Page 9 - ModularV1.1 _c6_flipbook
P. 9

01                                     TYPES OF


                                                                                              SOFTWARE















                                     Your Aim

                                     to learn about:
                                           Software                           System Software
                                             Application Software



                 A computer system is made up of a number of electronic devices that 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
                                                                                         System Software
                 It  is the  most important  software  to  operate a
                 computer. The operating system is a type of system
                 software.  System  software  can  be  classified  into
                                                                           Operating      Programming         Utility
                 three categories: Operating System, Programming            System          Software        Software
                 Software and Utility 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 hardware. Without an operating system, a computer is useless.
                 Types of Operating Systems

                 Operating systems usually come pre-loaded 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.



                                                                                               Types of Software   7
   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14