COM111 Lecture Schedule 5

COM111 Lecture Schedule 5

Introduction to Application Software, Installation and Un-installation of software, Software Piracy, Software Terminologies, Office Automation Software, Word Processing, Spread sheet, Presentation

Introduction to Application software

It is used to accomplish specific tasks rather than just managing a computer system. Computer system has no specific use without the application software. Application software may consist of a single program, such as Microsoft’s Notepad or a collection of programs, which work together to accomplish a task such as database management software. Word processors, spreadsheets, image editors, database management systems, presentation software and desktop publishing applications are some of the examples of application software.

Software installation is the process of copying software from CD-ROM to the hard disk and configuring it to work with the computer hardware. Software upgrade is the process of adopting a newer version of existing software with an enhanced feature.

Software uninstallation completely removes all files of that program and all associated files in other directories. Unwanted software should be unistalled regularly.

Software piracy is the unauthorized copying of an organization’s internally developed software or the illegal duplication of commercially available software. While purchasing software, the user gets a licence to use the application but it cannot be copied on other machines. A software license is a type of proprietary licence, which acts as a memorandum of contract between the producer and the user of computer software.

Types of software piracy

 There are six basic forms of software piracy, and ll are harmful for the software publisher as well as for the end user. They include the following

•       Softloading/Softlifting – It means sharing a program with someone who is not authorized by the licence agreement to use it. Eg. sharing software with friends

•       Software counterfeiting – This means producing fake copies of software and making it look authentic. Ex: software sold in retail stores and sold at prices far below the actual retail price

•       Internet downloading – It is one of the fastest growing form of piracy through online. Eg. software downloaded online thro’ warez sites

•       Renting -   It involves someone renting out a copy of s/f for temporary use which violates the licence agreement of software

•       Hard disk loading – This form of piracy involves unauthorized copy of software onto a computer sold to the end user. Dealer does not provide the buyer with manuals or the original CDs of the software

•       Licence misuse – software is distributed under special discount licences to high volume customers, computer manufacturers, or academic institutions, they redistribute to others who do not qualify for these licence. Eg: Academic product misuse, Not For Sale product misuse

Software Terminologies

Some of the common terms used in the field of software are given below

Public domain software: It refers to any program that is not copyrighted. This software is free and can be used without restrictions, that is, the user can copy, distribute, and even modify the software without obtaining permissions from the software developer. Usually, public domain software is offered through  websites, electronic bulletin boards and other sources.

Freeware: The term freeware is commonly used for copyrighted software that is given free by its owner. Though it is available for free, the owner retains the copyright, which means that a user does not have the right to modify anything in the software. Thus, freeware software permits redistribution but not modification.

Shareware: Shareware is copyrighted software that is distributed free on a trial basis (as a trial version) with the understanding that the user may need or want to pay for it later. Shareware developers offer the trial version of their program with a built-in expiration date, say 15, 30 or 60 days, as an enticement to buy the complete version of the program. Once the trial period has passed, the program may stop running until a license is purchased. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a newspaper or magazine. The rationale behind shareware is to give buyers the opportunity to use the program and judge its usefulness before purchasing a license for the full version of the software.

 Commercial software: They represents the majority of software purchased from software publishers. This software comes pre-packaged, is available in software stores, and can be obtained through the internet. It is developed by business organizations, which aim to earn profits from its use. It is always copyrighted, for example Microsoft Windows.

Open-Source software (OSS): OSS is copyrighted software for which the software plus the source code are freely distributed. The OSS free software license/copyright permits users to use, change, and improve the software, and to redistribute it in modified or unmodified forms. It is very often developed in a public, collaborative manner. The Linux operating system is an example for open-source software.

Proprietary software: It is copyrighted software obtained at a cost where the software publisher grants a license to use one or more copies of the software.  The ownership of those copies remains with the software publisher such that all rights regarding the software are reserved by the software publisher. Example include Adobe Acrobat.

Firmware: It is a program or data that has been written onto ROM. For example, the BIOS checks different parts of the system before loading the operating system into memory. Being firmware, it ensures that it will always be available and will not be damaged in the case of a power failure.

Office Automation Software: Word Processing, Spread sheet, Presentation

Word Processing: Word processing software is used to manipulate text and apply a basic design to your pages, such as a resume or a report. You typically enter text by typing and the software provides tools for copying, deleting and various types of formatting. Some of the functions of word processing software include:

• Creating, editing, saving and printing documents.
• Copying, pasting, moving and deleting text within a document.
• Formatting text, such as font type, bolding, underlining or italicizing.
• Creating and editing tables.
• Inserting elements from other software, such as illustrations or photographs.
• Correcting spelling and grammar.

Word processing includes a number of tools to format your pages. For example, you can organize your text into columns, add page numbers, insert illustrations, etc. However, word processing does not give you complete control over the look and feel of your document. When design becomes important, you may need to use desktop publishing software to give you more control over the layout of your pages.

Word Processing Software: There are a number of different word processing applications. One of the most widely used ones is Word, which is part of Microsoft Word. Others include WordPerfect by the Corel Corporation,  Writer, which is part of OpenOffice by Apache.

Spreadsheet: A spreadsheet application is a computer program such as Excel, OpenOffice Calc, or Google Docs Spreadsheets. An electronic spreadsheet is a computer program that is used for storing, organizing and manipulating data. It has a number of built in features and tools, such as functions, formulas, charts, and data analysis tools that make it easier to work with large amounts of data. The basic storage unit for a spreadsheet file is a cell. Each cell can hold a single value or item of data. Cells are arranged in rows and columns  with each row being identified by a number and each column by a letter to make it easier to find and use the stored information.

In Excel an individual spreadsheet file is referred to as a workbook. A term related to this is worksheet which refers to a single page or sheet in a workbook. A spreadsheet program, such as Excel, is used to create workbook files that contain one or more worksheets containing columns and rows of cells of data. The types of data that a cell can hold include numbers, text or formulas. An electronic spreadsheet includes a number of built in formulas used for common tasks known as functions.

Presentation: A presentation is the process of presenting a topic to an audience. It is typically a demonstration, lecture, or speech meant to inform people. Presentation software is a category of application program used to create sequences of words and pictures that tell a story or help support a speech or public presentation of information. It can be divided into business presentation software and more general multimedia authoring tools, with some products having characteristics of both. Business presentation software emphasizes ease- and quickness-of-learning and use. Multimedia authoring software enables you to create a more sophisticated presentation that includes audio and video sequences. Business presentation software usually enables you to include images and sometimes audio and video developed with other tools.

Some very popular presentation software, such as Microsoft's Powerpoint and Lotus's Freelance Graphics, are sold stand-alone or can come as part of office-oriented suites or packages of software.

These presentation software programs make it simple and often fun to create a presentation for your audience. They contain a text editor to add your written content, and abilities within the program to add charts and graphic images such as photographs, clip art or other objects to brighten your slide show.