CHAPTER - 4

COMPUTER SOFTWARE

INTRODUCTION

The effectiveness of computer hardware depends on the instructions we give to it for performing
different tasks. Software is the process of giving instructions to the computer for solving a
problem. The software not only directs the hardware (electronic circuitry) to manage its
resources, but also provide specific business value to the organization. Software was less
important and less costly in the early systems as most of the systems were literally hard-wired for
each application. But today we find that software takes a much larger percentage of cost of the
computer system. This can be attributed to: declining hardware prices, rising capabilities,
complex software development process, rising demand for software developers resulting in
increasing software costs. The software is classified in two types: System Software and
Application Software.

System software provides an interface between hardware and the users to perform various
functions. The operating system and compilers are the commonly used system software. These
are supplied along with the computer hardware and are essential for operating a computer.
Application software enables the users to perform general-purpose tasks on a computer system.
Through this we can generate useful output for specific applications such as Inventory control,
Accounting, Production, Purchase, Sales, etc. It interacts with the computer hardware through the
system software for performing any task. Computer hardware can be designed and manufactured
on automated assembly lines and so can be turned out quickly. On the other hand, software
involves several man-years and generally lag behind hardware developments. As a result the
organizations are unable to fully exploit the hardware due to lack of software. This chapter covers
the nuances of system and application software, features of popular operating systems, software
licensing, key features shared by application software packages and their major functions.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this chapter, you would be able to:

 Understand software and types of software

 Understand the need and functions of Systems Software
 Identify various basis for classification of operating systems
 Understand and use DOS and Windows Operating Systems
 Appreciate the features available in Windows XP
 Understand the utility of an application software
 Identify various classifications of application software
 Know the meaning of software upgrades, versions and releases
 Appreciate the Software Licensing Issues
 Know the role of Nasscom in controlling Software Piracy
 Understand Ethical and IPR related issues
 Perform software evaluation
 Understand common features of application software
 Know the salient features of Office XP

WHAT IS SOFTWARE?

Software consists of the step-by-step instructions that tell the computer how to perform a task.
The step-by-step (sequence of) instructions are referred to as Computer Program. The process of

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writing the program (program coding) in a computer language is called “Programming” and the
personnel who perform this task are called Programmers. The relationship between hardware
and software is shown in Figure below

Figure 4.1: Hardware-Software Relationship

TYPES OF SOFTWARE

The software may be classified into various types based on different parameters. However based
on its functionality, it can be categorized into following two types:

 System software: System software is a collection of software required to use a computer

hardware. This software helps the computer manage its internal resources. The system
software can be instructed or manipulated in some of the tasks by knowledgeable users.
System programming is the technique of either creating or maintaining the system
software.

 Application software: Applications software is a set of instructions that provide more

specific functionality to a user. This software can perform general-purpose tasks, such as
word processing, creating spreadsheets or processing organizational payroll or financial
accounting. An application program applies a computer to a certain specific need of the
users. They primarily manipulate data or text to produce information. Application
programming is the technique of either creating or maintaining/improving of application
software. Examples are: MS Office Suite (MS Word, MS-Excel, MS Power Point, MS
Access), Lotus Smart Suite, Tally, Oracle, etc.

We interact with both the application and systems software. The systems software interacts with
the computer while application software interacts with the system software. When we purchase a
new microcomputer, some software is already installed on it or we call the software is bundled
with it. This includes both the system software such as Windows 98 as well as various types of
application software that are compatible with the systems software such as Word Processor,
Spreadsheet, Accounting Software, etc.

Users Application Software System Software Computer

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Of System
System System Software

Figure 4.2: Interaction of Application and System Software

SYSTEM SOFTWARE

System software is a set of instructions/programs that serves as an interface between computer

hardware and the application software. The system software can be instructed or manipulated in
some of the tasks by knowledgeable users. The principal types of system software are:

 Operating Systems - the most basic and widely found system software
 Utility Software – used to enhance and expand the utility of system software. Examples –
data recovery, backup, virus checking, data compression, etc.
 Programming Language Translators – are used to create/develop all types of software
and utility programs. Used for translating human readable instructions into machine
language.

OPERATING SYSTEMS

Operating system is what makes the computer work. It is like an interpreter between user and
computer. It accepts command given by the user in simple English like language and converts it
into signals or machine language codes which computer hardware can understand. A user of
computer does not understand electronic signals so it is impossible or very difficult for him to
operate computer without the help of an operating system. It is therefore essential that operating
system must first be running on the system before being used by a user for performing any task.
Through this a user can direct the computer to start the word processing program, print a
document, sort a database, etc. It lets you communicate with your computer, your disk drives,
your files and your printer in order to manage these resources efficiently and effectively.

Operating system is not a single program but a collection of programs. It is like a manager of a
company who manages and coordinates all the functions of the company. Because the operating
system is so critical, it is automatically loaded first when you switch on your computer. Once
loaded in the main memory, it takes control of the resources of the computer and manages them
to your advantage. An operating system can easily be considered like the human respiratory
system, which allows you to breathe without your being aware of it.

For large multi-user, multi-programming time-sharing computers, the operating system has even
greater responsibilities and powers. It is like a traffic cop -- it makes sure that different program
and users running at the same time do not interfere with each other. The operating system is also
responsible for security, ensuring that unauthorized users do not access the system.

The operating system manages the resources of a computer system efficiently and effectively
with least human intervention. The major resources of computer are:

 Memory
 Processor (Central Processing Unit)
 Peripheral Devices (Printer)
 Data or Information

Some examples of operating systems used on various types of computers are:

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PCs – MSDOS, OS/2 Warp, Windows 95/98/Me/2000/NT, Linux
Minicomputers – Linux, Unix
Mainframe – OS/390, MVS, VMS

Figure 4.3: Operating System As a Manager

Functions Of An Operating System

The primary functions performed by an operating system are:

 Booting
 Housekeeping Operations (formatting, coordinating, etc.)
 User Interface
 Managing computer resources (memory, etc.)
 Managing Tasks

Booting – When the computer is powered On, the process that takes place till the computer is
ready to accept the user commands is what is called booting. The term ‘booting’ however mainly
refers to the process of loading the operating system, which is stored on some secondary storage
device (a floppy or CD-ROM or hard disk) into the main memory of the computer. This loading
process is actually performed by a permanently stored program in the ROM of the system called
‘boot program/routine’ or ‘bootstrap’. This is also referred as BIOS, which gets executed first and
then copies the operating system program into the memory of the system. The operating system
will stay in the main memory till the time the computer is switched off.

After the loading of bootstrap program, the computer also runs diagnostic routines to test the
various parts of the system such as memory, diskette drives, hard disk drive, CD Drive, etc. and
to check that they are working properly. During this testing process corresponding message also
gets displayed on the monitor screen such as ‘Testing Memory’, etc. The loading of operating

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system follows this. Depending on the operating system type, either the system prompt is
displayed (for DOS) or the graphical screen is displayed (for Windows).

Housekeeping Operations – Even while not using any application program on the computer, a
number of operations can be performed on the system, which are required for fine-tuning the
system. These may include formatting a floppy, coordinating, etc.

User Interface – This function of the operating system helps in communication between the user
and the operating system. The various modes of interaction are: Command based and Graphical
User mode. For example, MSDOS is an example of command-based operating system, while
Windows is a graphical operating system. For further discussions on user interface, see further
sections.

Managing Computer Resources – The functions performed by an operating system as a

resource manager includes:

Memory Management: Memory in a computer system is limited and therefore needs to be used
efficiently. The operating system optimizes memory by allocating the memory (RAM) to various
applications or processes running on the system and removing the unwanted data (garbage) from
memory. It keeps track of the memory size, allocates memory requested by the processes and
de-allocates the memory from the process when it is terminated. For performing these tasks,
certain management techniques are built into the operating system depending on its
sophistication. Some of these techniques are: Single contiguous memory allocation, partitioned
memory allocation, relocation partitioned memory allocation, Paged memory allocation, Demand
Paging, Segmented memory allocation, etc. The virtual memory concept is also implemented in
the operating system thereby allowing execution of programs having memory requirements in
excess of the available memory.

Processor Management: A process is a program in execution. A processor is a hardware device

capable of running a process. Since the CPU time is the most expensive resource in a computer
system, the efforts should be to minimize its idle time. The Operating System does this control
and allocation of CPU time to various processes and it is proportionally rationed out to each
process as per schedule. A scheduler (part of operating system) selects which ready program is
to be run next and specifies the CPU time slice allocated to it. At any point of time, a process may
be in any one of the three states: Running, Blocked or Ready. A process is in running state,
when the processor is executing its instruction sequence. It is said to be in blocked state, when it
is waiting for an event to occur (for example release of more memory, completion of printing, etc.)
before continuing execution. A process is ready if all conditions are satisfied for the process to be
in running state and is waiting for the processor. The operating system as a processor manager
performs the following: keep track of status of each process, select a process from ready list,
suspend a running process when it runs out of allotted time, and coordinates inter-process
communication. The processor makes use of ‘interrupts’ to switch from one state to another. The
processor time allocation faces several problems: Race Condition and Deadly Embrace and
Stalemates. The algorithms have to be built into the operating system to handle this kind of
situations.

Device Management: The peripheral devices in a system may be either Input/Output devices or
Storage devices. In multi-user and multi-programming systems they need to be handled efficiently
as devices could be used either in a shared mode or dedicated mode. Which device is to be
allocated to which process and how to share them among multiple processes and users without
affecting the process is done under the control of operating system.

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Information Management: It is mainly concerned with storage and retrieval of data and
information. It keeps track of how and where the data or programs files are stored on different
storage devices and makes them available when required. The major functions include: keeping
track of all information in the system, deciding policy for determining where and how information
is stored and who gets access to the information, allocating the information resource in
accordance with access rights, de-allocation of the resource. This involves several steps such as:
Access method, Logical File System, Basic File System, Allocation Strategy, Device Strategy, I/O
control system, etc.

Due to the above functions performed by the operating system, it is also known by functional
names: monitor, supervisor, executive or control program.

Managing Tasks – A task is any single operation performed on the computer such as printing,
typing, storing, etc. Using the computer just for performing one single task is inefficient. The
expensive computer system should be used for performing variety of tasks simultaneously. For
example, typing a document while printing is going on, working on word processor and
spreadsheet simultaneously, etc. The various ways in which tasks are managed by the operating
system are: Multitasking, Multiprogramming, Time Sharing and Multiprocessing. These are
discussed in detail in subsequent sections.

Types Of Operating System

Operating Systems vary in purpose and design. Some operating system are relatively simple
systems designed to support a single user on a personal computer, while others are extremely
complex systems that support many concurrent users and manage highly sophisticated hardware
and software resources. Operating systems can be classified based on various parameters as
listed below:

Based on Mode of Processing

 Batch Processing
 Real-time systems

Batch Processing: In a batch processing system, the jobs to be executed are accumulated for a
specific period of time called a ‘batch’ and form a queue of programs. The batch of programs is
then taken up for execution one by one in a sequence. In this arrangement, the main processor
was utilized only for a specific period. There is a delay involved in the submission of a job and its
execution, which is equivalent to the time for batch. These are low cost and simple. For example,
programs may be collected from users for every 2 hours, and then processed together. Batch
processing was an improvement over the single-job submission and increased the number of
programs executed.

