Computers Are Your Future
Eleventh Edition
Chapter 5: Application Software: Tools for Productivity
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Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
Application Software:
Tools for Productivity
Objectives
Understand how system software supports application software.
List the most popular types of general-purpose applications.
Discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of standalone programs, integrated programs, and software
Objectives
Discuss the advantages of Web-hosted technology and file compatibility.
Explain the concept of software versions and software upgrades.
Understand how commercial software, shareware, freeware, and public domain software differ.
Objectives
Describe the essential concepts of application software and the skills needed to use it.
General-Purpose Applications
Application software is any program
that gives the user the ability to complete work on the computer.
General-purpose applications,
such as word-processing or
spreadsheet programs, enable users to complete common tasks.
Types of general-purpose application software
Personal productivity programs Multimedia and graphics software
Applications that work through and run
from the Internet
Home and education programs
Personal productivity
programs
Make it easier to do work Examples Word-processing software Spreadsheet or database software Presentation software
General-Purpose Applications
Multimedia and graphics software includes the use of two or more
media, such as graphics plus video or audio.
Multimedia and graphics software programs
Professional desktop publishing Multimedia authoring
Paint, drawing, and animation Image editing
3D rendering Audio
Video editing
Codecs are algorithms that reduce file size and allow faster Internet transfer speeds.
Lossless compression does not delete any
information needed to reproduce the image without flaw.
Lossy compression removes some
information, but the loss is typically not noticeable.
Use paint programs to
create bitmapped
images (raster
graphics), which are
made up of tiny dots known as pixels.
Paint program standard file formats
Graphics Interchange Format (GIF)
Lossless compression of simple images Often used for Web pages
Joint Photographic Experts Group
(JPEG)
Lossy compression of complex images Also used for Web pages
Portable Network Graphics (PNG)
Patent-free alternative to a GIF
Lossless compression, suitable for Web use only
Windows Bitmap (BMP)
Compression optional Files tend to be large
Tag Image File Format (TIFF)
Includes descriptive information with the image Used in publishing
Drawing programs
create vector
graphics that can be
edited and resized without distortion.
Three-dimensional rendering
programs provide graphic objects with
3D effects.
Image editors
Are advanced types of paint programs
Can change complicated bitmapped objects,
including photographs
Can edit, but not create, bitmapped images
Animation
programs give
the user the
ability to create animation from images and run the animation.
Audio software is
used to capture and process sound used in multimedia
presentations.
Standard sound file formats
MP3
Windows Media Audio (WMA) WAV
Ogg Vorbis
Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI)
Video editors enable the user to:
Modify digitized videos.
Save those videos in at least one of the
following video file formats:
Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) QuickTime
Video for Windows
General-Purpose Applications
Multimedia authoring systems
Used to create multimedia presentations
Require a large amount of disk space and memory to run properly
General-Purpose Applications
Applications that work through the Internet
Examples
Instant messaging software Web browsers
General-Purpose Applications
Web-hosted technology
Share files and collaborate.
Windows Office Live Google Docs
Help avoid file incompatibility.
Undesirable Internet software
Spyware monitors your activity.
General-Purpose Applications
Home and educational programs
Computerized reference software
Multimedia dictionaries Encyclopedias
How-to guides
Personal finance software Computer games
Tailor-Made Applications
Software designed for specific
businesses or users are known as
tailor-made applications.
Tailor-made applications normally cost more than general-purpose applications because of their development costs.
Tailor-Made Applications
Custom software, developed for a
user’s specific needs, may be necessary when an application is not available.
Packaged software is developed for
A fully self-contained program is called a
standalone program.
Advantages
Purchased and installed separately Function by themselves
Disadvantages
Take a lot of storage space Do not share resources
Standalone Programs, Integrated
Programs, & Software Suites
Integrated programs provide
leading productivity programs in one
package.
Easy to learn and share the same
interface Example: Microsoft Works
Have fewer features than standalone
programs and software suites
Standalone Programs, Integrated
Programs, & Software Suites
Standalone Programs, Integrated
Programs, & Software Suites
A software suite (office suite) is a bundle of standalone programs.
Word processing Spreadsheet
Presentation graphics Database
Personal information
Share common code, drivers, and
System Requirements &
Software Versions
System requirements outline the
minimal level of resources that a program requires.
Releases of programs are cited by a year or version number.
In a version number, a decimal number
System Requirements &
Software Versions
Time-limited trial versions are
occasionally offered for commercial programs by software companies.
Beta versions of software are
sometimes available to users.
Software is in the final testing stages and
may contain bugs.
System Requirements &
Software Versions
Software is kept current through
software upgrading.
Small fixes to software are called patches. Large or major fixes to software are called
service packs or service releases.
Software can be distributed through the Internet and purchased in stores.
System Requirements &
Software Versions
Documentation may be in print
or downloaded from the Internet.
Brief tutorials Read Me files Help files
Software Licenses
& Registration
A contract included with purchased
software that permits the user to install the program on one computer is known as a software license.
A contract that gives organizations the right to install copies of programs on a precise number of computers is known as a site license.
Software Licenses
& Registration
Commercial Software
Users must purchase before using Examples
Microsoft Office Adobe Acrobat Apple iLife
Shareware
You may try software before purchasing it. If you like it, pay for it and continue using it.
Software Licenses
& Registration
Freeware
Free to users as long as users do not sell it to others
Public domain software
Copyright-free software Users can modify or sell
Copy-protected software
Internal process prohibits making unauthorized copies
Installing & Managing
Application Software
Installing software on a computer
involves moving the software to the
hard disk and properly configuring the software.
Uninstalling software takes the
program off the hard disk.
Launching software moves it from the
Installing & Managing
Application Software
Users can choose options to identify how they want a program to run.
Defaults are software settings used by
the program unless overridden by the user.
Quitting or closing down an application is known as exiting.
System software supports application
software, the programs that give the user the ability to complete work on the
computer.
General-purpose software includes personal productivity programs,
multimedia and graphics software, Internet programs, and home and education software.
Summary
Types of programs available to users include standalone programs,
integrated programs, and suites of personal productivity software.
Office suites that incorporate Web-hosted technology are gaining
New or updated versions of software
are usually cited with a version number. Small changes to software are defined
as patches, and larger changes or fixes are known as service packs or service releases.
Software can be categorized as
commercial, shareware, freeware, and public domain software.
To use their computers effectively, users should learn to install applications, start applications, select options, and exit the applications.
