Types of Software & Their Examples

Software is a collection of computer programs, instructions, and procedures that instructs the computer, how to interact with the user, what to do and how to do it. There are two major types of computer software: system software and application software.

The software in a computer is just like a soul in the human body. Without software, a computer is nothing more than a hardware machine and cannot do any task. It enables both the user and the computer to interact with each other. Windows, MS Office, Google Chrome are examples of software.

What is Software?

Software is a set of computer instructions that directs a computer, how to interact with the user, and to process the user’s data. It includes libraries, programs, and non-executable data, that directs all the peripheral devices on the entire computer system, what exactly to do, and how to perform.

It is a well-defined set of commands and instructions that tells a computer what to perform. A computer works as per given instructions in the software. It is stored and loaded from the hard disk into the main memory of the computer when required.

Types of Computer Software

In computer science, the software is nothing but a set of programs and data that enables the hardware to do something useful. Without software, computers would be useless. System Software and Application Software are two major types of software.

For example, without an operating system, we can not run any user application on a computer system. Similarly, without web browser software, we are not able to search for anything on the Internet.

• System Software
• Application Software

System Software

The system software is a set of programs designed to operate computer hardware to read data, receive information, translate data or instructions, control all the peripheral devices, process, and generate output.

It is one of the best types of Computer Software. Device drivers, operating systems, servers, utilities, etc are examples of the system software.

The system software is general-purpose software. It manages and controls all operations of the computer system.  It also manages the usage and allocation of different hardware resources. In addition, the system software allows other application programs to run and execute properly.

Types of System Software

System software enables application software to run on the computer. It also manages different types of independent hardware components, so that they can work together. The system software includes the operating system, device drivers, utility programs, compile, assembler, etc.

• Operating system
• Device drivers
• Utility programs
• Compiler
• Assembler
• Debugger 

What is Application Software?

Application software is almost designed to perform some specific task. The task is according to the requirement of the user. It is one of the best types of Computer Software.

We use different types of application software packages on a computer like a word processor, spreadsheet, & database design in our daily life. It is also very important to know that,

Application software utilizes the capacities of a computer directly to a dedicated task. These software’s are used to perform business activities, graphics & multimedia projects, home, personal and educational tasks.

It almost requires an operating system to function smoothly. The operating system should work as a base software.

Functions or Role of Application Software

Application software is designed for a specific purpose. Different types of application software have different functions. It serves as interface b/w user & computer hardware. Information processing jobs like a spreadsheet, word processing for end-user is also the core function of application software.

Application software is commonly used in every field of life because the computer is used in every field. Some of the important fields are:

• Business
• Medical Field 
• Home 
• Education
• Industries
• Communication 

Types of Application Software

Important types of application software are package custom, shareware, freeware & public domain software. The function of application software is to give individuals & workgroups the ability to solve problems and specific tasks. Examples are MS Office, Corel Draw, Google Chrome, etc.

Here is the list of types of Application software based on functions and their uses:

• Custom Software
• Shareware
• Freeware
• Public domain Software 

Examples Of Application Software

The most common real-life examples of application software are:

• Word processing Software i.e MS-Word, WordPad and Notepad
• Database or Database Software i.e Oracle, MSAccess
• Spreadsheet Software i.e Excel ( Excel ), Lotus 3-2-1 ( Lotus 1-2-3 ), and Nambrz Apple ( Apple Numbers )
• Multimedia or Multimedia Software i.e Riel Player ( Real Player ) and Media Player ( Media Player )
• Information Display or Presentation Software
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Organizational Software
• Educational Software i.e Britannica, and Encarta ( Encarta ), ( MATLAB ), Google Earth, and NASA
• Simulation Software i.e Flight Simulations and Scientific Simulations
• Content Access Software i.e Web Browsers Media Players
• Functional Suites i.e Microsoft Office and OpenOffice
• Engineering Assistance Products and Product Development

Differences B/w System Software And Application Software

The major differences between system software and application software are as follows:

System software	Application software
It is a general-purpose software	It is a specific purpose software
A computer cannot be operated without system software	Application software allows a user to perform some particular task.
It is used to manage computer resources	Used to solve particular problems
It executes all the time on the computer	It executes as and when required
User install application software as per its needs	System software installed with an operating system
The user has no direct interaction with system software	User has direct interaction with application software
The number of system software is less than application software	The number of application software is much more than system software
The system software is essential for a computer to work	Application software is not essential for a computer to work

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• Types of Software
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