Real-time: A real-time system is designed to respond quickly to the input as in our real life
applications. The time gap between a transaction and its processing is almost negligible i.e. data
is processed instantaneously. Any delay in processing may have serious repercussions. These
are very complex and are therefore more expensive. A popular example is railway reservation
system. In such a system, the response time should be very short because even a short delay
however would be disastrous as it may lead to under or overbooking. Such systems are called
on-line real-time systems. Real-time systems have to work within strict time limits for critical jobs.
General-purpose operating systems, such as DOS, UNIX and WINDOWS are not real-time.

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Based on Number of Users

 Single user
 Multi-user

Single user: The single user system is one that runs one user job at a time i.e. only one program
resides in computer memory and remains there till it is executed. The whole memory space and
other resources are allocated to one program, so their management is simple. Single user
operating systems are commonly available on microcomputers and personal computers. Because
of the limited memory size and lack of data channels and other resources, it would be difficult to
support more than one user on such a machine. Examples of such systems are MSDOS,
Windows 98, and MAC etc.

Multi-user: Unlike single user system, multi-user operating systems are complex systems that
enable more than one user to work upon it. They allow two or more users to run programs at the
same time. Some operating systems permit hundreds or even thousands of concurrent users.
The examples are: Windows NT, Unix, Linux, Windows 2000, etc.

Based on Number of Processes

Multi-tasking: It is the execution of two or more programs by a one user concurrently on the same
computer with one CPU. In this arrangement, the operating system handles each job for a pre-
determined amount of time but one at a time. This process is repeated until one of the jobs is
completed. The process is so fast that the user feels as if he is executing just single task. For
example, you may type some text in word processor while printing or searching a database.

Multi-programming: It allows number of programs belonging to different users to be resident in

main memory at the same time and executed concurrently. The CPU spends a certain amount of
time executing each user’s program. It works so fast that it appears as if all programs are being
executed at the same time. The operating system takes care of switching the CPU among the
various user jobs. It also provides a suitable run-time environment and other support functions so
the job does not interfere with each other. While I/O is being performed for one program, the CPU
can perform useful computations for another program. Thus, two or more programs can be
executed in an interleaved fashion so as to keep the CPU busy most of the time. The actual
number of programs allowed at any given time depends upon the operating system. For multi-
programming to work satisfactorily, large memories are required together with fast secondary
storage devices.

Time Sharing: It is the processing done by a single computer of tasks belonging to several users
accessing the system from different locations in a round robin manner. This requires a
communication network in place connecting various users to the central computer. The
processing is done according to a time slice. The CPU will first attend to the first user for a fixed
time (time slice), once time slice is over, it will go to the second user spends the time slice, move
on to the next and so on. Each program may need number of time slices for its complete
execution.

Multi-processing: A multi-processor system is similar to a multi-programming system, except that

there is more than one CPU available. In multiprocessing, a computer system with two or more
processors can run more than one program at a given time by assigning them to different
processors. It requires more than one CPU linked together to work simultaneously i.e. at the
same time. In most multiprocessor systems, the processors share a common memory. Thus the
user can view the system as if it were a powerful single system. It increases the computation

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speed by performing the computation in parallel. Multi-threading is a similar technique that allows
execution of different parts of a single program called threads, to run concurrently. The
programmer must carefully design the program in such a way that all the threads can run at the
same time without interfering with each other. Example: Windows NT.

Based on Type of User Interface

 Character or Command User Interface (CUI)

 Graphical User Interface (GUI)

Character User Interface (CUI): The CUI based system interacts with the users only through the
commands typed from the keyboard. It does not support any other input device to communicate
with it. The user is required to remember the exact syntax (complete way of usage) of commands
to get any task executed by the system e.g. UNIX and MSDOS.

Graphical User Interface (GUI): The GUI makes use of images or pictures (called icons) to
perform a task. ‘Icons’ are small images or pictures that represent commands, tasks or programs.
It is a picture-based way of interacting with the computer. Instead of typing commands, the
commands are selected from menus and images to inform the computer what to do. The GUI
environment makes extensive use of mouse for selecting and executing any task. Clicking
mouse buttons can activate any task. The most popular example of GUI is Windows, LINUX etc.

Some of the principle features of GUI are:

 In GUI usually secondary user input device is used i.e. a pointing device, called mouse.
 It displays graphically what the computer is doing & how much work is in progress.
 Icons represent all the commands, functions, tasks, files, directories, applications and
system entities.
 It allows the use of windows to divide and display various tasks.
 User need not memorize commands.

DISK OPERATING SYSTEM

DOS is the acronym for Disk Operating System and was the original operating system for IBM
and compatible PCs. Like any other operating system, DOS also allows to control and effectively
manage the use of disk drives, printer, and other resources. Microsoft developed MSDOS
(Microsoft Disk Operating System), a single user operating system for working on PCs. MSDOS
was written for 16 bit microprocessors. DOS is case-insensitive operating system and has many
useful features and functions. Writing a command using the text-interface can perform these
functions.

DOS has three major components: the Input/Output System, the Command Processor and the
Utilities like any other operating system. The I/O system is responsible for all inputs and output
from the system such as every data being displayed, printed, received or sent from the system. It
makes use of two hidden files IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS for performing these tasks. The
Command Processor is the heart of the DOS and has several built-in functions to handle the most
common or routine tasks such as copy, rename, delete or type files. All these tasks are
performed by a file COMMAND.COM. The utilities perform the housekeeping tasks such as
formatting floppies, comparing files, backing up data, etc. There are separate files (.COM
or .EXE) for each of these utilities. For example, FORMAT.EXE, DISKCOPY.EXE, etc.

Like any operating system, DOS also needs to be loaded first into the main memory of the

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computer by a process called ‘booting’. The booting is done either by the hard disk or bootable
DOS diskette. When the system booting is done from the hard disk then we get the C:> prompt
while with a diskette, we get A:> as the system prompt. The system prompt indicates the system
is ready for use. During booting the IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS and the COMMAND.COM files gets
loaded into the memory.

DOS Concepts

File - A file is a collection of related records of information, like the contents of a file folder in a
desk drawer. Like file folders, files on your disks could also contain letters, memos or data.

Filename - Each file on a disk is identified by a name. The filename should be unique in the
same work area. The name has two parts: a primary filename and an extension. A primary
filename can be from 1 to 8 characters in length, and can be typed in uppercase or lowercase
letters, as it is case insensitive. Filename extensions consist of a period followed by one to three
characters. Extensions are optional, but it's a good practice to use them, since they are helpful in
identifying the contents of a file easily. For example .DAT indicates a data file, .PRG indicates
program file, .TXT indicates text file, etc.

There are certain names that you may not use, because MS-DOS reserves them for specific
devices that your computer uses. You may use any of the following symbols (and letters) in your
filenames and extensions:

A-Z a-z 0-9 $ % ' @ { } ~ ` ! #

Some valid DOS file names are: MYFILE.TXT, JAMES, TEST.1, @11AM, AKS#5, PUT&GET,
GO.CO, 2-TO, 2WAY, etc.

Some invalid DOS file names are: UNIVERSITY.TXT, TEST.DATA, MY FILE, ?ACC.FIL, etc.

Directory - A directory is a table of contents for a disk. Using directories you can divide your files
into convenient groups such as separating the work pertaining to different application areas or
different users. For example, we may create a directory called SALES to store all data pertaining
to this activity, ACCOUNTS to store all data related to accounts, etc. This is similar to file folders
in Windows. These directories may also contain other directories (referred to as subdirectories)
and have parent-child kind of relationships between them. Each directory has a unique name
within its parent directory. This organized file structure is called a multilevel or hierarchical
directory system. The first level is called the root directory, which is created automatically.

Path – In a multilevel directory structure, we need to inform the operating system where the files
are located in the directory system. Two different directories may contain same filenames, so you
have to tell the DOS in which directory your file resides when you want to use it. This is achieved
by giving a pathname to the file.

A pathname is a sequence of directory names followed by a filename. Each directory name is

separated from the previous one by a backslash (\). The pathname may contain any number of
directory names up to a total length of 63 characters. If a pathname begins with a backslash,
DOS searches for the file beginning at the root of the directory system. Otherwise, it begins at the
working directory and searches along the path from there. For example, the pathname of a file
named myfile.txt created in directory sales is \SALES\MYFILE

Disk Drives - Floppy disk drives are commonly referred to as the A or B drive, hard disk are

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usually referred to as the C drive; CD-ROM and other disk may be referred to as D, E or F etc.
depending upon the number of drives you have on your computer. In certain systems we have
more than one hard disk or the single hard disk itself is partitioned, in such cases, the hard disk
may use the logical reference letters D, E., F, etc. The complete drive name consists of a drive
letter and a colon. To tell the DOS where to find a file you would type the drive name before the
filename. For example: C:\SALES\TEST.DAT. If the drive name is not specified with filename,
DOS automatically searches for the file on the disk in the default drive, which is the current drive.

Wildcards - DOS provides two special characters (?) and (*) called wildcards which gives you
flexibility when you are specifying files.

The ? Wildcard in a filename or extension means that any character can occupy that position. For
example: C:\>DIR FILE?MAR.TXT will give the following output -

FILE1MAR.TXT
FILE2MAR.TXT
FILE3MAR.TXT

The * Wildcard in a filename or extension means that any character can occupy that position or
any of the remaining positions in the filename or extension. For example:
C:\DIR FILE*.TXT will give the following output -

FILE1MAR.TXT
FILE2MAR.TXT
FILE3MAR.TXT
FILEJUNE.TXT
FILEJULY.TXT

The wildcard abbreviation *.* refers to all files in the directory.

Redirection and Piping

Usually, DOS receives input from the keyboard and sends its output to the screen. The output
can be redirected to some other program or device by using a greater-than sign (>) in the
command. For example: DIR > CONTENTS will send the out of this command to the file
CONTENTS. If the file CONTENTS does not exist, DOS creates it and stores the directory listing
there else it will overwrite the existing contents of the file. If we want to append the output in the
file instead of replacing its contents, we use two greater-than signs i.e. >>.
For example, DIR >> CONTENTS

If the file CONTENTS does not exist, DOS creates it else it appends the directory listing at the
end of the file. Output can be redirected to various devices such as: PRN, LPT1, COM1 etc. The
most common use of redirection is in printing. Example:

C:\>TYPE NAMES > PRN

Like the output, the input can also be redirected by using the symbols (<). For example, to sort a
file called NAMES into a new file called SNAMES, we can use the following command:
SORT < NAMES > SNAMES

A pipe is a computer made line that connects two programs. The output of one program can be
used as input for the other program through the pipe symbol (|). The simplest example is

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program, ‘MORE’ which displays one page of information at a time from standard input. For
example: DIR | SORT will send the output of DIR command as input to the SORT command.
Also DIR | MORE will display the list of files one screen at a time.

Batch Files

The batch file concept is a timesaving feature of DOS. A batch file is a series of DOS commands
placed in a file with extension as .BAT. When this file is submitted to DOS for execution, the
commands are executed one by one as if typed individually. For example: The following
commands are stored in a file named NAMES.BAT

COPY CON ABC.TXT

TYPE ABC.TXT
SORT < ABC.TXT > SABC.TXT
TYPE SABC.TXT

To execute all the above commands one by one automatically, we type: C:\>NAMES and the
execution starts.

