Softwares- what exactly you need

Softwares- knowing what exactly you need

Image by tima miroshnichenko at pexels

Software refers to programs that run on computers and perform specific functions. It is the entire set of programs, procedures, and associated documentation that computer systems have. Without them, a computer, smartphone, laptop or tablet would not work. In fact, without them, they would be as useful to you as a manual typewriter. Actually, the typewriter would be more useful because you could write letters with it.When you buy a computer, the physical parts of the computer—that is, the keyboard, modem, and speakers—are hardware items. The CPU is also a piece of hardware.

On the other hand, the computer programs contained therein, the parts with coding and instructions, are the software. Software Categories
With the continuous development of new programs and applications, the concept of categories has become a challenging subject. There are no categories that we all agree on.

We classify computer software according to common functions, types or uses. The three major classifications are:

Application software: Computer programs used to perform tasks such as word processing, drawing, gaming, or listening to music. Accounting and planning programs are also examples of application software.System Software - This is a general term for computer programs that we use to boot and run computer systems.

Computer programming tools: programs that developers use to build, debug, maintain, or support other applications and programs.

The term generally refers to simple programs that we can combine to accomplish a task. We use these programming tools much like a mechanic would use various hand tools to fix a car engine.

The two main types of computer software are:

Application software
System software

While other two types of computer software are:

Programming software
Control software

Main types of software
Driver and programming software are often considered types of system software.

Application Software
As a technology user, your most common interaction is with application software or “apps”. These types of computer software are productive and efficient end-user programs that help you perform tasks.The following are some examples of application software that you can use to perform specific work:

MS Excel - This is spreadsheet software that allows you to present and analyze data.

Photoshop: is a photo editing application software by Adobe. You can use it to visually enhance, catalog and share your images.

Skype: This is an online communication application that you can use for video chatting, voice calls, and instant messaging.

Software applications are also known as non-essential software.They are installed and operated on a computer according to the needs of the user. There are many application software that you can use to perform various tasks. The number of such applications continues to increase with technological advances and changing user requirements.

When you turn on your computer for the first time, the system software is first loaded into memory. Unlike application software, end users like you do not use system software. It only runs in the background on your device, at the most basic level, while you are using other application software. For this reason, system software is also referred to as "low-level software".

Operating systems are one of those typically common example of system software.All of your computer-like devices and software run on an operating system, including your desktop, laptop, smartphone and tablet, etc. Here is a compiled list of example operating systems. Let's take a look, you might find some familiar and common system software names:

For desktops, laptops and tablets:
Microsoft Windows
Mac (for Apple devices)
Linux

For smartphones:
iOS by Apple
Android by Google
Windows Phone OS

Along with operating systems, some people also classify programming software and driver software as types of system software. However, we will discuss them individually.

programming software
programming software is the type of software that is not used by end users.It's not for you unless you're a programmer writing code. Examples of programming software are programs used to write, develop, test, and debug other software, including applications and system software. For example, for someone working in a custom software development company, this type of software would make life easier and more efficient.

programming software is put to use by software programmers as a translator of programs. They facilitate software for translating programming languages (e.g.B. Java, C++, Python, PHP, BASIC, etc.) in machine language code. Translators can be compilers, interpreters and assemblers. You can think of compilers as programs that translate all source code into machine code and execute it. Interpreters execute the source code as the program executes line by line. An assemblers translate the basic computer instructions (assembler code) into machine code.

Examples of programming software are the various programming language editors, debuggers, compilers and IDEs. For example:

Eclipse - a Java language editor
Coda - a programming language editor for Mac
Notepad++ - an open source editor for Windows
Sublime Text - a cross-platform code editor for Mac, Windows and Linux

Driver software is often classified as one of the varieties of system software. They operate and control devices and peripherals connected to a computer. Drivers are important because they enable devices to perform their intended tasks.They do this by translating commands from an operating system to hardware or devices and assigning functions. Therefore, every device connected to your computer needs at least one device driver to function.

Since there are thousands of device types, drivers make your system software work easier by allowing it to communicate using a standardized language. Some examples of driver software you may be familiar with are:

printer driver
mouse driver
network card
Normally, the operating system comes with standard mouse, keyboard and printer drivers. They often do not require third-party installations. However, some advanced devices may require you to install the driver externally. If you use multiple operating systems like Linux, Windows, and Mac, each of them supports different driver variants.Separate drivers must be maintained for each of them.

Five Other Different Types of Software You May Be Familiar With
Now that we've discussed the main types of software, you might be wondering what software you use the most. For example modern social media software apps like Snapchat and Instagram or photo editing apps like PhotoShop and Snapseed. You need to consider which category they belong to. Can they only be classified as a broad category of application software, or are there better ways to describe them? The Answer: Yes, in addition to the main types.

computer software, there are several subcategories of software.
Let's look at five more subcategories of software and understand them through examples of trending software.

These are:

Freeware
Shareware
Open Source Software
Closed Source Software
Utility Software

Freeware
Freeware is any software that is available free of charge. They can be downloaded and installed free of charge from the Internet. Some examples of freeware are:

• Google Chrome
• Skype
• Instagram
• Snapchat
• Adobe Reader
Although they all fall under the end-user software or application category, they can be further classified as freeware because they are free for you to use.

Sharewafe on the other hand, are software applications that are paid programs but are available free of charge for a limited period of time called a "trial period". You can use the software for free during the trial period, but you must purchase it to use it after the trial period ends. Shareware allows you to test the software before investing in the purchase. Some examples of shareware you should be familiar with are:

Adobe PhotoShop
Adobe Illustrator
Netflix App
Matlab
McAfee Antivirus

Open Source Software
This is a type of software with open source code that is available to all users. It can be modified and shared with anyone for any purpose.
These are the types of software that are not free for programmers. For this software, the source code is the intellectual property of the software publishers. It is also known as "proprietary software" because only the original authors can copy, modify, and redistribute the software.
Utility software is considered a subset of system software.They manage the performance of your hardware and application software installed on your computer to ensure they are working at their best. Some features of the utility software include:

antivirus and security software
file compression
disk cleaner
disk defragmentation software
data backup software

Thanks for reading Sayonara 🖐