, or software libre) is that users have the freedom to use the software as they please. T
Single user license: allows only one user to use the software.
Multi-user license or concurrent license: allows a fixed number of users to install and use the software.
Site license: allows the software to be installed on as many computers as desired, and used by as many users as needed, provided that they exist in the same organization or on the same physical site
Cloud computing is a new phenomenon in computing which takes a different approach to the storage and availability of software and data.
Instead of being stored on a local computer or network server, cloud computing applications are web-based, stored on a remote server on the Internet ('in the cloud').
When the user saves their data, that too is saved 'in the cloud' - on the remote Internet server. No data is stored on the user's computer.
Graphical user interface: uses visual buttons, menus, icons, and windows to represent different parts of the computer, including the hardware, software, and data.
Command line interface: the user interacts with the computer solely by typing commands.
Menu-driven interface: let the user make selections from a series of predetermined options.