There is a batch file located in the root directory called AUTOEXEC.BAT file that is executed
automatically when the system is switched ‘On’. The contents given in the table contains those
commands that should be executed in the beginning (startup) such as running anti-virus
programs, etc. This makes use of specific DOS commands such as FOR, IF, GOTO, BEGIN and
PAUSE for performing execution on a selective basis.

Configuring DOS Using Config.Sys

The CONFIG.SYS file is a text file that contains special commands. These commands configure
your computer's hardware components so that MS-DOS and applications can use them. When
MS-DOS starts, it carries out the commands in the CONFIG.SYS file before the AUTOEXEC.BAT
file. Typically, the CONFIG.SYS file is located in the root directory of drive C.

The following commands can be used only in the CONFIG.SYS file:

<Buffers> <Files> <Country> <Install>

<Device> <Lastdrive> <Devicehigh> <Numlock>
<Dos> <Shell> <Drivparm> <Stacks>
<Fcbs> <Switches>

Sometimes we need to bypass the execution of commands given in CONFIG.SYS and

AUTOEXEC.BAT files. This may be due to possible system errors due to these files. To bypass
all the commands in these files, press the F5 key immediately after starting your computer i.e.
when you see the text "Now starting MS-DOS...". To bypass individual CONFIG.SYS commands,
press the F8 key instead. MS-DOS will then prompt you to carry out or bypass each
CONFIG.SYS command. To carry out all remaining startup commands, press F5. To bypass all
remaining startup commands, press ESC.

A typical CONFIG.SYS file shall contain the following commands:

DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DOS=HIGH
FILES=60

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BUFFERS=90

DOS=HIGH means the DOS should load in the upper memory area or Extended Memory rather
than conventional memory. This requires that device driver for high memory area should be
activated by DEVICE=HIMEM.SYS command. The default setting is LOW. The number of files
and buffers that DOS can access at one time is indicated by the FILES command. The valid
values are in the range 8 through 255. The default value is 8. The BUFFERS command allocates
memory for a specified number of disk buffers when your system starts. The value of must be in
the range 1 through 99.

DOS Commands

There are two types of DOS commands:

 Internal DOS Commands

 External DOS Commands

Internal Commands: These are the commands, which are part of the DOS itself. These are the
most frequently used commands. They cannot be seen by listing the directory of DOS disk
because they are part of the system file named COMMAND.COM. When you type internal
commands, DOS executes them immediately because they are available in the computer's main
memory.

External Commands: The commands that are not part of the operating system but are stored, as
separate files are external commands. The filename with an extension of .COM, .EXE or .BAT is
considered an external command. For example, files such as FORMAT.EXE and
DISKCOPY.COM are external commands. And, because these commands are also files, new
commands can be created and added to DOS. Filename extension is not needed while using an
external command. If more than one external command are available with same name, DOS will
run only one of them, according to the following order or precedence: .COM, .EXE, .BAT.

Before DOS can run external commands, it must read them into memory from the disk. When you
give an external command, DOS immediately checks your working directory to find that
command. If it is not available DOS searches the command file in the directories available in the
path.

Popular Internal DOS Commands

CHDIR (CD) - Displays the name of the current directory or changes the current directory.

Syntax: CD [drive:][path] or CD[..]

Example: CD or CHDIR will display the current directory

CD C:\LETTERS will change to current directory to LETTERS

CLS - Clears the screen display.

Syntax: CLS

COPY - Copies one or more files to the location you specify.

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Syntax: COPY [/A|/B] source [/A|/B] [+ source [/A|/B] [+ ..]][destination [/A|/B]] [/V]

Source specifies the location and name of a file or set of files from which you want to copy.
Destination specifies the location and name of a file or set of files to which you want to copy.

Switches: /A Indicates an ASCII text file, /B Indicates a binary file.

/V Verify copy.

Example: COPY ROBIN.TYP C:\BIRDS copies a file ROBIN.TYP from current drive and
directory to an existing directory named BIRDS that is located on drive C.

COPY LIST1 + LIST2 FINLIST copies the contents of file LIST1 in file FINLIST
and then appends the contents of file LIST2 to the same file.

DATE - Displays the date and prompts you to change the date if necessary.

Syntax: DATE [mm-dd-yy]

Example: DATE

DEL (ERASE) - Deletes the files you specify.

Syntax: DEL [drive:][path]filename [/P]

ERASE [drive:][path]filename [/P]

Switch /P Prompts you for confirmation before deleting the specified file.

Example: DEL LIST1 will delete the file LIST1 from current directory.

DIR - Displays list of files and subdirectories that are present in the specified directory.

Syntax: DIR [drive:][path][filename] [/P] [/W][/A[[:]attributes]][/O[[:]sortorder]] [/S] [/B] [/L] [/C]

Switches: /P Displays one screen of the listing at a time.

/W Displays the listing in wide format
/O[[:] sortorder] Controls the order in which DIR sorts and displays directory names and
filenames.
/S Lists every occurrence, in the specified directory and all subdirectories, of the specified
filename.

Examples: DIR /OD will display the list of files in the order of date and time of file, earliest first.

ECHO - Displays or hides the text in batch programs when the program is running. Also indicates
whether the command-echoing feature is on or off.

Syntax: ECHO [ON|OFF] or ECHO [MESSAGE]

Example: ECHO HELLO will display a message HELLO on the screen, with ECHO ON option.

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MKDIR (MD) - Creates a directory.

Syntax: MD [drive:]path

Example: MD \TAXES will create a directory on the disk with name TAXES under root directory.

PATH - DOS uses the PATH command to search for executable files in the directories you
specify. By default, the search path is the current directory only.

Syntax: PATH [[drive:]path[;...]]

Example: PATH command will display the current search path.

PATH C:\USER\TAXES;C:\DOS;C:\INVEST

For executing any command, the DOS will search three directories to find commands i.e. C:\
USER\TAXES, C:\DOS and C:\INVEST in this order.

PROMPT - Changes the appearance of the command prompt.

Syntax: PROMPT [text] where text specifies any text you want included in your system
prompt.

The following list shows the character combinations you can use:

$Q = (equal sign)
$$ $ (dollar sign)
$T Current time
$D Current date
$P Current drive and path
$V MS-DOS version number
$G > (greater-than sign)
$L < (less-than sign)

Example: PROMPT $P$G will set the command prompt to display the current drive and path
followed by the greater-than sign (>)

RENAME (REN) - Changes the name of the file or files you specify.

Syntax: RENAME [drive:][path]oldfilename newfilename

Example: REN SALARY.DAT INCOME.DAT will change the name of file SALARY.DAT to
INCOME.DAT

RMDIR (RD) - Deletes or removes a directory. Before you can delete a directory, you must delete
all its files and subdirectories. The directory must be empty except for the "." and ".." symbols.

Syntax: RD [drive:]path

Example: RD \USER\SMITH will delete the subdirectory SMITH under USER directory.

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TIME - Displays the system time or sets your computer's internal clock.

Syntax: TIME [hours:[minutes[:seconds[.hundredths]]][A|P]]

Example: C:\>TIME 12:32P will set the system time to 12:32 P.M.

TYPE - Displays the contents of a text file.

Syntax: TYPE [drive:][path]filename

Example: TYPE HOLIDAY.MAR | MORE will display the contents of the file HOLIDAY.MAR on
the screen, one screen at a time.

VER - Displays the MS-DOS version number.

Syntax: VER

POPULAR EXTERNAL DOS COMMANDS

MOVE - Moves one or more files to the location you specify. The MOVE command also renames
directories.

Syntax: MOVE [drive:][path]filename[,[drive:][path]filename[...]] destination

Example: MOVE BILL.TXT C:\LETTERS\ANN.TXT will move the file BILL.TXT from the
current directory to the LETTERS directory on drive C with a new name ANN.TXT

DELTREE - Deletes a directory and all the files and subdirectories that are in it.

Syntax: DELTREE [/Y] [drive:]path

Example: DELTREE C:\TEMP will delete the TEMP directory on drive C, including all files and
subdirectories of the TEMP directory.

DOSKEY - Loads the DOSKEY program into memory. It records the history of commands
executed by the user. These commands may be recalled, edited and run instead of typing them
again. To scroll through the history commands, the arrow keys can be used.

Syntax: DOSKEY [/REINSTALL] [/BUFSIZE=size] [/MACROS]

[/HISTORY][/INSERT|/OVERSTRIKE] [macroname=[text]]

Example: DOSKEY

DEFRAG - Reorganizes the files on a disk to optimize disk performance. Do not use this
command when you are running Windows.

Syntax: DEFRAG [drive:] [/F] [/S[:]order] [/B] [/SKIPHIGH] [/LCD | /BW | /G0] [/H]

Example: DEFRAG will relocate the files on the hard disk.

HELP - Starts MS-DOS Help.

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Syntax: HELP [/B] [/G] [/H] [/NOHI] [topic]

Example: HELP DEFRAG will provide complete details on the command DEFRAG.

MEM - Displays the amount of used and free memory.

Syntax: MEM [/CLASSIFY|/DEBUG|/FREE|/MODULE modulename] [/PAGE]

Example: MEM - displays the status of your computer's used and free memory.

UNDELETE - Restores files that were previously deleted by using the <DEL> command.

Syntax: UNDELETE [/LIST|/ALL|/PURGE[drive]|/STATUS|/LOAD|/UNLOAD |/S[drive]|/Tdrive[-

entries]]

Example: UNDELETE C:\*.BAT /ALL will recover all deleted files with the .BAT extension in the
root directory of drive C, without prompting for confirmation on each file.

MSBACKUP - Backs up or restores one or more files from one disk onto another.

Syntax: MSBACKUP [setup file] [/BW | /LCD | /MDA]

Example: Suppose you created a setup file named WEEKLY.SET that defines a weekly full
backup procedure on specified files. To use this setup file, type the following at the command
line: MSBACKUP WEEKLY

ATTRIB - This command displays, sets, or removes the Read-Only, Archive, System, and Hidden
attributes assigned to files or directories.

Syntax: ATTRIB [+R|-R] [+A|-A] [+S|-S] [+H|-H][[drive:][path]filename] [/S]

Example: ATTRIB will display all attributes of files in the current directory.
ATTRIB +R REPORT.TXT will assign the Read-Only attribute to the file REPORT.TXT

CHKDSK - Checks and display the status of a disk. Can also fix disk errors.

Syntax: CHKDSK [drive:][[path]filename] [/F] [/V]

Example: CHKDSK /F will check the disk and fix any errors encountered. It will also display the
status of the disk in the current drive.

DISKCOMP - This command performs a track-by-track comparison of two similar disks. It

determines the number of sides and sectors per track to compare based on the format of the first
disk you specify.

Syntax: DISKCOMP [drive1: [drive2:]] [/1] [/8]

Example: DISKCOMP A: B:

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DISKCOPY - Copies the entire contents of one floppy disk to another floppy disk.

Syntax: DISKCOPY [drive1: [drive2:]] [/1] [/V]

Example: DISKCOPY A: B:

FDISK - Configures a hard disk for use with MS-DOS. It displays a series of menus to help you
partition your hard disk(s) for MS-DOS.

Syntax: FDISK

FORMAT - Formats a disk for use with MS-DOS and WINDOWS and creates a new root
directory and file allocation table for the disk. It also checks for bad areas on the disk. The
diskettes available in the market are preformatted for use on the IBM PCs.

