HIT191 > IT concepts: Software
Software

In the first topic covered - you were introduced to Windows, the operating system that your PC uses. In this last section of IT concepts, we will have a more detailed look at software generally and operating systems as a specific category of software.


Develop your Skills - Software

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Skills
There are two skills components in this topic:


http://www.webopaedia.com
Webopaedia

http://whatis.techtarget.com
Whatis.com

Terminology
An operating system is a part of the system software, but what is system software? How is this software different to application software?

Use the Web References opposite to find out:
  • what is software?
  • what is the difference between "systems software" and "application software"?

If you already are familiar with these terms then you might wish to skip ahead to the next activity.


TASK 1: Software types
Group the following into application and system software:

Word processing programs
Email packages
Internet Browsers
Windows NT
Windows 2000
Mac OS 9
Spreadsheet programs
Unix/Linux


What does an operating system do?
As you have just learnt, "system software" is a set of programs designed to coordinate the activities and functions of the computer's hardware.


The following short reading The Operating System further explains what an operating system does as part of the system software.




Compare ideas
Compare ideas

TASK 2: Using different operating systems
 Think of any experiences you have had using two different computers and list any problems that may have arisen. For example, have you ever tried to transfer data between computers with different operating systems?


Tips & tricks icon Tips & Tricks

Cross system applications

Some applications are translated (ported) to other operating systems so that they can run on them (e.g. Microsoft Word has been ported from a Windows environment to run on a Macintosh System).

Unix for PC's

Historically, UNIX was a mainframe operating system which wasn't used on PC's. This is rapidly changing with the emergence of Linux, a PC version of UNIX.


Putting it to work: Comparing machines

In this topic, you have learned how the difference between system software (ie. the operating system) and application software. You should now be in the position to make decisions about buying your own computer.

To extend your understanding, try some of the following activities:

http://www.dell.com.au
Dell Australia

Reading: Comparing machines
Comparing
machines

Buying a PC - Comparing machines
  1. In an earlier activity, you were asked to choose a Dell computer and find out about the component parts.
  2. Now that you understand basics of the terminology, it is time to look at some of the finer points used in comparing different machines.
  3. Read the short article opposite that outlines some of the points of comparison that are possible when considering what computer to choose.

Which PC would you buy?
  1. Have a look at a selection of ads for new PCs in your local newspaper or on the net. Which one would you buy?
  2. Outline why you want a computer - how it will be used
  3. What input, output and secondary storage devices would you include?
  4. What sort of capacity would the storage devices have?
  5. How much memory would you get?
  6. How fast?
  7. Which CPU?

Discussion board
Discussion board

Post your answer to the discussion board so that you can compare ideas with other students.

 


Online Computer magazines
If you are interested in this area here are some online computer magazines. These magazines assume you already understand some of the basics of how computers work.

http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/?legacy=cnet
ZDNet Reviews

http://www.computer.org/itpro/
IT Professional

  • ZDNet Reviews
    [http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/?legacy=cnet]
    This is one of the oldest personal computer oriented magazines around and provides reviews of different categories of hardware.
  • IT Professional
    [http://www.computer.org/itpro/]
    Published by the IEEE Computer Society, this magazine presents carefully researched articles on contemporary matters aimed at practitioners with computing experience.


What have I learned?

After completing these activities you should:

  • understand what an operating system is and what it does;
  • how operating systems differ from other types of software;
  • be able to distinguish between different types of software.
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