Chapter 3: Guide to Computer Software

Chapter 3
Computer Software
Computer Concepts 2012

3 Chapter Contents
ï Section A: Software Basics
ï Section B: Popular Applications
ï Section C: Buying Software
ï Section D: Installing Software and Upgrades
ï Section E: Security Software

Chapter 3: Computer Software 2

3 FastPoll True/False Questions
Answer A for True and B for False
ï 030100 Word processing software and operating
systems are examples of application software.
ï 030200 Spreadsheets are classified as utility software.
ï 030300 The software you install to help a printer
communicate with a computer is called a device driver.
ï 030400 Desktop publishing software is based on
frames.
ï 030500 Spreadsheet software is particularly useful for
what-if analyses.


ï 030600 Database software stores information in HTML
codes.
ï 030700 CAD software is a good choice for professional-
quality photo editing.
ï 030800 Payroll software is a good example of vertical
market business software.
ï 030900 If the main screen of a software product does not
contain a copyright notice, it is legal to make copies and
share them with your friends.
ï 031000 A EULA is a license agreement that specifies how to
legally use a software product.


ï 031100 Open source software is public domain.
ï 031200 The Windows Registry is a database that
keeps track of a computer’s peripheral devices,
software, preferences, and settings.
ï 031300 Downloaded software is usually zipped to
decrease download time.
ï 031400 Hash codes are used to generate a unique
number as part of the software activation process.


ï 031500 Web apps typically are installed on your
computer’s local hard disk.
ï 031600 A software worm can replicate itself.
ï 031700 To keep your antivirus software up to date,
it is important to get updates of the rootkit.
ï 031800 Botnets offer effective security protection
from spyware.


3
SECTION
A
Software Basics
ï Software Categories
ï Application Software
ï Utility Software
ï Device Drivers


3 Question
ï 032100 Software publishers offer a huge variety of
products for personal computer owners. From which
of the following categories does the typical
computer owner purchase add-on software?
–  A. System software and operating systems
–  B. Application software and utilities
–  C. Device drivers and application software
–  D. System software and antivirus software


3 Software Categories


3 Application Software
ï Productivity software can
be defined as any type of
application software that
has the potential to help
people do their work more
efficiently
ï Groupware is designed to
help several people
collaborate on a single
project using local networks
or Internet connections


3 Utility Software
ï Utility software (a type of
system software) is designed
to help you monitor and
configure settings for your
computer system equipment,
the operating system, or
application software
ï A desktop widget is a
specialized utility program that
appears on a computer’s
screen-based desktop


3 Device Drivers
ï A device driver is software
that helps a peripheral
device establish
communication with a
computer
ï Windows Device Manager


3
SECTION
B
Popular Applications
ï Document Production Software
ï Spreadsheet Software
ï “Number Crunching” Software
ï Database Software
ï Graphics Software


3
SECTION
B
Popular Applications
ï Music Software
ï Video Editing and DVD Authoring Software
ï Educational Software
ï Entertainment Software
ï Business Software


3 Question
ï 032200 Just about everyone has used iTunes
software to download music. iTunes software also
allows you to list the songs you’ve downloaded,
delete songs, find songs, and organize your music
into play lists. These features of iTunes are similar
to what type of software?
–  A. Word processing software
–  B. Spreadsheet software
–  C. Database software
–  D. Groupware

3 Document Production
Software
ï Assists you with composing, editing,
designing, printing, and electronically
publishing documents
–  Word processing
–  Desktop publishing
–  Web authoring


Software


Software
ï Document production software may include:
–  Spelling checker
•  Spelling dictionary
–  Thesaurus
–  Grammar checker
–  Feature to analyze the reading level
•  Readability formula
–  Search and Replace feature


Software
ï The format for a document refers to the way that all
elements are arranged on the page


Software


Software
ï Mail merge automatically creates personalized letters by
combining the information in a mailing list with a form letter
ï Additional capabilities of word processing software include:
–  Automatically generating table of contents and index
–  Numbering and positioning footnotes
–  Providing document templates and document wizards
–  Exporting to HTML format