Syntax: FORMAT drive: [/V[:label]] [/Q] [/U] [/F:size][/B|/S]

/U - Specifies an unconditional format of a disk. Unconditional formatting destroys all existing data
on a disk and prevents you from later "unformatting" the disk.

/S - Copies the operating system files on the floppy after formatting to make it a bootable system
disk.

Example: FORMAT A:/U/S performs unconditional formatting with system.

MORE - Displays one screen of output at a time. The MORE command reads standard input from
a pipe or redirected file and displays one screen of information at a time.

Syntax: MORE < [drive:][path]filename or command-name | MORE

Example: MORE < CLIENTS.NEW or TYPE CLIENTS.NEW | MORE

The above commands will display the contents of the file CLIENTS.NEW on the screen, one
screen at a time. To continue the display, press any key from the keyboard.

PRINT - Prints a text file while you are using other MS-DOS commands. This command can print
in the background if you have an output device connected to one of your system's serial or
parallel ports.

Syntax: PRINT [/D:device] [/B:size] [/U:ticks1] [/M:ticks2] [/S:ticks3]

[/Q:qsize] [/T] [[drive:][path]filename[ ...]] [/C] [/P]

Example: PRINT CLIENTS.NEW will send the file in the print queue. To view the status of the
print queue, simply type PRINT without any option.

SET - Displays, sets, or removes MS-DOS environment variables. The SET command is often
used in the AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS files to set environment variables each time you
start MS-DOS.

Syntax: SET [variable=[string]] where variable specifies the variable you want to set or modify
and string specifies the string you want to associate with the specified variable.

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Example: SET TEMP=\DOS will set the temporary directory as DOS.

SYS - Creates a startup or bootable disk by copying DOS system files.

Syntax: SYS [drive1:][path] drive2:

Example: SYS C: A: will copy the system files from hard disk to Diskette in drive A.

TREE - Displays the structure of a directory in a pictorial form.

Syntax: TREE [drive:][path] [/F] [/A]

Example: TREE C:\TEMP /F will display all the files, subdirectories and their files under directory
TEMP in a graphical form.

XCOPY - Copies directories, their subdirectories, and files (except hidden and system files) from
one device or directory to another.

Syntax: XCOPY source [destination] [/A|/M] [/D:date] [/P] [/S [/E]] [/V] [/W]

Example: XCOPY A: B: /D:01/18/93 /S /V

This will copy the files on the disk in drive A that were written on or after 01/18/93 onto the disk in
drive B. Once the files are written to the disk in drive B, the XCOPY command compares the files
on the two disks to make sure they are the same.

QBASIC - Starts MS-DOS QBasic, a program that reads instructions written in the Basic
computer language and interprets them into executable computer code. The QBasic program
provides a complete environment for programming in the Basic language.

Syntax:QBASIC [/B] [/EDITOR] [/G] [/H] [/MBF] [/NOHI] [[/RUN][drive:][path]filename]

UNIX OPERATING SYSTEM

UNIX is a multi-user, time-sharing operating system. It was developed in 1973 by Ritchie and
Thomson at Bell Telephone Lab, USA. UNIX is an operating system of immense power and has
become a popular operating system because of following features.

 Unix provides a simple and logically consistent language through which the user can
interact with the system. The language is easy to learn, fairly simple to understand, and
difficult to forget.
 Unix provides a vide variety of software tools and services, so the program development
progress rapidly.
 Both system services and user programs are insured against too rapid obsolescence, by
being nearly machine independent.
 Programs can be moved to new computers along with the operating system, while new
system services become available on practically all versions of the UNIX system at once.

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UNIX operating system can be thought of as a layered system as shown in Figure 4.4.

KERNEL

Kernel is the heart of the UNIX system. It is the master program that controls the computer's
resources, allotting them to different users and to different tasks. When a user logs in, it checks
for its authorization. The Kernel keeps track of all the various programs being run, allotting time to
each, deciding when one stops and another starts. It assigns storage for users files. The Kernel
runs the shell programs. It handles the transfer of information between the computer and
terminals, tape drives and printers etc.

SHELL

KERNEL doesn't deal directly with the users, instead it starts up a separate interactive program,
called a shell, for each user when he or she logs in. The shell then acts as an interface between
the user and the system. A shell enables the user to interact with resources of the computer, such
as programs, files, and devices. The shell, as a command interpreter, takes the user commands
and sets them for execution. Thus, the kernel and user shell collaborate to provide user with Unix
services. The shell manages the interaction between user and the kernel by prompting the user
for input, interpreting that input for the operating system, and the handling any resulting output
from the operating system. Thus it is called a command interpreter.

Most shells can also be used as programming language. Users can combine sequences of
commands to create new programs called shell scripts. There are many shells available, but
there are three most popular varieties:
 Bourne shell (bsh)
 Korn shell (ksh)
 C shell (csh)

There is only one kernel but multiple shells. UNIX can handle multiple users or tasks at a time.

PROCESSES (A TASK)

In UNIX, each particular task or program that the computer is undertaking is called the process.
For example, if a user runs date command twice, then two separate processes start. Process is
the execution of a program within its own environment. As UNIX is a multi-tasking operating
system, so many processes can be executed at the same time

HARDWARE SHELL

KERNEL APPLICATION

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 Figure 4.4: Unix Kernel and the Shells

The UNIX Directory Structure

Most Unix operating system adheres to similar structure of the root file system. At the top of the
system is root (/). The structure is shown in accordance with the level or hierarchy:

root
dev Special files for peripheral devices, console, terminals, disk drives, etc.
bin Executable utility programs, compilers, assemblers, editors, etc.
lib Library of system utilities and subroutines, C, runtime call, i/o routines, etc.
etc System data and utility programs, password, login files, etc.
tmp Temporary files used by various system utilities, editor, and compilers
usr
bin Less used utility program
tmp Less used temporary files
dict Word lists, spelling checker
lib Less used library files
man Directories to text files containing full Unix Programmer's Manual
spool
at Timed processor
lpd lp directory
user1 User directory structure
user2 User directory structure
user3 User directory structure
....
userN User directory structure

The first five directories shown /dev, /bin, /lib, /etc, /tmp - are generally used by the system itself
in carrying out user commands or maintaining administrative files and system software. The sixth
subdirectory /usr is generally the largest. The home directory of every authorised user is normally
attached to /usr as a subdirectory.

LINUX – Linux is a powerful and most commonly used variant of the UNIX operating system. This
is popular because it is a freeware and can be downloaded from the Internet. It is a reduced
version of the UNIX offering almost all features available under UNIX such as multitasking, virtual
memory management and TCP/IP networking. This operating system runs on multiple hardware
platforms and applications available on this system are growing very fast. It is extensively used by
ISPs.

WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEM

Windows provides a powerful yet easy-to-use operating system that permits wide array of
applications to be run in addition to connecting computers with each other in a variety of
networks. Windows makes use of Graphical User Interface (GUI) i.e. it provides a workspace that
is graphical and therefore easy to use and understand. Windows GUI provides a standard
approach to use a variety of applications and has greatly helped in taking the computer to the
common man. The Windows operating system has evolved gradually over a period of time from

20
Windows 3.1, 3.11 to Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows 2000. However Windows 98 is
currently the most popular operating system being used worldwide on IBM PC compatibles.
Windows has made the use of computer faster and easier in the following ways:

 User can work and have several applications open on-line at the same time.
 User can easily switch between open applications and share data between them.
 All applications programs designed for windows look similar and use similar operations
and commands.
 Variety of servers can be integrated among others with Windows, including Netware,
TCP/IP, MS LAN Manager etc.
 Video and graphical applications run smoothly and effectively like multimedia applications,
games, DTP and other graphical programs.

SALIENT FEATURES OF WINDOWS 98

Microsoft Windows 98 is the upgrade to Microsoft Windows 95. Windows 98 has significant
updates, fixes and support for new peripherals. The following is a list of some of its new features.

32 Bit File System - Windows 98 is a true 32-bit operating system i.e. the input receivable is in 32
bits, data processed is in 32 bits and output generated is also in 32 bits.

Visual facility - It is very easy to remember any thing that has been seen. All the system
resources are depicted in terms of iconic entities. With the help of different small pictures (icons)
files/folders or any other object can be identified easily. Windows also indicates the progress of
any process in good visuals like copying of file or folders, saving of files etc.

Long File Names – The most attractive features of Windows 98 is that a file/folder name can be
up to 255 characters. The file name can contain alphabets, periods, commas, semicolons, equal
sign and brackets. A valid file name can not have following characters \ / : * $ " < > |

Protection - Windows 98 includes additional protection for important files on your computer such
as backing up your registry automatically.

Improved support - Improved support for new devices such as AGP, Direct X, DVD, USB, etc.

Customizable Taskbar - Windows add many nice new features to the taskbar, which 95 and NT
do not have.

Active Desktop - Includes Active Desktop which allows users to customize their desktop with the
look of the Internet.

Multitasking - Windows provides the facility to perform more than one task at the same time. We
can run multiple programs at the same time i.e. take printout, run spreadsheet calculations, edit a
document and create or search a database, etc.

Multithreading - Each task or application in Windows is a process, which is further made up of

threads, each thread is a unit of code that can request a time slice from CPU for its execution.
Thus thread is the smallest executable unit of a program/application and Windows breaks each
application into multiple threads, each using a time slice, thus allowing you to run multiple
applications at the same time. This requires the use of multiple processors for effective working.

21
Administration Facility - It allows you to administer your system & the applications running on it. It
controls a number of users accessing the system & the type of access. It also comes to our
rescue when a particular software does not behave in a desired fashion & requires to be removed
from the system.

Plug and Play - Improved PnP support, to detect devices even better then Windows 95.

Internet Explorer 4.0 - Included Internet Explorer 4.0

WINDOWS 98 SE (Second Edition)

The Windows 98 SE includes the same features as Windows 98 however it includes additional
fixes and patches. The following is a listing of the various new features Windows 98 SE includes.

Updates - Includes all the latest updates for Windows 98 including Year 2000 updates, USB
support and more.

Software - Updated versions of Internet Explorer, Outlook express, Windows media player,
DirectX, NetMeeting and more.

Drivers / Support - Additional support for latest technology such as MMX, USB, Pentium III and
more.

STARTING WINDOWS 98

Windows 98 being system software needs to be first installed on the hard disk by running the
SETUP program from the Windows 98 floppies or CD. The supplier of the computer on your hard
disk installs the Windows 98, however, it can also be setup by the user with the help of relevant
CD or floppies. The SETUP program is self-explanatory and interactive program, which guides
you through the process of installation. This configures your system to run the Windows operating
system.

Once the Windows98 operating system is installed on the hard disk and the computer is
configured to run the same, it can be used to boot the system. For starting or booting your
computer under Windows, turn ON your computer, booting process starts i.e. loading the
configuration files into the computer memory. After that the Windows 98 logo appears, a few
seconds later Windows98 typical screen appears to show that the system is ready for action.

The Windows 98 screen can be divided into two sections:

 Desktop
 Taskbar

22
DESKTOP

This is the background on which all other windows components appear.

The components of the Windows screen includes:

Wall Paper - To decorate or to make desktop much effective and attractive, different wall papers
can be created which can cover the screen in the desktop. Different kind of wallpaper can be
created using Paint (an application for creating drawings under Windows)

Icons - Icons are pictures that represent programs (the Internet, Word for Windows, and so on),
folders, files, and printer information, computer information and so on in both Windows and
Windows applications. Most often these are used to open folders and files.

