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2002 Prentice Hall Chapter 4 Software Basics: The Ghost in the Machine

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Page 1: Document4

2002 Prentice Hall

Chapter 4

Software Basics:

The Ghost in the Machine

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Three Major Categories of Software

Compilers and other translator programs, which allow programmers to create other software

Software applications, which serve as productivity tools to help users solve problems

System software, which coordinates hardware operations and does behind-the-scenes work the user seldom sees

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Software Applications:Tools for Users

Software applications include:

Consumer Applications

Integrated Software

Vertical-market or Custom Software

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Consumer Applications

• Consumer software differs from other types (music CDs, videos, etc.) based on:

Documentation

Upgrade options

Compatibility

Warranty

Extent of ownership/license

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Documentation

Documentation includes:

Printed tutorial and reference manuals that explain how to use the software

On-line manuals and help screens which offer immediate help to the user

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Upgrades allow you to pay a fee to get the latest software version

Newer releases often have additional features and fewer bugs

Upgrades

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Compatibility

Compatibility allows software to function properly with the hardware, operating system, and peripherals

Programs written for one type of computer system may not work on another

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Disclaimers

Software manufacturers limit their liability for software problems by selling software “as is”

Given the difficulty of this task, most programs work amazingly well—but not perfectly

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Licensing

Licensing agreements limit your right to: Make copies of software disks install software on hard drives transfer information to other users

Commercial software is copyrighted so it can’t be legally duplicated for distribution to others.

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Distribution

Software is distributed through direct sales forces to corporations and other institutions.

Software is sold to consumers through: retail stores mail-order catalogs Web sites.

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Integrated Applications and Suites:

Software BundlesMultipurpose software includes most of these modules: Word processing Database Spreadsheet Graphics Telecommunications

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Integrated Software: Advantages

Costs less than buying the applications individually

Data is easily transferred between modules

Commands used in each module are usually the same

Usually there is a seamless integration of the modules

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Vertical-Market andCustom Software

Job-specific software: Medical billings Library cataloging

Restaurant management Single-client software needs

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System Software:The Hardware-Software

ConnectionSystem software is a class of software that includes: The operating system Utility programs

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What the Operating System Does

The operating system controls: Communication with peripherals Coordination of concurrent processing Memory management Monitoring of resources and security Management of programs and data Coordinating network communications

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Utility Programs

translating files so different software can read them

guarding against viruses

repairing damaged files copying files from one

storage device to another

Operating System invokes utility programs so they appear to the user to be part of the OS. Device drivers are an example.

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The User Interface: The Human-Machine Connection

The user interface is what the user sees on the screen

Two major user interface types:

Character-based interface

Graphical user interface (GUI)

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A Character-Based Interface: MS-DOS

This is a disk operating system in which the user interacts using characters letters numbers symbols

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A Character-Based User Interface: MS-DOS

MS-DOS™ is the most widely used general-purpose operating system

Features include: Command-line interface (commands are typed) Menu-driven interface (commands are chosen from

on-screen lists)

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Graphical User Interfaces: Macintosh

This is a disk operating system in which the user interacts with the computer by using a pointing device (e.g. a mouse)

As early as 1984, the Macintosh™ computerwas designed with this interface in mind

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Graphical User Interfaces: Windows

Windows 95 and 98 are similar in many ways to the Mac OS

Several versions of Windows exist for business and home users

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Why WIMP Won

Windows, Icons, Menus, and Pointing devices

• They’re intuitive

• They’re consistent

• They’re forgiving

• They’re protective

• They’re flexible

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Three Main Platforms for Desktops Computers

Various versions of UNIX

Windows in all its variations

Mac OS

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Hardware & Software Platforms

Windows XP

Windows ME

Windows 2000

Windows CE

Palm OS

IBM’s OS/2

Mac OS/9

Mac OS/X

Linux & UNIX

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