SoftwareICT GCSE

What is software? Programs we run on

our computers Allows the hardware

to do something useful, without it the hardware wouldn’t do anything

It is made up of a series of instructions or computer code

Categories System software:

Operating Systems, Utility Programs and Drivers

Application software: the everyday programs, such as MS Office and web browsers

Operating Systems Part of the system

software All computers have

an OS It is a program that

allows the applications to communicate with the hardware

Examples: Windows Vista Windows XP Redhat Linux Mac OS X Leopard

Utility Programs Part of the system

software Designed to specific

tasks May be supplied with

the OS or purchased separately

Common tasks: File compression File sorting File renaming File conversion File repair

Operating Systems An OS performs many

tasks, these include: Working out where to

store data Dealing with security

(Usernames and Passwords)

File management Managing data

transfer Saving, deleting,

opening and closing files

Drivers Allows the OS to

communicate with the hardware

A specially written program which translates the commands from the OS into commands that the hardware will understand