What are the two types of Softwares?

  Types of software:

We come across several kinds of computer software every day that facilitate our activities and boost our productivity. Examples of software include MS Windows, which welcomes us when we turn on the computer, the web browser we use to browse the internet and the games we play on our computers In this technological age, we even encounter a variety of software development trends that support the expansion of our businesses. We are surrounded by software that aims to improve our quality of life. A software is by definition a group of data, programmes, processes, instructions, and documentation that carry out certain preset activities on a computer system (sometimes referred to as a SW or S/W). Users can communicate with the computer.

Software is simply information that has been processed by a computer system and programmes, according to the fields of software engineering and computer science. The software consists of libraries, programmes, and related non-executable data, such as electronic files and online manuals. Both computer hardware and software are interdependent and cannot be effectively used separately. Modern computing systems have control and flexibility due to the combination of hardware and software. Computers are useless without software. For instance, you won't be able to visit the Internet without the assistance of your web browser software. similar to how any application can run on your computer without an operating system.

There are numerous high-end technologies and software available to us today that outline the way we live our lives and meet our constantly changing and increasing needs. The infinite number of software types can be overwhelming for anyone, especially if one does not thoroughly understand the various types of software and their users.

Typically, software is divided into two categories: system software and application software.

1.System Software

A system software enables the user and hardware to function and interact with one another. Essentially, it is software that manages computer hardware behavior in order to provide the user with basic functionalities. System software acts as an intermediary or middle layer between the user and the hardware. These computer programmes set up a platform or environment in which other software can operate. This is why system software is so important for managing the entire computer system. When you first turn on the computer, the system software is initialized and loaded into the system's memory.The system software works in the background and isn't visible to end users. This is why system software is also referred to as "low-level software".

Examples of popular system software include:

a. Operating system: It is the most visible example of System Software. It is a set of software that manages resources and provides general services to the other applications that run on top of them. Although each Operating System is unique, the majority of them include a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that allows users to manage files and folders as well as perform other tasks. Every device, whether a desktop, laptop, or mobile phone, requires an operating system to function properly. Because an operating system determines how a user interacts with the system, many users prefer to use a single OS for their device. Real-time, embedded, distributed, multi user, single-user, internet, mobile, and many other types of operating systems exist. Before selecting an operating system, it is critical to consider the hardware specifications. The following are the few examples of operating systems:

●      Android

●      iOS

●      Linux

●      Mac OS

●      MS Windows

●      Ubuntu

b. Device Drivers: It is a type of software that controls specific hardware that is connected to the system. Printers, sound cards, displays,  mice, and hard discs are examples of hardware devices that require a driver to connect to a system. Furthermore, device drivers are divided into two types: kernel device drivers and user device drivers. Device drivers include the following:

●      Display Drivers

●      Motherboard Drivers

●      Printer Drivers

●      ROM Drivers

●      Sound card Driver

●      USB Drivers

●      Virtual Device Drivers

c. Firmware: Firmware is long-term software that is stored in read-only memory. It is a collection of instructions that is permanently stored on a piece of hardware. It contains important details about how the device interacts with other hardware. Firmware is considered semi-permanent' because it remains permanent unless updated with a firmware updater. Firmware examples include:

●      BIOS

●      Computer Peripherals

●      Consumer Applications

●      Embedded Systems

●      UEFI

d. Programming language translator: These are intermediary programmes that allow software to translate high-level language code to simpler machine-level code. furthermore to simplifying the code, translators do all the following:

●      Assign storage for data

●      Include source code as well as programme information.

●      Provide diagnostic reports

●      Correct system errors during operation.