Folder - A folder contains files, programs, or other folders on the computer. A folder is the same
thing as a directory.

Pointer - Pointer is an on-screen icon (usually an arrow) that represents mouse, trackball, touch
pad, or other selecting device. One can use it to select items and choose commands. One can
move the pointer by moving the mouse or other device across the desk or mouse pad.

23
My Computer - My Computer is Window Explorer program. It represents the contents of the
computer, including the hard drive, floppy and CD-ROM drives, applications, folders, files and so
on.

My Documents - This icon represents a storage area (called a folder) that Windows sets up on
the computer's hard disk. It is used to store the various documents and files created while
working with Windows applications.

Network Neighborhood - The icon gives the access to resources on the local area network. In
other words it displays other computer connected to the computer on a Microsoft or other type of
network, such as NT, Netware. This icon appears only if the computer is part of a larger network
of computers.

Internet Explorer - If the computer has access to an Internet Service Provider, the Internet
Explorer can be used to access the Net, including Web pages and e-mail.

Recycle Bin - The Recycle Bin is a place in which deleted objects remain until user empties the
trash. The items - files, folders, program, pictures and so on can be retrieved from the Recycle
Bin after they are deleted. Once it is empty, no item can be retrieved from the bin.

My Briefcase - My Briefcase is a feature one can use for copying and transferring files from the
computer to a notebook or other computer. My briefcase enables to easily transfer and update
files.

Online Services - This folder icon enables to quickly sign up for any of the online services it
contains, including America Online, AT&T WorldNet, and CompuServe. Before using one of these
services, modem has to be connected to the computer and configured.

Set Up The Microsoft Network – This is a step-by-step guide to configure the computer and
connecting to Microsoft's special Internet network. Again, modem is needed to use this service.

Outlook Express - It provides the platform for sending and receiving e-mail messages.

Connect to the Internet - It is a program for Internet Connection Wizard, which takes step-by-
step through the process of setting up an Internet connection.

TASKBAR

The gray strip along the bottom of the Windows 98 screen is called the taskbar. The taskbar
sports four distinct features:

Start button - The Start button displays a menu from which you can choose to open an
application, open a document, customize Windows, find folder or file, get help, or shut down the
Windows program.

Quick Launch - This area boasts a few more icons. These icons give easy access to common
features.

Notification Area - Windows displays little indications of open applications or windows in this
area (It is also called system tray)

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Clock - Displays the current time.

USING MOUSE

Many actions in Windows and its applications are performed by using the mouse. With the
mouse, you can easily select an icon, folder, or window. Selecting involves two steps: pointing
and clicking. You also can open icons and folders by double-clicking them, and you can move
items by clicking and dragging that particular item/object.

Point - To Point to an object, move the mouse across the desk or mouse pad until the on-screen
mouse pointer touches the object.

Click - To Click means to press and release the left button after placing the mouse pointer on the
object. If the object is an icon or window, it becomes highlighted.

Double Click - Double click means to press and release the left button twice, quickly. Double
clicking is often a shortcut to perform a task like opening a folder or window.

Right Click - Right Click means to press and release the right button. Right click most things in
Windows 98, shortcut menu appears, gives quick access to common commands.

Dragging - This means that point the mouse at a particular object, press and hold down the left
mouse button, and then move the mouse. The object moves with the mouse cursor to the new
location on the screen.

Scrolling - Latest mouse product has a little wheel between the two mouse buttons. You can
scroll up and down within a document by rotating the wheel forward and backward.

START MENU

There are different ways to invoke the start menu

 Point at the start button and then click
 Press Ctrl+Esc
 On the recent keyboard - Press the key with Windows logo on it

Windows will display the start menu as shown in figure. Start menu may display more items,
depending on the installation of Windows.

Windows Update - It starts Internet Explorer and opens the Windows Update Web page.

Programs - Displays a submenu that includes collection of programs and Windows components.
These programs are Accessories, MS-DOS Prompt, and Windows Explorer etc.

Favorites - Displays the submenu with the list of frequently accessed locations, which can be
sites on the World Wide Web or folders on the hard disk.

Documents - Displays up to 15 of the most recently opened documents, for quick and easy
access, click the document name and the application.

25
Settings - Displays a submenu, which includes Control Panel and Printer Setup and Taskbar
commands to customize the Windows setup.

Find - Enables search for specific files, folders etc. on your computer or Internet etc.

Help - Displays help for performing tasks and procedures in Windows.

Run - Enables to run a program by typing its name and location.

Log Off - Logs the current user off Windows or the network.

Shut Down - Displays the shut Down dialog box in which you prepare your computer before
turning it off.

To invoke the shortcut menu of the start button, Press right button of mouse

It has following options

 Open
 Explore
 Find

26
SHUTTING DOWN WINDOWS 98

When Windows 98 is started, it loads number of files in the memory, so it is required to unload or
save the status of all the system files when the system is not required for use. This ensures an
error free startup next time. It is therefore desired that the Windows operating system must be
closed properly for normal working of the system files as well as the user files.

To properly shut the system down, click on the Start button. Windows 98 then displays another
dialog box, as shown in following figure with four options:

27
Stand by - This command appears only on computers that have power management features
that enable to turn off things like the monitor and hard drive without shutting everything down.
You can wake up your system later by simply jiggling the mouse.

Shut down - This options turn off your entire system.

Restart - Use this option to start all over again. This option should be used only if an installation
program demands to restart your system.

Restart in MS-DOS mode - This option boots the system under MS-DOS and displays the DOS
prompt.

Click on Shut down option and then click OK button, or press ENTER. Windows 98 takes few
seconds and displays a screen telling that it's okay to shut off your computer. In the latest
Pentium based systems, the CPU automatically gets switched off and only monitor needs to be
switched off.

WINDOWS COMPONENTS

Sizing

The size of a window can be changed to just about any size you want. Three buttons are
provided on each window opened in Windows 98 on the right top corner of each window.

-- X

Minimize Button ( _ ) – The first is the minimize button. A displayed window can be minimized to
its smallest size using the Minimize button

Maximize/Restore Button ( ) - A window can be maximized to its largest size using the
Maximize button, the second or middle button. A maximized window can be restored to its
previous size using Restore button.

Close Button (X) - An active window can be closed (quit) by clicking on the close button on the
right up corner of the window.

In addition, a window can be custom sized by pointing to the window border and dragging the
border in the direction you want to go.

Creating a shortcut - A shortcut is a quick way to start a program or open a file or folder without
having to go to its actual directory or place of location on the hard disk. Shortcuts are especially
useful for programs, files, and folders that need to be used frequently.

WINDOWS 98 PROGRAMS

MS-DOS Prompt
This program takes the user to the MS-DOS command mode. Since MS-DOS comes as a part of
Windows 98, so all DOS commands can be executed at DOS prompt. Type “exit” on the MS-DOS
prompt to return to the GUI Windows mode.

28
Windows Explorer
Windows explorer provides the tools to work with files and folders and associate files with
applications on the storage medium. In the explorer's window, folders are shown in the left pane
and contents of that folder are displayed in right pane. The view can be expanded to see
subfolders using plus sign or collapse into one using minus sign associated with the folders that
contains subfolders.

In the Explorer's window, the desktop appears on the top of hierarchy with My Computer and all
its pieces connected to it. Any folder can be explored by right clicking on it and selecting Explore.
The folder will open with the hierarchy of folders in the left pane and the content of the folder
shown in right pane.

ACCESSORIES
Windows 98 contain a folder called Accessories that a person can use to make their task much
more easier and simple. By using Accessories one can perform calculations, create text
documents, edit pictures and play games etc. The Accessories folder contains the following
programs:

Calculator
By using calculator, you can perform both simple mathematical and advanced scientific
calculations. It is of two types: Standard and Scientific Calculator.

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Notepad
Notepad is used to create or edit text files that do not require formatting and are smaller that
64KB. Notepad opens and saves files in ASCII (text only) format. The default extension of
Notepad file is .TXT.

Parts of Notepad Screen:

Title Bar - Top most line of Notepad screen contains the application name (Notepad) and the file
name on which you are working. It also contains three buttons Minimize button,
Maximize/Restore button and Close button. Finally, it also contain control menu.

Menu Bar - In GUI (Windows) user need not remember any commands because they are
available in menus or shortcuts. All Windows commands are available on menu bar. Accordingly
you can select any option.

Scroll Bar - Notepad contains scroll bars to move around your text documents. It contains two
types of scroll bars: Vertical and Horizontal Scroll bar

Client Area - Client Area is the area available to the user where typing of text can be performed.

WordPad
The Windows Notepad has limitations like the text cannot be formatted, page formatting cannot
be done etc. To overcome these limitations, Windows provide an alternative called ‘WordPad’.
WordPad is a text editor where formatting of the documents can be done by using various tools
provided by it. In WordPad document, images and other objects can also be inserted. WordPad
files are saved automatically with .DOC extension. In this only one document can be opened at a

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time.

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Games
Windows does not only allow tasks to be performed but can also be used for entertainment such
as playing games. There are many games available, which can be played on computer for fun
and entertainment too.

Paint
Paint program under Accessories is used to create, edit, and view pictures. You can paste a Paint
picture into another document you've created, or use it as your desktop background. You can
even use Paint to view and edit scanned photos.

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CONTROL PANEL

It is an important system folder of Windows 98, which controls some vital settings of the
environment in which the computer operates. To open the control panel window, Click Start >
Settings > Control Panel or double click on My-Computer icon from Desktop and choose
Control Panel system. It will display a screen, which contain different icons to perform the
different kinds of setting. Some of the commonly used icons are:

Accessibility Options - This option makes computer more accessible to peoples with
disabilities. For example: Stickykeys can be set On for those who have difficulty in pressing two
keys simultaneously such as Ctrl, Alt or Shift.

Date/Time - This particular option is used to set the date and time shown on the computer.

Display - This option is used to set and change the effects of the screen including colors, screen
savers, typefaces and resolution etc.

Mouse - Settings for right or left button of the mouse can be done using this option. The
movement of pointer and pointer itself can also be changed.

Fonts - Shows the user various font schemes available under windows software.

Printers - Printer option if selected, will show the list of printers already attached to the computer.
To install a new printer double click on the icon Add printer and follow the instructions on the
screen.

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34
Add New Hardware - This program allows the installation of software required for the complete
operation of a new piece of hardware attached to the computer. It operates through a wizard.

Add/Remove Programs – This icon permits the installation of new application software on the
computer. In addition it also allows you to uninstall or remove an already installed program from
the system or modify its components. To install any software/program, choose the Install option
from the menu. To uninstall or modify existing software, select the program from the list of
program and then follow the instructions.

WINDOWS XP

Windows XP the new operating system launched by Microsoft has many striking new features
while retaining many old favourite features. ‘XP’ stands for experience and as described by
Microsoft the operating system has been designed keeping in mind the user feedback about its
predecessors, the comfort and the ease with feature the user desires to be included in the OS
have been bundled in it.

This Microsoft's new edition comes in two versions Home and Professional. Professional edition
has all the features included in Home, plus the following:

 More sophisticated security features, including support for IPSec and smart card
authentication
 Enhancements for mobile users/laptops
 Dual processor support
 Enhanced management features

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There are a bunch of useful utilities in this release. Some of these are:

Plus! MP3 Audio Converter LE: This utility converts MP3 files to Windows Media Files (.wma). If
you convert your MP3 files into Windows Media format you will save tons of disk space.

