• Computer software is a set of instructions telling the computer what to do.
• Also known as computer programs.
• Comparing to “hard”ware which we can see and touch, software is intangible, thus, the
name “soft”ware.
• Without software, a computer is USELESS!
System Software includes
• The Operating System which governs ALL computer resources
• Device Drivers which control all devices connected to the system
• Utilities which maintain resources in the computer
Programming Software
• Assists programmers to create new software, i.e.
• Design and develop sets of instructions (software) for specific purposes,
• Using some humanly understandable “languages” which will be translated or “compiled”
into machine codes by a programming software package called “Integrated Development
Environment” (IDE)
Some popular programming Languages
• C, C++, Objective-C, C#
• Java
• Visual Basic, Python, Perl, Ruby
• JavaScript
• PHP
Application Software
• Allows you to fulfill the purpose for which you actually buy the computer for. For Example,
• Social networking
• Playing games
• Surfing the internet
• Working on assignments
• Listening to music
• Organizing your photos
Document Preparation
• Commonly known as “Word Processor”
• Provides “What You See Is What You Get” (WYSIWYG) interface to edit and preview a
document.
• Allows “automatic” formatting of a document, e.g.
• Styles – fonts, size, color, etc.
• Insertion of header, footer and page numbers;
• Creation of table of contents, footnotes, bibliography, etc.
• Allows document tracking for collaboration
• Examples: Microsoft Word, LibreOffice Writer, Google Docs
Spreadsheet Software
• Simulates a paper accounting worksheet, with a grid of cells
• Allows “automatic”
• Complex calculations, e.g. summation, average, max, min, etc.
• Data filters for easy viewing and sorting
• Creation of different forms of charts
• Examples: Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc, Google Docs/ Google Forms
Presentation Software
• Allows the creation of a slide show for presentation, usually via an overhead LCD projector
• Easy editing of slides with visual aids
• Bullet points, numbering
• Clip arts, images and videos
• Tables or charts
• Animations and transitions
• Examples: Microsoft PowerPoint, LibreOffice Impress, Google Docs
Document / File Formats
• Different software suites produce different file formats
• They are usually incompatible between different suites, or different versions,
• The popular Microsoft Office has two incompatible versions in use
• Office 2003 and before (e.g. .doc, .xls, .ppt)
• Office 2007 and after (e.g. .docx, .xlsx, .pptx)
• Due to the incompatibility of different file formats, Confusion may arise in document
exchange,
• Solution ----> Portable Document Format (PDF)
Other Productivity Software
• Equation Editor
• Database manager
• Desktop publisher
• Project manager
• Diagram or flowchart creator
• E-mail and information manager
Online Productivity Tools
• On the Internet, same set of productivity tools are available based on the idea of “cloud
computing”,
• Not as powerful as desktop tools but at lower costs
• Better features on collaboration and sharing of work and documents, e.g. version control
• No confusion on file format compatibility
• Examples: Google Drive, Microsoft Office in the Cloud
Internet Software
• To enjoy different features of the Internet, many tools are available:
• Web browser - Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome
• E-mail clients - Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird
• Instant messengers -Skype, Facebook messenger, Wechat
Multimedia Software
• With the abundant availability of multimedia files today, tools are available for
organization, and sharing, for example,
• Picasa, Instagram– Photo “management”
• Windows Media Player – Music and Video
• iTunes – Music store
• For advanced multimedia production, tools are also available, for example,
• Graphics - Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, GIMP
• Animation and video - Adobe Flash, Adobe Premiere Pro, MovieMaker
• Music - Apple GarageBand, Audacity
Software for Games
• Game programs – when you play a video game on the computer, you actually execute the
program for that game
• Emulator programs – allow you to simulate another gaming console and run games on it
• Browser games – available from a web site where you can have fun with, e.g. Flash games.
