Types of Software & their Characteristics
Types of Software: Software is the set of commands or instructions given to computers to do a task. The software can be of two types, namely, System Software and Application Software. System software can further be two types, that is, Operating System, Language Processor and Device driver. Application software is also of two types, namely, General Purpose Software, Customized software and Utility Software. So in this application, we discuss types of software in detail.
Software
Software is the cluster of data, programs, procedures and instructions that basically tell a computer or electronic device how to run, work and execute specific given tasks. This is just the opposite of hardware, which is composed of the physical system and components that perform the work. For eg, MS Word, MS Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
Types of Software
So typically there are two types of computer software, these are-
- System Software
- Application Software
System Software
System software is a type of software that directly operates the computer hardware and provides the fundamental functionality to the users as well as to the other software to operate smoothly. Therefore, system software act as an interface between the hardware and the user. It helps the computer in controlling hardware devices such as monitors, printers, storage devices, etc. Such type of software provides a platform for the other software to function. On switching on the computer it is the system software that initialized and get loaded the memory of the system.
Characteristics of System Software
Some of the Characteristics of System Software are-
- Such types of software are usually written in a low-level language.
- This type of software is difficult to design and understand.
- Usually, the system software is fast in speed.
- They are less interactive for the users in comparison to application software.
Types of System Software
The types of system software are-
| Types of System Software | ||
| Types | Definition | Examples |
| Operating System | It helps to manage all the resources such as memory, CPU, printer, hard disk, etc. and acts as an intermediate to the user, which helps the user to interact with the computer system. | Linux, Apple macOS, Microsoft Windows, etc. are some examples of Operating Systems. |
| Language Processor | Such type of system software converts human-readable language into machine language. Also called Machine code. | Java, C, C++, Python, etc. |
| Device Driver | They control the device and help the device perform its function. | BIOS Driver, Display Drivers, Motherboard Drivers, Printer Drivers, ROM Drivers, Sound card Driver etc. |
Application Software
Software that is responsible for performing special functions or provides functions that are much more than the basic operation of the computer is called application software. Also, application software is designed to perform a specific task for the end-users. Such type of software includes word processors, spreadsheets, database management, inventory, payroll programs, etc.
Characteristics of Application Software
Some of the Characteristics of application software ar
- Application software performs more specialized tasks like word processing, spreadsheets, email, etc.
- As the size of the software is big so it requires more storage capacity.
- Application software is one the interactive software for the users. Hence, it is easy to use and design such software.
- It is easy to design and understand.
Types of Application Software
The types of Application software are-
| Types of Application Software | ||
| Types | Definition | Examples |
| General Purpose Software | This type of software is designed to perform a variety of tasks not for specific purposes. | For eg. MS Word, MS Excel, PowerPoint, etc. |
| Customized Software | This type of software is only designed to perform specific tasks or functions for specific organizations. | For eg. In the railway system, In the airline reservation system, etc. |
| Utility Software | It is designed to aid in analyzing, optimizing, configuring and maintaining a computer system. It helps to support the computer infrastructure. | For eg. antivirus, disk fragmenter, memory tester, disk repair, disk cleaners, registry cleaners, disk space analyzer, etc. |