3 Spreadsheet Software
ï A spreadsheet uses rows
and columns of numbers to
create a model or
representation of a real
solution
ï Spreadsheet software,
such as Microsoft Excel,
iWork Numbers, or
OpenOffice Calc, provides
tools for creating electronic
spreadsheets


ï A formula tells the computer how to use the contents of cells
in calculations
–  Cell references
•  Relative reference
•  Absolute reference
–  Mathematical operators
–  Functions
–  Automatic recalculations


3 “Number Crunching” Software
ï Provides a structured environment dedicated to a particular
number crunching task
–  Statistical software
–  Mathematical modeling software
–  Money management software
•  Personal finance software
–  Tax preparation software


3 Database Software
ï A database is a collection of data
–  Database software helps you enter, find, organize,
update, and report information stored in a database


3 Database Software


3 Database Software
ï A query language such as SQL (Structured Query
Language) provides a set of commands for locating and
manipulating data
–  Natural language query
–  Query by example


3 Graphics Software
ï Designed to help you
create, manipulate, and
print graphics
–  Paint software
–  Photo editing software
–  Drawing software
–  3-D graphics software
–  CAD software
–  Presentation software


3 Graphics Software


3 Music Software
ï Allows you to make your own digital voice and music
recordings
–  Audio editing software
–  Audio playback software
–  Ear training software
–  Notation software
–  Computer-aided music software
–  MIDI sequencing software


3 Video Editing and
DVD Authoring Software
ï Provides a set of tools for
–  Transferring video footage
from a camcorder to a
computer
–  Clipping out unwanted
footage
–  Assembling video segments
–  Adding special visual effects
–  Adding a sound track
ï DVD authoring software creates
DVDs with Hollywood-style
menus

3 Educational Software
ï Educational software
–  Helps you learn and practice new skills
ï For older students and adults, software is available for such
diverse educational endeavors as learning languages,
training yourself to use new software, learning how to play
the piano or guitar, improving keyboarding skills, and even
learning managerial skills for a diverse workplace


3 Entertainment Software
ï Computer games are the most popular type of entertainment
software
–  Role-playing
–  Action
–  Adventure
–  Puzzle
–  Simulation
–  Sports
–  Strategy


3 Business Software
ï Vertical market software is designed to automate specialized
tasks in a specific market or business
ï Horizontal market software is generic software that just
about any type of business can use
–  Payroll software
–  Accounting software
–  Project management software


3
SECTION
C
Buying Software
ï Consumer Basics
ï Software Copyrights and Licenses


3 Question
ï 032300 Suppose you purchase a new computer
and it comes with Microsoft Office installed. After
using this software for 30 days, it displays a
message indicating that to keep using it, you will
have to pay. This software is an example of all of
the following EXCEPT:
–  A. Proprietary software
–  B. Open source software
–  C. Commercial software
–  D. Demoware

3 Consumer Basics
ï Most operating systems
include a handful of small
applications and a good
variety of useful utility
software


3 Consumer Basics
ï A software suite is a collection of application software sold
as a single package


3 Consumer Basics
ï Available in many types of stores
ï Software contained on distribution media
ï Make sure your computer meets the system requirements


3 Software Copyrights
and Licenses
ï A copyright is a form of legal protection that grants the
author of an original “work” exclusive rights
–  Copyright notice
ï Software licenses, also called license agreements, define
the ways in which you may use a computer program
–  Single-user
–  Site
–  Multiple-user
–  Concurrent
–  Shrink-wrap


3 Software Copyrights and
Licenses
ï EULA (End-User License
Agreement)
ï  Different types of software licenses
–  Public domain
–  Proprietary
–  Commercial software
–  Demoware
–  Shareware
–  Freeware
–  Open source
–  BSD
–  GPL

3
SECTION
D
Installing Software and Upgrades
ï Installation Basics
ï Installing Local Applications
ï Installing Portable Software and Web Apps
ï Software Upgrades and Updates
ï Uninstalling Software