Windows Media Player Skins: A few new skins for the Windows Media player.

Windows Media Player Visualizations: A bunch of new visualizations. Some of them are even
cool! Just plug your computer into your wide-screen TV.

Copy Music from CD AutoPlay Update: This feature adds an option to "Copy music from CD
using Windows Media Player" to the autoplay option list that appears after an audio CD is
inserted into the CD drive. If you select this option, the Media Player pops up in "Copy from CD"
view. Then all you have to do is click the "Copy Music" button, that's it.

Windows Media Player Tray Control: The utility put an icon in the system tray to make it easier to
access and control Windows Media Player functions. There's an option to allow it to run on
startup so you don't have to worry about starting it manually after boot up.

Media Library Management Wizard: This is a multifaceted tool that does a lot of things with your
music library. Some of the features include Clean Up Media Library, Add New Files, Synchronize
Track Information, Download Album Art and Rename and Rearrange Music Files.

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Playlist Import to Excel: This tool is an Excel macro that imports playlists that are in . asx file
format. The resulting Excel spreadsheet allows you to sort and retrieve information for each item
in the list, such as the name, artist, genre, and bit rate of each file. You can even use the built-in
Excel publish to the Web features and put the spreadsheet on the Internet.

Windows Media Player Skin Importer: A skin importer that allows you to migrate your Winamp
skins to Windows Media Player.

Windows Movie Maker Creativity Kit: If you're into making home movies, then you'll enjoy this
feature. The Creativity Kit includes a bunch of sound effects, music clips, title slides and videos.
You can import these goodies into the Movie Maker and use them to enhance your own award
winning home movies

Though there are lots of tools and utilities included in this new operating system but still one may
like to know performance related issues before upgrade. How much one will benefit by upgrading
to Windows XP depends on what operating system you are running now. If you are using any
version of Win9x (Windows 95, Windows 98/98SE, Windows ME) then the upgrade to Windows
XP is a must.

Microsoft is coming with new tools for this operating system everyday so as to make it a better
experience for the end-user and popularizing it.

APPLICATION SOFTWARE

The application software is a general-purpose software that serves a specific application area.
This enables a computer to be used as a problem solving tool. This is developed by users in
some programming language for automating specific tasks.

Classification Of Application Software

The software may also be classified on the basis of method employed for development of
software. The two types are: Custom-made or Pre-Packaged software.

 Custom-made software: Custom-made or custom-written software is one which is

designed and developed to meet a specific need of a particular customer. It is the
software written by a computer programmer to fulfill a highly specialized task. This is also
sometimes referred as “proprietary application software” since it addresses a specific or
unique business need. For example, an organization developing Inventory Control
Software for its use. This kind of software may be developed either ‘in-house’ by the
organization’s system personnel or it may be developed and commissioned by a software
vendor team. This type of software acquisition involves a delay in the realization of need
of the software and its availability to the users due to time taken for development and it’s
commissioning.

 Pre-Packaged software: Packaged software are standard packages that are “off-the-shelf”
program available on disk (floppy or CD) for use by the general public, such as word
processing or spreadsheets. This type of software can be purchased, leased or rented
from vendor that develops programs and sells them to many organizations or users. The
pre-packaged software may be customized according to specific needs of the users such
as report layouts, input mode, etc. The word ‘Package’ is commonly used term for

37
 computer software that has been developed by a vendor and is available in a pre-
packaged form. For example: Tally Accounting software.

Software Upgrades, Versions And Releases

As we know that no work is perfect and the same is true for software as well. The software
developers keep enhancing their products. Software upgrade refers to the revision of software to
eliminate the existing bugs, if any and provide valuable enhancements. These enhancements
may further give rise to different bugs, which shall be rectified in new upgrades. The
enhancement in the software is indicated by new version or new release.
:
 Version: A version is a major upgrade in a software product. Versions are usually
indicated by numbers such as 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and so forth. The higher the number
preceding the decimal point, the more recent the version. For example MSDOS 5.0,
MSDOS 6.0, Wordstar 6.0, Wordstar 7.0, Tally 4.0, Tally 5.0, etc.

 Release: A release is a minor upgrade. Releases are usually indicated by a change in

number after the decimal point i.e. 3.0, then 3.1, then perhaps 3.11, then 3.2, and so on.
For example Windows 3.0, Windows 3.1, Windows 3.11, etc.

Some software developers have departed from this system traditional system. For instance,
Microsoft called its operating system, launched in 1995, “Windows 95” instead of Windows 4.0”.
All subsequent releases have also been named Windows 98, Windows 2002.

Software Compatibility

While bringing new versions of the software, the developers have to keep the existing user
applications in mind. They need to ensure that their applications will continue to be operational
even in the new version or release. Most software products are therefore made upward
compatible. Upward compatible means that files or documents created with earlier versions of
the software can be processed successfully on subsequent later versions. It means we can use a
spreadsheet file created in MS-Excel 3.0 in MS-Excel 4.0 and 5.0. However, downward-
compatible or backward-compatible software is more complex and therefore less common.
Downward compatible means that applications developed for latest version of a software product
can also be run on earlier or older versions. For example, if we can process our text document
created using MS Word 2000 in MS Word 97 or MS Word 95, then the Word processing software
is said to be downward compatible.

Software Licensing

Software developers or vendors spend a great deal of time and financial resources in developing
a software product. This investment must be protected from being copied or distributed.
Proprietary software is software whose rights are owned by an individual or business, usually a
software developer. The ownership is protected by the copyright, and the owner expects you to
buy a copy in order to use it. The software cannot legally be used or copied without permission.

Software Publisher’s Association (SPA) enforces copyright laws through a set of guidelines. The
SPA estimates that software piracy amounts to approximately $15 billion annually. These
guidelines ensure that every software being used should be licensed. A license is permission
granted under the law to engage in an activity otherwise unlawful. In paying for a software
license, we sign a contract in which we agree not to make copies of the software to give away or

38
for resale. It basically means that we have bought only the company’s permission to use the
software and not the software itself. This enables the company to retain its rights to the program
and limits the way its customers can use it. However most of the software license allows making
one copy (working or archival copy) of the software to handle the problem of storage media
problems. For example SPSS software license is valid for one year. The license has to be
renewed every year and for using the software a new product key is provided to users.

In India, NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies) is the agency,
which is entrusted with enforcing the use of licensed software. This is one of the primary
objectives of this association.

Table 4.1: Objectives of NASSCOM

OBJECTIVES OF NASSCOM

 Maintaining close interaction with the Government of India in formulating National IT

policies with specific focus on IT software and services
 Maintaining a state of the art information database of IT software and services related
activities for use of both the software developers as well as interested companies
overseas.
 Encourage members to provide world-class quality products, services and solutions in
India and overseas and help build brand equity for the Indian IT software and services
industry.
 Taking effective steps to campaign against software piracy.
 Provide members with opportunities to participate at all Major IT Events around the
globe and organise IT events in India.
 Provide an ideal forum for overseas and domestic companies to explore the vast
potential available for Joint Ventures, Strategic Alliances, Marketing Alliances, Joint
Product Development, etc., by organising Business Meets with delegations of various
countries.
 Work actively with Overseas Governments, Embassies to make the Visa and Work
Permit Rules more "India Industry Friendly".
 Disseminate various policies, market information and other relevant statistics by sending
more than 200 circulars (annually) to all members.
 Help actively in the development of human resources required for the software-driven IT
industry.
 Involve membership participation in various forums of Nasscom on subjects such as
HRD, Technology, Exports, Domestic Market, E-Governance, IT Enabled Services, IPR,
Finance, Government Policies, Quality, etc.

There are two types of licenses: Shrink wrap licenses and Site licenses.

Shrink-wrap licenses: Shrink-wrap licenses are standard printed licenses inserted into software
packages and visible through the transparent plastic wrap. The use of shrink-wrap licenses
eliminates the need for a written signature, since buyers know that they are entering into a
binding contract by merely opening the package.

Site licenses: A site license permits a customer to make multiple copies of a software product for
use just within a given facility, such as a computer centre or an organization. Usually the license
stipulates a maximum number of copies. For each additional use, the license has to be bought by

39
paying a nominal license fee. For example: Windows NT operating system comes with 5-user
license. For each additional client, a small amount has to be paid.

SOFTWARE: ETHICAL & IPR ISSUES

Computer software falls in the category of Intellectual property i.e. product of the human mind.
Such property is protected by copyright law, the exclusive legal right that prohibits copying it
without the permission of the copyright holder. Software piracy, Network piracy, and Plagiarism
violate copyright laws. Piracy is theft or unauthorized distribution or use of it. Software piracy is
the unauthorized copying of software protected by copyrighted. This could be done by simply
copying a program from one diskette to another or by downloading a file/program from a network
and make a copy of it. Network piracy is using electronic networks for the unauthorized
distribution of copyrighted materials in digitized form. With software piracy, the software prices
are not likely to come down, as the cost of creating the software is not recovered. The ethical and
IPR issues have been discussed in detail under system security aspects.

Even despite the IPR issues, certain developers permit their software to be used by others by
copying or downloading them.

Public Domain Software, Freeware And Shareware

There are a number of software products majority of which are available on the Internet – that can
be downloaded and used by any one. This software belongs to any one of the categories: Public
domain software, Freeware, and Shareware. This software can be legally copied and used unlike
proprietary software.

Public domain software is software that is not protected by copyright and thus may be duplicated
by anyone at will for free. These public domain programs are usually developed by government
agencies and donated to the public by their creators. They are often available through sites on
the Internet (or electronic bulletin boards) or through computer users groups. A users group is a
club, or group, of computer users who share interests and trade information about computer
systems. We can duplicate public domain software without fear of legal prosecution. For example,
Library Software developed by INSDOC is distributed free of cost to all the libraries.

Freeware is copyrighted software that is available free of charge. Freeware is distributed without
charge, also usually through the Internet or computer users groups. This is done by the
developers to see how users respond to the software and on the basis of feedback they can
make improvements in a later version. An example of freeware is Mosaic, the Internet browser
software. Freeware developers often retain all rights to their programs; still there is no problem
about our making several copies of it for distribution or for self-use.

Shareware is copyrighted software that is distributed free of charge but requires users to make a
contribution in order to receive technical help, documentation, or upgrades. Shareware like
freeware is also distributed primarily through the Internet. Most of the shareware are professional
programs with complete documentation Users are generally given 30 days to test the software
and if it suits their need, they are expected to pay for it. These are ‘try and buy’ software. The
software developer anticipates that some of the people or users who will use it shall pay a
relatively low price as registration fee for advice or upgrades. Though copying shareware is
permissible, but because it is copyrighted we cannot use it as the basis for developing our own
program in order to compete with the developer. Examples of this category are: HP Precision
Scan, WinZip, Anti-Virus Software, etc.

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SOFTWARE EVALUATION AND SELECTION ISSUES

The importance of software has brought into focus certain issues, which needs to be considered
by managers in the process of selection and evaluation. For a manager, software evaluation and
selection is a complex decision involving many factors. Some of these factors are:

Size and Location of User Base – The current and the expected user base of the software need
to be assessed along with the locational issues. Some of the software have limitations in terms of
how many maximum users can access it or whether it can support geographically dispersed
users or not.

Availability of System Administration tools – The software products differ with each other in terms
of administration tools offered by it such as for controlling its usage in terms of security, use of
system resources, creating list of users, backing up, etc.

