Computer Software

Question 1

Computer software

Answer 1

forms the interface between your operating system and your hardware. Software is where computers get their myriad of uses from.

Question 2

Operating system

Answer 2

is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs.
-Windows
-MacOS
-Linux

Question 3

Device drivers

Answer 3

are used to interface with all hardware, from Bluetooth and wireless to the graphics card or mouse. In short, when you need a device on your computer to work, it needs a device driver, whether it’s built-in or from a third party.

Question 4

Software updates and patching

Answer 4

The OS is the platform on which everything else resides, so it must be a stable and reliable platform. Keeping your OS updated to be compatible and not susceptible to most viruses and vulnerabilities is essential.

Question 5

File extensions

Answer 5

is an abbreviation behind the dot of the filename. For example, archive.zip is a file with a zip extension. This tells us certain things about a file. More on the specific extensions later.

Question 6

.exe

Answer 6

Short for ‘executable’, it tells the OS to run the programme. Most Windows desktop programmes use this extension.

Question 7

.msi

Answer 7

For installation and removal of software within Windows. Opening a .msi file actually launches msiexec.exe, which reads the .msi file and does what it says. .msi files use Windows Installer, so think of it as standing for ‘Microsoft Installation’.

Question 8

.app

Answer 8

Executes a programme within OS X (as .exe does in Windows).

Question 9

.bat

Answer 9

Batch file. Used to execute multiple commands from the Windows command prompt (cmd.exe) within one file.

Question 10

Word processors

Answer 10

are applications where you can write letters, assignments, add pictures, or write novels.

Question 11

.txt

Answer 11

Basic text file. Virtually any word processor or editor can open this file. This extension doesn’t allow any images or sound clips, etc., to be embedded. This is specifically a text-only file.

Question 12

.rtf

Answer 12

Rich text file. This is a basic document format and generally more compatible between systems than .doc files.

Question 13

.doc .docx

Answer 13

The default formats for Microsoft Word. .doc is saved for older compatibility requirements. This can be opened by other Word processors such as AbiWord. Docx might, however, be incompatible with other word processors. docx supports more features than .doc

Question 14

.odt

Answer 14

OpenOffice file format.

Question 15

Email software

Answer 15

is software applications allowing you to download and open up emails. Many people prefer to use online emails such as Gmail or Yahoo via their web browser to check emails.

Question 16

Video conferencing

Answer 16

To communicate, have meetings and connect with people, we can use video conferencing applications. These typically require user accounts to connect and sign in.

Question 17

File sharing

Answer 17

is a applications include Google Drive, OneDrive, Mega and Dropbox, where users can deposit files and share them with someone remotely. You will need a user account to upload files.

Question 18

Instant messaging

Answer 18

is a applications have become commonplace in today’s society. Smartphones and desktop software are often cross-platform compatible. One person can message from a smartphone, and the other person can view it and respond from a PC.

Question 19

Anti-virus, anti-malware and firewalls

Answer 19

is a applications are there to keep viruses and malware off your PC.

Question 20

Archives and disk images

Answer 20

a collection of data and settings. Something like a compressed folder full of files can become a .zip archive. Compressing folders, files and programmes into an archive ensure that all the data stay together with a smaller risk of corruption.

Question 21

File attributes

Answer 21

are a set of properties that are allocated or attributed to a file.
Attributes can vary depending on your file system, but generally, they are Read-only, Hidden, Archive and System.

Question 22

32bit vs 64bit OS and software

Answer 22

There are 32bit and 64bit processors. You can run 32bit software on a 64bit operating system, but this does not utilize all the available performance.

Question 23

Different Software licensing

Answer 23

-Open-source
-Freeware
-MIT
-Shareware
-Concurrent licence
-Corporate or campus licence

Question 24

Open-source

Answer 24

is often free. The commercially free nature is not the only benefit of the open-source license.

Question 25

Freeware

Answer 25

is software that is free to use and distribute. However, the source code is not available, and the software can’t be sold.

Question 26

MIT

Answer 26

You can do virtually anything with MIT software. You can copy, download, sell, distribute and modify the code.

Question 27

Shareware

Answer 27

is essentially trial software. The user can download and distribute it, but if the user wants to keep it after a certain period, they need to pay for the licence, which is usually a commercial licence.

Question 28

Concurrent licence

Answer 28

is typically seen at corporations. It consists of a set number of licences, and anyone with the licence file or serial number can use it simultaneously with other users.