Software

Software are the programmes installed onto a computer that tell the hardware exactly what to do, basicly translating the inputsand doing things that are far too long and complicated for us to do. They are, when you get down to the 'nitty-gritty' a series of '1's and '0's that translate out to the tasks we want. There are two main types of software, system and application. System software contains the operating system and othet things that tell the hardware what to do. Application software are ypur everyday programs like Word or Excel that we use to tasks manually. They are also things like internet browsers and anti-virus software.

Operating System
I will refer to these as OS for the rest of this blog. OS are system software that basicly link the hardware to the other software, and also create a 'Human Computer Interface' or HCI that allows people to interact with the computer. The most simple of these was MS-DOS, which was simply a black screen with white writing on that allowed users to type in commands. Now-a-days the most common is Windows XP, soon to be replaced by Windows Vista. These are more colourful and include the use of a mouse, which allows useres to see what they are doing more clearly. Other OS include things like Linux, Unix or Mac OS X.
OS also sort out the alloctaion of RAM to the processes; allows users to sort their files using a folder system; allows users to print, save or open files; and manages data travelling between hardware.

Utility Programs
These are system programs, often actually built into the OS but sometimes freely downloaded, that do one, maybe two tasks very well. One example is WinZip, which compresses file. Other jobs utility pregrams can do include file retrieval, file repair, file naming, file conversion (eg: to mp3), printing jobs, backing up data and disk defragmentation.

Drivers
Small system software used to translate information from the OS to the hardware and back again. Each piece of hardware has a driver, but most are already installed on your computer as the hardware suppliers have been working closely with the OS makers to ensure this. New hardware usually has a dirver disc on it if it will need it to be installed. Hardware that have a driver include your mouse, keyboard, printer, moniter or joystick.

General Applications
These are software that have many different, but related, tasks. Things like Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Lotus Word Pro, Adobe Photoshop or Windows Media Player. They are sometimes called Generic Software as there are so many different brands and editions that do pretty much the same job, with only a few minor changes. Most users buy thess types of programs 'off the shelf', as they are relativly cheap, used so often that there will be few bugs and problems and have so many books and internet sites telling you where you've gone wrong.

Inetrgrated Packages
Many brands of software make packages with all their best products in one box. One example of this is Microsoft Works. Theier advantages include their cheapness, easyness to use and the fact they usually have the same user interface. However, they are rapidly being replaced by Bundled Suites, which are better than packages due to them having a common user interface, and havinf applications with a complete set of features. One popular one is Microsoft Office, which includes Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook and sometimes Publisher.

Specialist Software
These are software designed to do a single specific task, like to calculate accounts, map driving routes, handle appointments or work out income tax returns.

Tailor-made Software
If an organisation want something that simple 'off the shelf' software can't offer, then they can ask for a program to be specially written for them. The advantage is that it will do exactly what is needed, but the disadvantage is the high cost and time needed to program it. if new features are needed then this will cost more and take more time to test.