Requirements of Computing Infra-structure – The software being acquired must be compatible

with the existing infra-structure, approach to application development, etc. The software should
be usable on current operating system, different hardware platforms, etc.

Cost of Software – The cost of the software is an important factor in its selection. The cost may
include initial or first-time cost of software, cost of installation, documentation, user training,
customization, maintenance cost, etc.

Availability of technical Skill – How many technically competent personnel are available in the
organization determines the acquisition approach i.e. in house of off-the-shelf. In addition, the
maintenance of software can be undertaken in house if organization has skilled manpower. In
case such skills are limited, it is advisable to go for packaged software.

Some of the software evaluation factors are:

 Ease of Development
 Understanding of software (for skilled personnel and Users)
 General functionality
 Data Handling
 User Interface
 Input Options
 Output Options
 Hardware Requirements
 Security
 Documentation
 Maintenance Support
 Vendor Support
 Cost
 Modularity
 Flexibility

TYPES OF APPLICATION SOFTWARE

Software can change the way we act, even the way we think. Some readers may intuitively
understand this because they grew up playing videogames. Indeed, some observers hold that
videogames are not quite the time wasters we have been led to believe. However, these forms of

41
entertainment are only a way station to something else. Videogames are training wheels for
using more sophisticated software that can help us learn better and be more productive.

There are four types of applications software:

 Entertainment software
 Educational and reference software
 Basic productivity software
 Business and specialized software

Entertainment Software

This is the most popular application software among children in the form of computer or video
games. A videogame is an interactive electronic game that may be played through a television
set or a PC or in video-games parlours. The popularity of computers at home is because of the
availability of the entertainment software. Even so much so that certain entertainment software
such as- Solitaire, Minesweeper, Freecell are a part the Windows software. However the games
such as Pacman, Pong, Cricket, SuperMario, Space Invaders, Prince, Chess, Bricks, Car Racing,
etc. have almost put the computers in every home. Today, the video-games is almost about $7.5
billion-a year industry in the United States.

Educational & Reference Software

Educational and reference software are getting popular because of the advantages offered by
them especially for the slow learners. The Computer-Aided Instructions (CAI) as well as
Intelligent Tutorial Systems have received a lot of boost in the recent years. This software apart
from providing the benefit of self paced learning makes the concept understandable by high
interactive video. This is particularly true for low-achieving students.

In addition to educational software, reference software is increasingly becoming popular. This is

because the searching particular information from the printed voluminous and bulky reference in
not only difficult but cumbersome too. The electronic retrieval of information by using certain
context key words proves to be quite handy. For instance, there are CD-ROMs with
encyclopedias, telephone directories, books, mailing lists, maps, home-remodeling design, etc.
With the CD-ROM encyclopedia such as Microsoft Encarta or Britannica, for example, you can
search for almost anything in a fraction of a second. These are considered to be big daddy of all
reference material accessible through the Internet site: www.britannica.com and
www.encarta.msn.com. This serves as a discovery channel for inquisitive kids. These days we
also find encyclopedia covering a specific domain such as music, travel, virus, Psychology, etc.

Office Productivity Software

In a typical office environment, the work being performed can be classified into following basic
categories:

 Typing letters, preparing reports, design brochures, etc.

 Recording data and performing mathematical and financial analysis and charting the data
 Present the above reports, financial analysis, etc. to selected audience
 Store, modify, delete and query data for future reference.
 Communicate with other organizational as well as outside personnel

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The software developed to perform the above tasks efficiently and effectively are referred as
Office Productivity Software. Such productivity software is now a day found in most offices and
probably on all campuses, on personal computers and on larger computer systems, Their
purpose is simply to make users more productive at performing general tasks.

The most popular kinds of productivity tools are:

 Word processing software

 Spreadsheet software
 Database software
 Presentation graphics software
 Communications software – both data communications and e-mail
 Groupware
 Internet Web browsers

It may not be possible to work in an office probably in any part of the world today without knowing
one or more of these programs. These are briefly discussed below:

Business & Specialized Software

Apart from the general-purpose application software discussed above, there is a need for
software to handle specific business or specialized activities. This is required so as to pass on the
benefit of IT to all the occupations such as Accountants, Lawyers, Security Analysts, Purchase
and Materials Manager, Publishers, architects, doctors, teacher etc. The software that is of
general use in most of the business organizations is referred as business software such as for
payroll, accounting, tax reports, inventory control, etc. Some of the software in this category is:
Tally, Busy, etc. The software that caters to the specific professions is referred as specialized
software such as: Today for almost every occupation we will probably find software available. For
example a program helps an insurance agent to calculate the Insurance premium for a vehicle
with various options.

Personal Application Software Packages

These are the packages that are general purpose, off-the-shelf and perform routine processing.
There are a number of packages, which falls in this category. Some of the most useful are: Word
Processing, Spreadsheet Processing, Data base management, Graphics Software, Desktop
Publishing, Multimedia, Communication, Internet browsers and groupware. Let’s discuss briefly
about them:

Word Processing Software:

This software allows the user to manipulate text. A user can create, edit, format, store and print
text material using this software. The software provides a preview option to see before printing
how the text will appear on the page. This is mainly used for generating neat looking reports. To
serve this purpose, it provides choice of variety of fonts, font sizes, setting of margins, line and
paragraph spacing, page headers, footers and footnotes, spelling and grammar checking,
thesaurus for alternative words, selective printing and finally saving the document in a variety of
formats to provide wide compatibility. All these features make it more productive. Some examples
are: Word Perfect, WordStar, MS Word, etc.

Database Management Software:

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A database is the stored organizational data. It is the computer-based collection of inter-related
files that are organized on some data elements in such a way so that they can be retrieved easily.
A database management system (DBMS) is data management software that supports storage,
retrieval and manipulation of data in the database. Paradox, FoxPro, Dbase, MS Access, Oracle,
DB2 are examples of DBMS.

Electronic Spreadsheet Software:

An electronic spreadsheet is a computerized version of traditional paper spreadsheet. Also

referred commonly as spreadsheet, it stores data in the form of a table with huge storage
capacity. Spreadsheet software converts the computer screen into a grid of rows and columns
for storing the data. Spreadsheet is very powerful software that combines the data management
and graphical capability apart from spreadsheet features. These are primarily used for financial
information. The principal spreadsheet software are: Lotus 1-2-3, MS-Excel, Quattro Pro, etc.

Some of the principal features of this software are:

Columns, Rows and Cells- The rows are numbered as 1, 2, 3, etc. while columns are numbered
as A, B, C, etc. The row labels are indicated down on the left side of the sheet while column
headings are indicated on the across the top. The data is entered in cells. A cell is the
intersection of row and column. Each cell is referred by its address, which includes the column
number followed by row number. For example cell C5 indicates we are referring to intersection of
row 5 and column C.

Formula and Functions- Formula are the instructions for calculation. These can be specified for
any cell and the cell contains both the formula as well as the result of it. Functions are pre-defined
or stored formula that is commonly required. For example to calculate the arithmetic mean of a
set of numbers, a function AVERAGE () can be used.

Recalculation – This is a very powerful feature of spreadsheet that automatically re-calculates or

re-computes the entire worksheet data. Therefore whenever any change I made in any part of the
spreadsheet, the entire sheet gets recalculated to reflect the change. This is very useful for mind
boggling computing operations especially budgeting. This is referred as “What-If” analysis.

Graphics or Charting Capability – This feature of the package allows presentation of voluminous
data in a variety of charts or graphs for use of top management. Some examples of charts are:
bar charts, pie charts, trends, etc.

Data Analysis Capabilities – This feature allows analysis of the data in numerous ways. The first
is by using the Pivot-tables for summarizing the high volume of data in a summarized easy to use
form for analysis. The Goal Seek, Solver and Scenario Analysis enables analysis of the data to
achieve specific targets by changing selected variables.

Graphic or Presentation Software:

Graphic Software allows the users to create, store and display or print charts, graphs, maps and
drawings. The presentation software provides the capability to produce professional looking
presentation to communicate with a group of people. This involves text handling, outlining,
drawing, graphing, etc. with or without animation effects. The presentation is in the form of slides,
which are nothing but graphics. These can be organized in a form with specified time duration,
transition effects, background sound, and lot of other value added features to make it a complete

44
slide show. Depending on the capabilities of the system, we can also add animated sequence
and record sound with the presentation show. Examples are: Harvard Graphics, Microsoft Power
Point, etc.

Desktop Publishing Software:

DTP Software provides a level of sophistication beyond word processing. It provides tools to
create reports, brochures, newsletters, advertising copies, fliers, etc. quickly and easily. It allows
to mix and merge graphics and text in varied fonts, styles and layouts to produce finished camera
ready documents. It can integrate files from other programs as well. This is especially useful for
small business create high quality advertising and marketing material at reasonable cost.
Examples are: Page Maker, Ventura, QuarkXpress, and Microsoft Publisher, etc.

Communication Software:

To exchange information among computers interconnected with each other in a network, we

require communication software. Communication software manages the transmission of data
between computers connected through dedicated or public cables, telephone lines, and
microwave or satellite links. The computers may be as close as on the same table or as far as on
the other end of the globe. A normal user makes use of a device called ‘Modem’ and telephone
line for exchanging data over the network. A modem is an electronic device, which converts
digital signals from a computer into analog signals for transmission over the telephone lines. At
the receiving end, the analog signals are received and converted back into digital signals by a
modem for use in a computer. Apart from providing exchange of data, the software also performs
following functions: Error Correction, Data compression, Remote control and Terminal emulation.
E-mail and desktop Video-conferencing relies on communication software.

Multimedia Software:

Multimedia is the interactive use, on a personal computer or workstation, of audio, video,

photographic images and animation--alone or in any combination--along with traditional text and
computer graphics, such as WYSIWYG type fonts and bar charts. Audio may be synthesized, or it
may be actual digitized sounds. Images may be still or moving (video), in analog or digital form.
Networked multimedia means sending all these types of information as digital data over computer
networks, where multiple users can access them interactively

Multimedia software combines at least two media for input or output. It allows to mix text,
graphics, images, audio (sound), video and animation in a single digital presentation. There are
two types of multimedia software: Presentation an Interactive. The presentation multimedia
software presents information in a pre-fixed sequential manner similar to a movie or a T.V. show.
The Interactive multimedia provides flexibility in the above through alteration in the sequence of
flow of information at users own will similar to a photo album or encyclopedia. Companies are
spending huge money in creating multimedia presentation on CD’s. However, creating multimedia
need not be so expensive or difficult. For example, students of class VI of Mont Fort School in
Delhi created a multimedia presentation on their activities, achievements and other information
with the assistance of certain professionals. This was presented to a large audience in the
auditorium and received wide applause. There are a number of multimedia standards formed by
Multimedia PC Working Group (MPCWG) called MPC1, MPC2, MPC3, etc. MPC3 is the most
recent standard; it came out in February 1996. The Multimedia PC Working Group is a group of
commercial hardware and software companies, as well as other companies who are developing
content for use on the Multimedia PC platform.

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Computer Aided Design (CAD) Software:

CAD software are programs developed for design of products and structures and build their
prototypes. These are used mainly by architects and designers to design buildings, products, and
electronic devices. CAD/CAM is computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing software
that uses/allows products designed with CAD to control the production machinery. The digital
design is input into an automated manufacturing system that makes the products.

