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Software

Target Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to:

 define the term software;
 describe the two primary categories of software;
 describe cloud computing and its advantages and disadvantages for use in an organization; and
 define the term open-source and identify its primary characteristics

Abstraction

INTRODUCTION

Component of an information system is software. Simply put: Software is the set of instructions that tell the hardware
what to do. Software is created through the process of programming . Without software, the hardware would not be
functional.

Types of Software
Software can be broadly divided into two categories: operating systems and application software. Operating
systems manage the hardware and create the interface between the hardware and the user. Application software is
the category of programs that do something useful for the user.

Operating Systems
The operating system provides several essential functions, including:

 managing the hardware resources of the computer;

 providing the user-interface components;

 providing a platform for software developers to write applications.

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All computing devices run an operating system. For personal computers, the most popular operating systems
are Microsoft’s Windows, Apple’s OS X, and different versions of Linux. Smartphones and tablets run operating
systems as well, such as Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android, Microsoft’s Windows Mobile, and Blackberry.
Early personal-computer operating systems were simple by today’s standards; they did not provide
multitasking and required the user to type commands to initiate an action. The amount of memory that early
operating systems could handle was limited as well, making large programs impractical to run. The most popular of
the early operating systems was IBM’s Disk Operating System, or DOS, which was actually developed for them by
Microsoft.
In 1984, Apple introduced the Macintosh computer, featuring an operating system with a graphical user
interface. Though not the first graphical operating system, it was the first one to find commercial success. In 1985,
Microsoft released the first version of Windows. This version of Windows was not an operating system, but instead
was an application that ran on top of the DOS operating system, providing a graphical environment. It was quite
limited and had little commercial success. It was not until the 1990 release of Windows 3.0 that Microsoft found
success with a graphical user interface. Because of the hold of IBM and IBM-compatible personal computers on
business, it was not until Windows 3.0 was released that business users began using a graphical user interface,
ushering us into the graphical-computing era. Since 1990, both Apple and Microsoft have released many new
versions of their operating systems, with each release adding the ability to process more data at once and access
more memory. Features such as multitasking, virtual memory, and voice input have become standard features of
both operating systems.

Linux logo (Copyright: Larry Ewing)

A third personal-computer operating system family that is gaining in popularity is Linux (pronounced “linn-ex”).
Linux is a version of the Unix operating system that runs on the personal computer. Unix is an operating system used
primarily by scientists and engineers on larger minicomputers. These are very expensive computers, and software
developer Linus Torvalds wanted to find a way to make Unix run on less expensive personal computers. Linux was
the result. Linux has many variations and now powers a large percentage of web servers in the world. It is also an
example of open-source software, a topic we will cover later in this chapter.

Sidebar: Mac vs. Windows

Are you a Mac? Are you a PC? Ever since its introduction in 1984, users of the Apple Macintosh have been
quite biased about their preference for the Macintosh operating system (now called OS X) over Microsoft’s. When
Microsoft introduced Windows, Apple sued Microsoft, claiming that they copied the “look and feel” of the Macintosh
operating system. In the end, Microsoft successfully defended themselves.
Over the past few years, Microsoft and Apple have traded barbs with each other, each claiming to have a
better operating system and software. While Microsoft has always had the larger market share (see sidebar), Apple
has been the favorite of artists, musicians, and the technology elite. Apple also provides a lot of computers to
elementary schools, thus gaining a following among the younger generation.
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Sidebar: Why Is Microsoft Software So Dominant in the Business World?

If you’ve worked in the world of business, you may have noticed that almost all of the computers run a version
of Microsoft’s Windows operating system. Why is this? On almost all college campuses, you see a preponderance of
Apple Macintosh laptops. In elementary schools, Apple reigns as well. Why has this not extended into the business
world?
As we learned in chapter 1, almost all businesses used IBM mainframe computers back in the 1960s and
1970s. These same businesses shied away from personal computers until IBM released the PC in 1981. When
executives had to make a decision about purchasing personal computers for their employees, they would choose the
safe route and purchase IBM. The saying then was: “No one ever got fired for buying IBM.” So over the next decade,
companies bought IBM personal computers (or those compatible with them), which ran an operating system called
DOS. DOS was created by Microsoft, so when Microsoft released Windows as the next iteration of DOS, companies
took the safe route and started purchasing Windows.
Microsoft soon found itself with the dominant personal-computer operating system for businesses. As the
networked personal computer began to replace the mainframe computer as the primary way of computing inside
businesses, it became essential for Microsoft to give businesses the ability to administer and secure their networks.
Microsoft developed business-level server products to go along with their personal computer products, thereby
providing a complete business solution. And so now, the saying goes: “No one ever got fired for buying Microsoft.”

