Microcomputer Software

Hardware is the physical components of a computer system, the things you can see and touch. According to the American Heritage Dictionary software is

"The programs, routines, and symbolic languages that control the functioning of the hardware and direct its operation."

In other words, software instructs the hardware what to do, and uses the hardware to perform specific tasks, such as display information on a screen, format a floppy disk, etc. There are 2 main types of software - operating systems and applications software.

Operating Systems

MS-DOS

MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System), also known as PC-DOS (Personal Computer Disk Operating System, is the standard operating system on Intel-based microcomputers, and is often referred to simply as DOS. This is the operating system used on all students PCs on campus, and we will learn more about it in future lectures.

MS Windows

MS Windows (Microsoft Windows) is a GUI (Graphical User Interface) that works with DOS to provide a more user-friendly and powerful interface to the computer and its' applications. Current versions of MS Windows (including 3.11, which is what is used on campus) are not true operating systems, and require DOS to be installed on the computer before they can function. We will use MS Windows almost exclusively in this course.

Windows NT & Windows 95

Windows NT & Windows 95 are true operating systems (ie. they do not require DOS) which have a GUI similar to MS Windows. Windows NT has been around for a number of years, and is generally used in high-end, commercial environments. It is also the system in use at St.F.X. with the WebFX system. Windows 95 is the latest version of Windows from Microsoft, and is intended to replace DOS and MS Windows as the operating system of the future for home uses.

Macintosh

The Macintosh operating system is used on Apple computers, and was the first GUI-based operating system. This has always been the easiest to learn/use operating system, but has been limited to the proprietary Apple hardware, and therefore not as popular as DOS and Windows.

OS/2

OS/2 was the first advanced GUI operating system for Intel-based microcomputers, and has been around for a few years. Originally a joint project with IBM and Microsoft, OS/2 is know maintained by IBM, and was a competitive product to the various MS Windows programs. OS/2 will continue to be used in special areas such as network servers, and certain business applications.

UNIX

UNIX is an operating system which has been most popular on workstations and other high-end computer systems. There are various flavours of UNIX, such as AIX (the version used on Juliet), NeXTStep, and Solaris, which tend to be developed for specific vendor hardware platforms. One recently developed UNIX-like operating system is Linux, which works on a wide variety of vendor systems, including Intel microcomputers. UNIX is a very powerful and rich operating system, but also very difficult to master.

Application Software

Word Processing

Software for creating standard text documents, such as reports, books, etc. Examples are Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, and Write. Word processors are distinguished from the simpler text editors, by the inclusion of more advanced features (word wrap, headers & footers, etc.), and more complex proprietary data formats. Text editors have limited functionally, and store documents as simple ASCII text.

More sophisticated programs for creating large documents (e.g. books), or documents with a lot of graphics (newsletters, brochures, etc.) are often referred to as Desktop Publishing software. Examples are Pagemaker and Ventura. However, most modern word processors allow the integration of graphics with text, and provide numerous high-end features, and the dividing line between the two is no longer distinct.

Spreadsheets

Software for working with numeric data, including calculations and graphing/charting. Examples are Microsoft Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, and Quattro Pro. Modern spreadsheets can provide hundreds of built-in analysis tools and functions, including very sophisticated graphical analysis tools.

Databases

Software that allows the creation of highly structured containers for storing information about things. Examples are Microsoft Access , Paradox, and ProFile. Examples of types of database systems would be inventory systems, mailing lists, or bank accounts. Databases describe the characteristics of things (e.g. name, address and phone number for a mailing list), and allow the user to input values for storage, and retrieve them at a later date.

Communications

Software that allows one computer to communicate with another. Examples are Procomm and Kermit. Communications software could be used to provide access to the Internet, download files from a Bulletin Board System, or send a FAX to a regular FAX machine. Communications software often uses a modem to provide the communications link with another computer system.

Graphics

Software that allows the user to create or edit images, such as line art, photographs, or drawings. Examples are Corel Draw, Morph and Adobe Photoshop .

Presentation/Multimedia

Software that allows the user to combine various data formats (text, images, audio, video) to create products like business presentations, educational programs, games, etc. Examples are Microsoft Powerpoint and Macromedia Director. These programs can also be used to distribute information via CD-ROM, and other special computer media.

Programming

Software that is used to create other software programs. Examples are QBasic and Borland C++.

Utilities

Software that performs a variety of functions for maintaining and administering other software programs, data files, and hardware. Examples are PCtools and Norton Utilities. Newer versions of DOS create useful utility programs that were previously only available as separate software (e.g. DEFRAG and MSAV).

Games & Edutainment

Games are, well, games. Edutainment software is a new term used to describe software that uses a game-like environment to teach about specific topics.

Viruses

Viruses are special software programs that can "infect" other software (including operating systems), and cause it to malfunction, or do things its' creators did not intend it to do. Viruses can be very damaging, and anti-virus software should be used to protect computer systems from becoming infected.

Industrial

Specialized software programs used to control machines or devices such as photocopiers, robotics, cars, space shuttles, etc.

Consumer

Specialized software programs used in commercial/personal devices such as microwaves and other household appliances. Some modern homes are being designed with built-in computer systems that can be used to control heat, lights, etc.