Internet Browsers:

The most exciting and recent part of the Internet is World Wide Web (www) popularly called as
‘web’. A web basically is a series of interconnected documents stored on web sites. To view
these documents we need to visit these web sites. The web sites (and in turn documents lying on
them) can be accessed by using software called browser software or simply ‘browser’. A Web
browser is a software program that enables to view information on the web. There are a number
of Web browsers but the biggest fight to control the majority market share has been between
Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Netscape’s Netscape Navigator. Netscape has now been taken
over by America Online. A browser provides a number of useful functions such as:

 It allows entering the address of the site we want to visit (called URL- Uniform Resource
Locator) or by clicking on certain highlighted words, hyperlinks, etc.

 It formats web documents for display on the screen.

 It allows to copy text from the screen into our word or notepad files.

 It also permits downloading files from the web onto our computer.

 It allows to print document from the screen.

 It allows to send and receive e-mail and other internet services such as FTP (File Transfer
Protocol).

Groupware:

Groupware is software used on network that facilitates communication, coordination, and

collaboration among a group of users working together on the same project. It improves the
productivity by many-to-many communication linkage. It comes in a great variety. This is
essentially of four types: Basic Groupware such as Lotus Notes, Workflow software such as
Microsoft Exchange, Meeting software such as Ventana’s Group-Systems V, and Scheduling
software such as Network Scheduler. Microsoft Exchange is primarily an electronic messaging
server that incorporates groupware functionality for sharing information. It incorporates e-mail and
supports workgroup activities with additional features such as interactive scheduling, forms
design, etc.

OFFICE XP – THE NEW OFFICE PRODUCTIVITY SOFTWARE

The following text describe many of the new features and enhancements found in Office XP also
referred to as Office 2002. The application suite also termed as productivity enhancement
package by Microsoft is a good upgrade with lots of visible changes, some of them are listed
below :

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General Improved features:
 Task panes In Office applications you can now carry out certain operations or choose
selected options using a new kind of dialog box known as a “task pane”. A task pane is a
Web-style command area that can be docked along the right or left edge of the window or
float anywhere on the screen. For example: New Document, Clipboard, Search, web
pages and E-mails etc.
 Speech recognition In Office XP applications you can now dictate text rather than type it,
and you can issue basic commands by speaking them rather than by using the mouse or
keyboard.
 Smart tags Office XP applications can now recognize a wide range of different data types
entered into a document (such as names, dates, addresses, and stock ticker symbols).
The application converts each recognized piece of data into a smart tag, and you can then
use a menu attached to the smart tag to perform useful actions on that data, automatically
invoking the required Windows program.
 Search feature Office XP includes a new search feature that you can use to locate files
on local disks, network drives, or Web sites or to find items in Outlook folders. You can
run the search feature in the Search task pane or in a dialog box that you display from the
Open or Open Office Document dialog box.
 Document recovery Office XP provides many new features to help you recover your data
in the event of a program crash. For example, Office applications attempt to save your
document when a crash occurs, on restarting, provide a Document Recovery task pane to
help you restore your document. It gives you whole lot of options before reverting to the
last saved document. Also, you can use the new Office Application Recovery utility to
break into a hung application so it can save your data. And you can use the Open And
Repair option in the Open dialog box to attempt to repair a corrupted document.
 Handwriting interface Office XP applications now let you enter text into a document using
an electronic tablet and pen or (with difficulty) an ordinary mouse. One can either insert
handwritten characters (such as your signature) or you can have Office recognize your
handwritten characters and convert them to regular text.
 AutoCorrect Options button After the Office AutoCorrect feature makes a change, you
can modify the correction using the new AutoCorrect Options button.
 Paste Options button When you paste data into an Office XP document, a Paste Options
button appears, allowing you to select the desired format of the pasted data and to switch
among different formats to determine the one you want.
 XML (Extensible Markup Language) support Excel and Access 2002 can now import and
export data from and to XML documents. Also, you can have FrontPage 2002 apply XML
formatting rules when generating the HTML source for the Web pages you create.
 Diagrams In Office XP applications you can now get a head start in building a conceptual
drawing—such as an organization chart or a Venn diagram—by inserting a ready-made
Office diagram.
 Windows in Taskbar option You can now display documents in top-level windows with
buttons in the Windows Taskbar (as in Office 2000), or you can display them in child
windows within a single top-level application window without displaying a toolbar button
for each document window (as in Office 97 and earlier versions).
 New From Existing command You can now create a new document based on an existing
document as an alternative to using a template i.e. Your existing documents can now act
as templetes for the new documents.
 SharePoint access In Office XP applications you can now open or save documents
stored on a SharePoint team Web site, you can participate in online discussions hosted by
the site, and in some types of Office documents you can insert Web components that
allow you to view and modify shared information stored on a team site. (A team Web site

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 is hosted by a Web server that runs SharePoint Team Services, and it provides
collaboration features that allow workgroups to share documents and exchange
information)

Salient Word-XP Features

 New formatting features Word 2002 now saves and lets you reapply directly assigned
formatting features as an alternative to using styles. In addition to character and
paragraph styles, there is a reveal formatting task pane which allows you to use Word's
new formatting consistency checker. To select all text that has the same style or saved
format as the current selection, you can use the new Select All command. And you can
simultaneously select multiple blocks of text or graphics in a document so that you can
format or edit all of them at once.
 Change tracking The change tracking feature has been completely revamped—for
example, you can have Word mark changes using margin balloons without disturbing the
line and page breaks in the document.
 Comments In Word 2002, comments have also been extensively redesigned—for
instance, you can have Word display comment text in margin balloons, making it easy to
insert, view, or edit the comment text. Besides this there are provision for voice
comments.
 Document security Document security has been enhanced—for example, the Options
dialog box provides a new Security tab, and you can attach a digital signature to a
document. This is in addition to the password level security which was present in earlier
versions also.
 Text translation You can use Word's new Translate task pane to translate into a different
language either a word, or—by means of a translation service on the Web—a phrase, a
block of text, or an entire document. Many a times it takes you to some site and then gives
the output, this feature is somewhat web dependent.
 Watermarks Word's new Printed Watermark command makes it easy to add a document
watermark, which consists of faint text or graphics displayed across every page in the
document or in a document section.
 Mail Merge Wizard Word's new Mail Merge Wizard, which runs in the Mail Merge task
pane, makes it easy to create form letters, envelopes, labels and other mail-merge
documents.
 New Web page formats Word now lets you save a Web page in the Web Archive (*.mht,
*.mhtml) format, which saves everything in a single Web archive file. You can also filter a
Web page when you save it, which generates a smaller and "cleaner" HTML file by
preserving only the essential document information

Salient Excel-XP Features

 Unlocking data A number of new tools make it easier to find, analyze, and publish data
associated with worksheets in Excel 2002. Web queries make it easier to link to data on
the Web. Web Page AutoRepublish automatically keeps Web pages in synchronisation
every time you save your document. Copy Paste Web Query automatically links to data
on the Web when you paste it from a Web page. Import Data allows you to easily find and
share data sources. For example if you query www.cricket.org you can get updated cricket
scores
 Improved pivot tables Pivot tables have been improved with drop-down menus and other
user interface enhancements. The automatic GetPivotData formula streamlines the
analysis of pivot table data.
 Access to more data Excel 2002 works with more data types, including common data
sources on the Web. XML is supported as a data interchange format, and worksheets can

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 be linked directly to XML data on the Web. The new real-time data (RTD) function brings
real-time data into Excel for analysis.
 Command and feature enhancements Numerous menu command and product feature
enhancements make Excel even easier to use, including link management, Find and
Replace searches, hyperlink navigation, sorting, drawing borders, inserting international
number formats, editing cells vertically, error checking, and customizing headers and
footers with graphics and additional information. The IntelliPrint feature eliminates the
printing of blank pages, an enhancement designed to conserve your printing and paper
resources.

Salient PowerPoint-XP Features

 Collaboration You can now save presentations with password protection, so that
reviewers can view presentations in PowerPoint but not edit or save them. Web
broadcasting is now easier to use. Authors can now attach digital signatures to their
presentations to increase security and reviewer confidence. Presentation review cycles in
workgroups have been made easier through routing and reconciliation features, which
manage change requests from multiple reviewers. Comments have been revised so that
in addition to allowing reviewers the chance to insert "hidden" notes in presentations, they
can be compared to one another, merged together, and printed in a new way.
 Animation You can now apply a combination of animation and transition schemes to your
whole presentation at once—a significant time saver. New slide transition effects include
Comb, Fade Smoothly, Newsflash, Push, Shape, Wedge, and Wheel. Custom animation
effects are easier and more impressive now that PowerPoint lets you control exit
animations, path animations, and timed/simultaneous animations.
 Everyday tasks made easy The Copy and Paste commands are better able to handle
inserting different content types and a larger volume of information. Print Preview allows
you to determine how a presentation prints and lets you make fine-tuning adjustments.
Slide formatting is easier with "one-click" formatting. You can apply more than one design
template to the same presentation. Thumbnail views of your slides are now available in
Normal View.

Salient Access-XP Features

 New database format Access 2002 provides a new database file format that offers better
performance for larger databases. You can open and save databases in either the old
format or the new one, and you can easily convert databases between formats.
 Enhanced spelling checker You can modify the way the spelling checker works by using
the new Spelling tab in the Options dialog box.
 Convert objects to data access pages You can now convert a table, query, form, or report
to a data access page.
 XML support You can now import or export data from or to XML documents.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISES

Short Answer Questions

1. What is System Software? Name two primary types of software giving at least two examples
of each. How are they related?

2. What is an operating system? List its major functions.

3. Name some popular operating systems. List the important resources managed by it.

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4. What do you understand by the term ‘Booting’?

5. Explain the term: Multitasking, Multiprogramming and Time Sharing.

6. Distinguish between Real Time and Batch processing.

7. Explain the term GUI. List some important features of GUI giving examples.

8. Explain the Redirection and Piping features in DOS giving example.

9. Distinguish between Internal and External DOS commands giving examples of each.

10. Discuss the role of CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files in DOS.

11. Explain the function of ‘DEFRAG’ command.

12. How can you create a bootable DOS diskette?

13. In context of UNIX, explain the terms: Kernel and Shell.

14. Discuss the UNIX directory structure.

15. List the salient features of Windows 98 operating system.

16. What is the purpose of recycle bin? Can it be renamed?

17. List various programs under ‘Accessories’ program group of Windows. Explain them briefly.

18. List the steps involved in setting up a Printer in Windows environment.

19. What is application software? List two major types of application software giving examples.
20. What do you understand by the terms: downward compatible and upward compatible?
21. What do you understand by the term ‘Software License’? List its various types.
22. What is software piracy? Distinguish between Public domain software, Freeware and
Shareware.
23. What is IPR? Why is it important in software industry?
24. Discuss the following application software: Entertainment Software, Educational and
Reference Software.
25. What is Multimedia?

Critical Thinking Questions/Projects

1. Make a visit to a computer store or some web sites. Find the various operating systems
available. List their names, prices, versions and features etc.

2. Assume you are an IT manager of a company. How will you evaluate software for meeting
your financial accounting needs? List the factors to be considered in this process.

3. Identify an organization or an institution using custom written software. Study what this

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software does, who uses it and what reports does it generate, does it require training, etc.
Find out if the same work can also be done by pre-packaged software.

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