Computer Software Flashcards
Computer software
forms the interface between your operating system and your hardware. Software is where computers get their myriad of uses from.
Operating system
is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs.
-Windows
-MacOS
-Linux
Device drivers
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.
Software updates and patching
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.
File extensions
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.
.exe
Short for ‘executable’, it tells the OS to run the programme. Most Windows desktop programmes use this extension.
.msi
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’.
.app
Executes a programme within OS X (as .exe does in Windows).
.bat
Batch file. Used to execute multiple commands from the Windows command prompt (cmd.exe) within one file.
Word processors
are applications where you can write letters, assignments, add pictures, or write novels.
.txt
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.
.rtf
Rich text file. This is a basic document format and generally more compatible between systems than .doc files.
.doc .docx
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
.odt
OpenOffice file format.
Email software
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.
Video conferencing
To communicate, have meetings and connect with people, we can use video conferencing applications. These typically require user accounts to connect and sign in.
File sharing
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.
Instant messaging
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.
Anti-virus, anti-malware and firewalls
is a applications are there to keep viruses and malware off your PC.
Archives and disk images
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.
File attributes
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.
32bit vs 64bit OS and software
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.
Different Software licensing
-Open-source
-Freeware
-MIT
-Shareware
-Concurrent licence
-Corporate or campus licence
Open-source
is often free. The commercially free nature is not the only benefit of the open-source license.
Freeware
is software that is free to use and distribute. However, the source code is not available, and the software can’t be sold.
MIT
You can do virtually anything with MIT software. You can copy, download, sell, distribute and modify the code.
Shareware
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.
Concurrent licence
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.