3 Question
ï 032400 Suppose that you’re looking for software to
convert a YouTube video into a format you can use
with Windows Media Player or iMovie. You don’t
want to bother downloading or installing any
software on your computer. What should you look
for?
–  A. A Web app
–  B. Open source software
–  C. A .zip file
–  D. A portable app

3 Installation Basics
ï Software installation is a process that places a program into
a computer so that it can be run or executed


3 Installing Local Applications


3 Installing Portable Software
and Web Apps
ï Portable software is designed to run from removable
storage, such as a CD or USB flash drive
–  Installation is simply a matter of getting program files to
the media on which they are supposed to run
ï A Web application, or Web App, is software that is accessed
with a Web browser
–  May require client-side program to be installed


3 Software Upgrades
and Updates
ï Software publishers regularly update their software
–  Add new features
–  Fix bugs
–  Improve security
ï Periodically, software publishers replace older versions of a
software product with a new version that’s sometimes
referred to as a software upgrade
ï A software update is a small section of program code that
replaces part of the software you currently have installed
–  Service packs


3 Software Upgrades
and Updates
ï Updates are usually available online for registered software
ï Automatic Update option
ï Always install updates and service packs when they become
available
ï Many software publishers require users to type in a
validation code to complete an upgrade


3 Uninstalling Software
ï Uninstall routines delete the software’s files from the
various folders on your computer’s hard disk


3
SECTION
E
Security Software
ï Security Software Basics
ï Security Suites
ï Antivirus Modules


3 Question
ï 032500 Let’s assume that you have antivirus
software installed on your computer and it is up to
date. You can trust it to do a pretty good job of
protecting your computer from viruses and:
–  A. Bots, worms, Trojans, keyloggers, and rootkits
–  B. RATs, spoofs, and defective Web apps
–  C. Operating system security holes
–  D. Fake e-commerce sites


3 Security Software Basics
ï Security software is designed to protect computers from
various forms of destructive software and unauthorized
intrusions
ï The terms malicious software and malware refer to any
computer program designed to surreptitiously enter a
computer, gain unauthorized access to data, or disrupt
normal processing operations
ï A blended threat describes malware that combines more
than one type of malicious program


ï Computer virus
ï Computer worm
–  Mass-mailing worm
ï Trojan horse
–  Keylogger
–  Remote Access Trojan (RAT)
ï Bot
–  Zombie
–  Botnet
ï Spyware


ï What does malware do?


ï The term rootkit refers to software tools used to conceal
malware and backdoors that have been installed on a
victim’s computer
ï A virus hoax usually arrives as an e-mail message
containing dire warnings about a supposedly new virus on
the loose


3 Security Suites
ï A security suite integrates several security modules to
protect against the most common types of malware,
unauthorized access, and spam
ï A security suite costs less than purchasing standalone
security modules


3 Security Suites


3 Antivirus Modules
ï Antivirus software is a type of utility software that looks for
and eradicates viruses, Trojan horses, worms, and bots
–  A virus signature is a section of program code, such as a
unique series of instructions, that can be used to identify
a known malicious program, much as a fingerprint is used
to identify an individual
–  Virus signatures and other information that antivirus
software uses to identify and eradicate malware is stored
in one or more files usually referred to as virus definitions


3 Antivirus Modules


3 Antivirus Modules
ï Most experts recommend
that you configure your
antivirus software to
periodically scan all the files
on your computer
ï If, during the scanning
process, your virus
protection software
identifies a virus, worm,
Trojan horse, or bot in a file
or attachment, it can try to
remove the infection, put
the file into quarantine, or
simply delete the file

3 What Do You Think?
ï 033100 Do you believe that software piracy is a serious
issue?
–  A. Yes B. No C. Not sure
ï 033200 Do you know of any instances of software piracy?
ï 033300 Do you think that most software pirates understand
that they are doing something illegal?
ï 033400 Should software publishers try to adjust software
pricing for local markets?

Chapter 3 Complete

Computer Concepts 2012

Chapter 3: Guide to Computer Software

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