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Chapter Profile
                                                                                         Chapter Profile
                  1                                                                  Software

                                                                                       System Software
                                                                                            Application Software


                                       Types of


                                      Software













                 A computer system is made up of a number of electronic devices which are connected together.
                 It is made up of both hardware and software. Hardware refers to the physical components
                 that make up a computer system. You have already learnt about hardware in the previous
                 classes. In this chapter, you will learn about software.


                        SOFTWARE


                 Software is a set of instructions that makes the computer perform tasks. Software is another term
                 for a computer program. It controls the computer and makes it do useful work. Without software a
                 computer is useless. Software can be classified into two broad categories: system software and
                 application software.


                        SYSTEM SOFTWARE


                 It  is  the  most  important  software  to  operate a                  System Software
                 computer. The operating system is a type of system
                 software. System software can be  classified into
                 three categories: Operating System, Programming           Operating   Language Processor    Utility
                 Software and Utility Software.                             System                          Software

                 Operating System

                 An operating system is the most important software  that runs on a computer. It manages the
                 computer’s memory, processes data and controls all its software as well as hardware. It serves as an
                 interface between the user and the hardware. Without an operating system, a computer is useless.

                 Types of Operating Systems

                 Operating systems usually come preloaded on any computer you buy. Most people use the operating
                 system that comes with their computer, but it is possible to upgrade or even change an operating
                 system.




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