Classification of Software
Contents
Systems Software
Operating Systems
An operating system is software on a computer system that handles other software and hardware in the computer, like data storage, ordering of programs and inputs and outputs from peripherals. Operating systems provide useful features to computers, with many modern operating systems providing a GUI, mouse pointer, and folders for easy storage of files. An operating system is required to be able to use a computer.
Utility Programs
Library Programs
Language Translators
Application Software
General Purpose
General purpose software is every-day software used for basic tasks on a computer, such as word processing software like Microsoft Word, which can be used to write a number of various documents, but is also found on allot of computers. Most computers will have these pieces of software on them because they can be used for various tasks and not for one specific job or role.
Bespoke Software
Software developed privately for use solely by an organisation or company for a task by a developer. An example could be the software used at Tescos by the registers to identify products via bar code, show item stocks and process purchases, which would only be for Tesco, and other companies like Asda could use a similar system, but it wouldn't be the exact same as it would also be privately developed. Another example could be accountant. They use a piece of software called sage. This calculates revenue that business has made, sees all there sales records and also sends all of the data off to HMRC automatically. The average computer user wouldn't need to use these pieces of software as it isn't versatile and cant be used for different purposes.
Special Purpose
Special purpose software is software designed and developed for one specific task, and nothing else. Examples of this are software like anti-virus and firewall software that is only used to block specific data from the internet. Allot of these programs are usually sold with a computer or operating system, because they are good at doing what they're designed for and software like a firewall is fundamental to being safe online on a computer. There are many companies that offer these services like Avast and NOD32 but they don't need to be very versatile because they only do one thing. Some of these anti-virus packages also include other features but the main purpose is to stop viruses. Most computer users will have these pieces of software because it helps them to be safe online but they wont be used every day, in the sense of that the window wont be opened everyday, they will be sat in the background monitoring traffic and activity to keep the user safe on the internet.
