Chapter 9 - The nature of applications Flashcards
What are the 2 types of software?
» Applications software
» System Software
What is the systems software?
» Software needed to run the computer’s hardware and application programs
What are 3 examples of system softwares?
» Operating system
» Utility programs
» Libraries
What is a utility software?
» System software designed to optimise and maintain the performance of the computer
What are 4 things the utility software does?
» Backing up files
» Restoring corrupted files
» Compressing or decompressing
» Encrypting data
What is the purpose of the disk defragmenter?
» Reorganise a magnetic hard disk
» Can restore data into sequential blocks
What is the purpose of the automatic updating?
» Mkaes sure software installed on the computer is up-to-date
What are the 3 ways application software can be categorised?
» General purpose
» Special purpose
» Custom written(bespoke)
What is a general-purpose software?
» Such as a word-processor, spreadsheet
» Can be used for many different purposes
» Such as to draw animations or manipulate photograph
What is a special-purpose software?
» Performs a single specific task or set of tasks
» Such as hotel booking systems, browser software
What is the difference in price between bespoke and off the shelf software?
» Bespoke is more costly and requires expertise to analyse the documents requirements
» Off the shelf is less expensive since the cost is shared among all the other people buying the package
What is the difference in features between bespoke and off the shelf software?
» Off the shelf may contain a lot of unwanted features - or be missing some essential feature
» Bespoke - features can be customised to user requirement and other features can be added as needs arise
What is the difference between off the shelf and bespoke software in terms of development of the software?
» Bespoke - may take a long time to develop
» Off the shelf - ready to be installed immediately
What is the difference between off the shelf and bespoke software in terms of errors?
» Off the shelf is well documented and well-tested and error free
» Bespoke may contain erros which do not surface immediately
What are 4 statements the Open Source initiative says?
» Software is licensed for use, but there is no charge for the licence
» Open Source software must be distributed with the source code so anyone can modify it
» Developers can sell the software they have created
» Must be “open”, meaning it can be distributed or sold in a form that other peopel can read and also edit it
What is the difference between Freeware(Free software) and open source software?
» Freeware is also free to use but the user does not get access to the source code
What is another name for closed source software?
» Proprietary software
Who owns the copyright of the properiatary software?
» The company who wrote the software
What are incremental backups?
» Only files since the last backup are saved
What are full backups?
» All data is backed up
What are 3 advantages of Open source software?
» Usually free
» Encourages collaboration
» Software can be adapted by users to fit their needs
What are 3 advantages of Open source software?
» Usually free
» Encourages collaboration
» Software can be adapted by users to fit their needs
What are 3 disadvantages of Open source software?
» Potential bugs
» Lower security as it may not be developed in a controlled environment
» Small projects may not get regular updates
What are 3 advantages of Properitary software?
» Comes with warranties, documentation and customer support
» Thorough, regular and well tested updates
» High level of security as it is developed professionally
What are the 5 criteria that can help you suggest what software is needed?
» Does it provide all the necessary functionality?
» Does it run on the available hardware?
» Is it “off the shelf” or will it have to be bespoke
» How much will it cost?
» Is it well-used, tried and test?
What are 2 disadvantages of proprietary software?
» License restircts how many people can use the software at once
» Users cannot modify and improve software themselves
What is the definition of open source software?
» Open source code which can be used by anyone without a license and is distributed with the source code
What is the definition of closed source?
» Source which requires the user to hold an appropriate license to use it
What is the source code?
» The program code written by the programmer - usually in high level language
What is hardware?
» All physics parts of a computer system
What is software?
» General term covering all computer programs
What are the 2 ways you can backup your files? In terms of frequency?
» Automatic
» Scheduled
» Manual
