Software is a set of instructions, data or programs used to operate computers and execute specific tasks. It is the opposite of hardware, which describes the physical aspects of a computer. Software is a generic term used to refer to applications, scripts and programs that run on a device. It can be thought of as the variable part of a computer, while hardware is the invariable part.
The two main categories of software are application software and system software. An application is software that fulfills a specific need or performs tasks. System software is designed to run a computer's hardware and provides a platform for applications to run on top of.
Other types of software include programming software, which provides the programming tools software developers need; middleware, which sits between system software and applications; and driver software, which operates computer devices and peripherals.
1. System Software
In case of a system software, it helps the user as well as the hardware to function and even interact with each other easily. Essentially, it is a software which is used to manage the behavior of the computer hardware in order to offer basic functionalities which are needed by the user. In simpler word, it can be said that system software is essentially an intermediator or even a middle layer between the user as well as the hardware.
These software sanction an environment or platform for the other software to easily work in. Hence, it is the reason why the system software is quite important in the management of the entire computer system. Whenever you turn on the computer first, it is this system software which gets initialized and then gets loaded in the system’s memory. A system software essentially runs in the background, and it isn’t actually utilized by the end-users. Due to this reason, the system software is also known popularly as “low-level software”. Companies usually hire the best software development company to build a system software.
Few of the common system software examples are:
a. Operating System
Being a prominent example for system software, it is essentially a collection of software which handles resources as well as offers general services for various other application which actually run over them. There are different types of operating systems like embedded, real-time, distributed, single-user, multi-user, mobile, internet and much more. Full stack web development services develop apps to operate on a mobile operating system like Android and iOS. Some of the key examples of operating systems are as follows:
- MS Windows
- macOS
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
- CentOS
- Ubuntu
- Unix
b. Device Drivers
This type of software controls particular hardware which is essentially attached to the system. Different hardware devices which require a driver to connect to a system easily consist of displays, printers, sound cards, hard disks, keyboard, and mice. Few of the examples of such drivers are:
- BIOS Driver
- Motherboard Drivers
- Display Drivers
- ROM Drivers
- Printer Drivers
- USB Drivers
- Sound Card Driver
- VGA Drivers
c. Firmware
It is actually a permanent software which is embedded in the system’s read-only memory. It is essentially a set of instructions which are permanently stored onto to the hardware device. It offers vital information regarding how a particular device interacts with different other hardware. Some of the examples of firmware are:
- Computer Peripherals
- Embedded Systems
- UEFI
- BIOS
d. Utility
These software are designed to assist in analysing, as well as optimizing, along with configuring and maintaining a given computer system. It provides support to the computer infrastructure. Software like disk cleanup and management tools, anti-viruses, defragmenters, compression tools etc. are all utility software. Some of its examples are:
- Norton Antivirus
- McAfee Antivirus
- WinRAR
- WinZip
- Piriform CCleaner
- Windows File Explorer
- Directory Opus
- Razer Cortex
2. Application Software
They are also popularly known as end-user programs or even productivity programs which assist the user in completing various tasks like conducting online research, making notes, designing graphics, maintaining accounts, carrying out calculations or even playing computer games. They essentially lie above the system software. They are actually used by the end-user as well as have specific functionality or tasks which they are designed to perform. These software are often developed through custom software development, based on the requirements of the users. There is a variety of application software. Some of them are:
a. Word Processors
Such applications are meant for documentation. It also assists in storing as well as formatting and even printing of the documents. Key examples of such software are:
- MS Word
- Apple iWork-Pages
- Corel WordPerfect
- Google Docs
b. Database Software
It is used to create as well as manage a database and also known as Database Management System or in short, DBMS. Such software assists in the data organization. Some of the examples of DBMS are:
- MS Access
- FileMaker
- dBase
- Clipper
- MySQL
- FoxPro
c. Multimedia Software
This is a software which is able to play, create as well as record images, audio or even video files. These software are utilized for animation, video editing, graphics as well as image editing. Due to the high demand for such software, every software product development company has vast avenues in developing them. Some of the examples of such software are:
- Adobe Photoshop
- Picasa
- VLC Media Player
- Windows Media Player
- Windows Movie Maker
d. Web Browsers
These software are utilized to browse the internet. Web browsers assist the users in locating as well as retrieving data well across the web. Some of the key examples of them are:
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Internet Explorer
- Opera
- UC Browser
- Safari
However, there also exists another classification of the software. They can easily be classified on the basis of their availability as well as sharability.
Their classification is as below:
1. Freeware
These software are available free of cost. A user can easily download them from the internet and can easily use them without paying any charges or fees. However, they don’t provide any type of liberty to modify the entire software or charging a fixed fee for its distribution. A best software development company can develop its own freeware to reach out to more customers. Some of the examples of these software are:
- Adobe Reader
- Skype
- ImgBurn
- Audacity
- Team Viewer
- Yahoo Messenger
2. Shareware
This software is distributed freely to users on a fixed trial basis. It generally comes with a set time limit, and on the expiration of the time limit, the user is finally asked to pay a fixed fee for the continued services. There are different types of shareware such as Freemium, Donationware, Adware, Demoware etc. Few of the examples of shareware are:
- Adobe Acrobat
- PHP Debugger
- WinZip
- Getright
3. Open-source
Such types of software are usually available to users along with their source code which means that the user can easily modify and distribute the software as well as add additional features to them. They can either be chargeable or free. Few of the examples of such software are:
- Mozilla Firefox
- Thunderbird
- GNU Compiler Collection
- Moodle
- Apache Web Server
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