●      Interpreters, compilers, and assemblers are examples of programming language translators.

e. Utility: Utility software is intended to aid in the analysis, optimization, configuration, and maintenance of a computer system. It provides assistance to the computer infrastructure. This software analyzes how an operating system works and then decides how to improve the system's performance. Utility tools include software such as antivirus, disc cleanup and management tools, compression tools, defragmenters, and so on. Utility tools include the following:

●      Avast Antivirus

●      Directory Opus

●      McAfee Antivirus

●      Piriform CCleaner

●      Windows File Explorer

●      WinRAR

●      WinZip

2.Application Software

Application software, also known as end-user programmes or productivity programmes, is software that assists users in performing tasks such as conducting online research, taking notes, setting alarms, designing graphics, performing calculations, keeping an account log, or even playing games. They are located above the system software. They are used by the end-user and are specific in their functionality or tasks, and they perform the job that they are designed to do. A browser, for example, is an application designed specifically for internet browsing, whereas MS Power point is an application used specifically for making presentations. Application software is also referred to as "non-essential software" because its requirements are highly subjective and its absence has no effect on the system's operation. All of the apps we see on our phones are examples of Application Software. Meteor and Flutter are two examples of software designed specifically for app development. These, too, are examples of application software.

There are several kinds of application software:

A .Word processor: These are documentation applications. It also aids in the storage, formatting, and printing of these documents. Word processors include the following:

●      Abiword

●      Apple iWork- Pages

●      Corel WordPerfect

●      Google Docs

●      MS Word

b. Database software: Database creation and management are done using this programme. The Database Management System, or DBMS, is another name for it. They aid with the arrangement of data. Examples of DBMS include:

●      Clipper

●      dBase

●      FileMaker

●      FoxPro

●      MS Access

●      MySQL

c. Multimedia software :It is the programme that has the ability to play, produce, or record audio, video, or image files. They are employed in the creation of graphics, animation, and edited videos. Some examples of multimedia software include:

●      Adobe photoshop

●      Inkscape

●      Media Monkey

●      Picasa

●      VLC Media Player

●      Windows Media Player

●      Windows Movie Maker

d. Education and Reference Software: These kinds of software are created especially to make learning a certain subject easier. This category includes a variety of tutorial software products. They are referred to as academic software as well. Examples include:

●      Delta Drawing

●      GCompris

●      Jumpstart titles

●      KidPix

●      MindPay

e. Graphics Software: Graphics software, as its name indicates, was created to work with graphics because it enables users to edit or modify visual data or images. It includes illustration software and picture editors. Examples include:

●      Gimp

●      Modo

●      PaintShop Pro

●      CorelDraw

●      Carrara

●      Blender

●      Autodesk Maya

●      Adobe Photoshop

f. Web Browser: These programmes are used to access the internet. They aid the user in locating and retrieving data from the internet. Web browser examples include:

●      Google Chrome

●      Opera

●      Mozilla Firefox

●      UC Browser

●      Safari

●      Internet Explorer

●      Microsoft edge

There is yet another software classification. Software can also be classified according to its availability and shareability.

This category is as below:

1.Freeware:  Freeware software is available for free. Any user can download it from the Internet and use it for free. However, freeware does not allow you to modify the software or charge a fee for its distribution. Here are some examples:

●      Adobe Reader

●      Audacity

●      imgBurn

●      Recuva

●      Skype

●      Team viewer

●      Yahoo Messenger

2.Shareware: It is a piece of software that is freely distributed to users on a trial basis. It usually has a time limit, and when that limit expires, the user is asked to pay for the continued services. There are several types of shareware, including Adware, Donationware, Nagware, Freemium, and Demoware (Crippleware And Trialware). Shareware examples include:

●      Adobe Acrobat

●      Getright

●      PHP Debugger

●      Winzip

3. Open-source: These types of software are made available to users with the source code, which means that they can freely distribute, modify, and add new features to the software. Open-source software can be either free or paid. Here are some examples of open-source software:

●      Apache Web Server

●      GNU Compiler Collection

●      Moodle

●      Mozilla Firefox

●      thunderbird

4.Software: They are also referred to as "closed-source software." These applications are usually paid, and the source code is protected by intellectual property rights, or patents. The use of these is very limited, and the source code is usually preserved and kept secret.

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