Software | Types of Software | System Vs Applications Software

What is Software?

Software is set of programs used to operate computers and execute specific tasks. It is the opposite of hardware, which describes the physical components of a computer. Software is generic term used to refer to applications, scripts and programs that run on a device. it can be throught of as the variable part of computer, while hardware is the fixed part of computer.

The software can be of two types:

System Software
Application Software

1. System Software

These software programs are designed to run a computer's application program and hardware. System software coordinates the activities and functions of the hardware and software. In addtion, It controls the operations of the other computer hardware and provides an environment for the user to interact with the computer. Operating System is the best example of system software.

Features of System Software:

System software is closer to the computer hardware.
System software is written in a low level language.
System software is fast in speed.
System software is less interactive for the users in comparison to application software.

Types of system software:

Operating System: It is the main program of a computer system. When the computer ON it is the first software that leads into the Computer's memory. Basically, it manages all the resources such as memory, CPU, printer, harddisk etc. It provides an interface to the user, which helps the user to interact with the computer system. Examples of operating systems are Linux, Apple macOS, Microsoft Windows, etc.
Language Processor: As we know that system software converts the human-readable language into a machine language and vice versa. So, the conversion is done by the language processor. It converts programs written in high-level programming languages like Java, C, C++, Python, etc(known as source code), into sets of instructions that are easily readable by machines(known as object code or machine code).
Device Driver: A device driver is a program or software that controls a device and helps that device to perform its functions. Every device like a printer, mouse, modem, etc. needs a driver to connect with the computer system eternally. So, when you connect a new device with your computer system, first you need to install the driver of that device so that your operating system knows how to control or manage that device.

2. Application Software

The most common type of software, application software is a computer software package that performs a specific function for a user, or in some cases, for another application. An application can be self-contained, or it can be a group of programs that run the application for the user. Examples of modern applications include web browsers, email clients, and word processors.

Features of Application Software:

Application software is more interactive for the users.
Application software is written in a high level language.
Application software is easy to design and understand.

Types of Application Software:

General Purpose Application: This type of application software is used for a variety of tasks and it is not limited to performing a specific task only. For example, MS-Word, MS-Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
Customize Software: This type of application software is used for a specific task or function or design for specific organization. For example, railway reservation system, accounting software, etc.
Utility Software: his type of application software is used to support the computer infrastructure. It is designed to analyze, configure, optimize and maintains the system, and take care of its requirements as well. For example, antivirus, disk fragmenter, memory tester, disk repair, disk cleaners, registry cleaners, disk space analyzer, etc.

System Software VS Application Software

System Software	Application Software
It is designed to manage the resources of the computer system, like memory and process management, etc.	It is designed to perform a specific task for a user, or in some cases, for another application.
It is written in a low level language.	It is written in a high level language.
Less interactive for the users	More interactive for the users
Run independently	Needs system software to run