Application Software
The second major category of software is application software. Application software is, essentially, software that
allows the user to accomplish some goal or purpose. For example, if you have to write a paper, you might use the
application-software program Microsoft Word. If you want to listen to music, you might use iTunes. To surf the web,
you might use Internet Explorer or Firefox. Even a computer game could be considered application software.

Productivity Software
Along with the spreadsheet, several other software applications have become standard tools for the workplace.
These applications, called productivity software, allow office employees to complete their daily work. Many times,
these applications come packaged together, such as in Microsoft’s Office suite. Here is a list of these applications
and their basic functions:
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Word processing: This class of software provides for the creation of written documents. Functions include
the ability to type and edit text, format fonts and paragraphs, and add, move, and delete text throughout the
document. Most modern word-processing programs also have the ability to add tables, images, and various layout
and formatting features to the document. Word processors save their documents as electronic files in a variety of
formats. By far, the most popular word-processing package is Microsoft Word, which saves its files in the DOCX
format. This format can be read/written by many other word-processor packages.

Spreadsheet: This class of software provides a way to do numeric calculations and analysis. The working
area is divided into rows and columns, where users can enter numbers, text, or formulas. It is the formulas that make
a spreadsheet powerful, allowing the user to develop complex calculations that can change based on the numbers
entered. Most spreadsheets also include the ability to create charts based on the data entered. The most popular
spreadsheet package is Microsoft Excel, which saves its files in the XLSX format. Just as with word processors,
many other spreadsheet packages can read and write to this file format.

Presentation: This class of software provides for the creation of slideshow presentations. Harkening back to
the days of overhead projectors and transparencies, presentation software allows its users to create a set of slides
that can be printed or projected on a screen. Users can add text, images, and other media elements to the slides.
Microsoft’s PowerPoint is the most popular software right now, saving its files in PPTX format.
Some office suites include other types of software. For example, Microsoft Office includes Outlook, its e-mail
package, and OneNote, an information-gathering collaboration tool. The professional version of Office also includes
Microsoft Access, a database package.
Microsoft popularized the idea of the office-software productivity bundle with their release of Microsoft Office. This
package continues to dominate the market and most businesses expect employees to know how to use this
software. However, many competitors to Microsoft Office do exist and are compatible with the file formats used by
Microsoft (see table below). Recently, Microsoft has begun to offer a web version of their Office suite. Similar to
Google Drive, this suite allows users to edit and share documents online utilizing cloud-computing technology. Cloud
computing will be discussed later in this chapter.
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Comparison of office application software suites

Utility Software and Programming Software

Two subcategories of application software worth mentioning are utility software and programming software. Utility
software includes software that allows you to fix or modify your computer in some way. Examples include antivirus
software and disk defragmentation software. These types of software packages were invented to fill shortcomings in
operating systems. Many times, a subsequent release of an operating system will include these utility functions as
part of the operating system itself.
Programming software is software whose purpose is to make more software. Most of these programs provide
programmers with an environment in which they can write the code, test it, and convert it into the format that can
then be run on a computer.

Mobile Applications
Just as with the personal computer, mobile devices such as tablet computers and smartphones also have operating
systems and application software. In fact, these mobile devices are in many ways just smaller versions of personal
computers. A mobile app is a software application programmed to run specifically on a mobile device.

As we saw in chapter 2, smartphones and tablets are becoming a dominant form of computing, with many more
smartphones being sold than personal computers. This means that organizations will have to get smart about
developing software on mobile devices in order to stay relevant.
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These days, most mobile devices run on one of two operating systems: Android or iOS. Android is an open-source
operating system purchased and supported by Google; iOS is Apple’s mobile operating system. In the fourth quarter
of 2012, Android was installed on 70.1% of all mobile phones shipped, followed by 21.0% for iOS. Other mobile
operating systems of note are Blackberry (3.2%) and Windows (2.6%). [3]
As organizations consider making their digital presence compatible with mobile devices, they will have to decide
whether to build a mobile app. A mobile app is an expensive proposition, and it will only run on one type of mobile
device at a time. For example, if an organization creates an iPhone app, those with Android phones cannot run the
application. Each app takes several thousand dollars to create, so this is not a trivial decision for many companies.

Cloud Computing
Historically, for software to run on a computer, an individual copy of the software had to be installed on the computer,
either from a disk or, more recently, after being downloaded from the Internet. The concept of “cloud” computing
changes this, however.
To understand cloud computing, we first have to understand what the cloud is. “The cloud” refers to applications,
services, and data storage on the Internet. These service providers rely on giant server farms and massive storage
devices that are connected via Internet protocols. Cloud computing is the use of these services by individuals and
organizations.

You probably already use cloud computing in some forms. For example, if you access your e-mail via your web
browser, you are using a form of cloud computing. If you use Google Drive’s applications, you are using cloud
computing. While these are free versions of cloud computing, there is big business in providing applications and data
storage over the web. Salesforce (see above) is a good example of cloud computing – their entire suite of CRM
applications are offered via the cloud. Cloud computing is not limited to web applications: it can also be used for
services such as phone or video streaming.

Advantages of Cloud Computing

 No software to install or upgrades to maintain.

 Available from any computer that has access to the Internet.

 Can scale to a large number of users easily.

 New applications can be up and running very quickly.

 Services can be leased for a limited time on an as-needed basis.

 Your information is not lost if your hard disk crashes or your laptop is stolen.

 You are not limited by the available memory or disk space on your computer.


Disadvantages of Cloud Computing

 Your information is stored on someone else’s computer – how safe is it?

 You must have Internet access to use it. If you do not have access, you’re out of luck.

 You are relying on a third-party to provide these services.

Software Creation
Modern software applications are written using a programming language. A programming language consists of a set
of commands and syntax that can be organized logically to execute specific functions. This language generally
consists of a set of readable words combined with symbols. Using this language, a programmer writes a program
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(called the source code) that can then be compiled into machine-readable form, the ones and zeroes necessary to
be executed by the CPU. Examples of well-known programming languages today include Java, PHP, and various
flavors of C (Visual C, C++, C#). Languages such as HTML and Javascript are used to develop web pages. Most of
the time, programming is done inside a programming environment; when you purchase a copy of Visual Studio from
Microsoft, it provides you with an editor, compiler, and help for many of Microsoft’s programming languages.

Open-Source Software
Open-source software is software that makes the source code available for anyone to copy and use. For most of us,
having access to the source code of a program does us little good, as we are not programmers and won’t be able to
do much with it. The good news is that open-source software is also available in a compiled format that we can
simply download and install.
Many businesses are wary of open-source software precisely because the code is available for anyone to see. They
feel that this increases the risk of an attack. Others counter that this openness actually decreases the risk because
the code is exposed to thousands of programmers who can incorporate code changes to quickly patch
vulnerabilities.

Some benefits of the closed-source model are:

 By providing financial incentive for software development, some of the brightest minds have chosen software
development as a career.

 Technical support from the company that developed the software.

Today there are thousands of open-source software applications available for download. For example, as we
discussed previously in this chapter, you can get the productivity suite from Open Office. One good place to search
for open-source software is sourceforge.net, where thousands of software applications are available for free
download.
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Utilization of Learning

Understanding
Direction: Read the questions carefully and answer these coherently but concisely.

TASKS 3.1

1. Come up with your own definition of software. Explain the key terms in your definition.

2. What is your favorite software application? What tasks does it help you accomplish?
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3. Using the sample application in your mobile devices, Break down these apps into at least three basic categories
and give an example of each. (categorized your application and put your applications logo in the box)