PROGRAMS AND APPS

Objectives Overview :

1. Identify the general categories of programs and apps.

2. Describe how an operating system interacts with applications and hardware.

3. Differentiate among the ways you can acquire programs and apps.

4. Identify key features of productivity applications.

5. Identify the key features of graphics and multimedia applications.

6. Identify the uses of personal interest applications.

7. Identify the purpose of software used in communications.

8. Identify the key features of security tools.

9. Identify the key features of file, disk, and system management tools.

• A program, or software, consists of a series of related instructions, organized for a common purpose, that tells the computer what tasks to perform and how to perform them.

• An application, or app, sometimes called application software, consists of programs designed to make users more productive and/or assist them with personal tasks.

• An operating system is a set of programs that coordinates all the activities among computer or mobile device hardware.

    - Tools and activities

    - System software

• Software is available in a variety of forms :

1. Retail

2. Custom

3. Web app

4. Mobile app

5. Mobile web app

6. Shareware

7. Freeware

8. Open source

9. Public domain

PRODUCTIVITY APPLICATIONS

• Productivity applications can assist you in becoming more effective and efficient while performing daily activities at work, school, and home.

• With productivity applications, users often:

1. Create a project

2. Edit a project

3. Format a project

4. Save a project

5. Distribute a project

• Word processing software allows users to create and manipulate documents.

• A major advantage of using word processing software is that it enables users to change their written words easily.

• Presentation software allows users to create visual aids for presentations to communicate ideas, messages, and other information to a group.

• Spreadsheet software allows users to organize data in columns and rows and perform calculations on the data.

• A database is a collection of data organized in a manner that allows access, retrieval, and use of that data

    - Database software allows users to create, access, and manage a database.

• Note taking software is an application that enables users to enter typed text, handwritten comments, drawings, sketches, photos, and links anywhere on a page.

• Calendar and contact management software is an application that helps you organize your calendar, keep track of contacts, and share this information with other users.

• A software suite is a collection of individual related applications available together as a unit.

• Project management software is an application that allows a user to plan, schedule, track, and analyze the events, resources, and costs of a project

• Accounting software is an application that helps businesses of all sizes record and report their

financial transactions.

• Personal finance software is a simplified accounting application that helps home users and small/home office users balance their checkbooks, pay bills, track personal income and expenses, verify account balances, transfer funds, track investments, and evaluate financial plans.

• Legal software is an application that assists in the preparation of legal documents and provides legal information to individuals, families, and small businesses.

• Tax preparation software is an application that can guide individuals, families, or small businesses through the process of filing federal and state taxes.

• Document management software is an application that provides a means for sharing, distributing, and searching through documents by converting them into a format that can be viewed by any user.

• A large organization, commonly referred to as an enterprise, requires special computing solutions

because of its size and geographic distribution.

1. Human resources software

2. Accounting software

3. Engineering or product development software

4. Manufacturing software

5. Marketing software

6. Sales software

7. Distribution software

8. Costumer service software

9. Software for information technology staff

GRAPHICS AND MEDIA SOFTWARE

1. Computer-aided design (CAD) software 

2. Desktop publishing software

3. Paint / Image editing software

4. Photo editing and photo management software

5. Video and audio editing software

• Multimedia authoring software allows users to combine text, graphics, audio, video, and animation in an interactive application.

• Website authoring software helps users of all skill levels create webpages that include graphics, video, audio, animation, and special effects with interactive content.

• A media player is a program that allows you to view images and animations, listen to audio, and watch video files on your computer or mobile device.

• Disc burning software writes text, graphics, audio, and video files on a recordable or rewritable disc.

Personal Interest Applications

1. Lifestyle applications

2. Medical applications 

3. Entertainment

4. Convenience applications 

5. Educational applications

COMMUNICATIONS APPLICATIONS

1. Blog

2. Browsing

3. Chat

4. Online Discussion

5. Email

6. File Transfer

7. Internet Phone

8. Instant Messaging

9. Mobile Messaging

10. Videoconference

11. Web Feeds

SECURITY TOOLS

• A personal firewall is a security tool that detects and protects a personal computer and its data from unauthorized intrusions.

• An antivirus program protects a computer against viruses by identifying and removing any computer viruses found in memory, on storage media, or on incoming files.

• Spyware is a type of program placed on a computer or mobile device without the user’s knowledge that secretly collects information about the user and then communicates the information it collects to some outside source while the user is online.

• Adware is a type of program that displays an online advertisement in a banner or pop-up or pop-under window on webpages, email messages, or other Internet services.

A spyware remover is a type of program that detects and deletes spyware and similar programs.

An adware remover is a program that detects and deletes adware.

* Anti-spam programs

* Web filtering software

* Phishing filters

* Pop-up and pop-under blockers

File, Disk, and System Management Tools

• A file manager is a tool that performs functions

related to file management

• A search tool is a program, usually included with an operating system, that attempts to locate a file, contact, calendar event, app, or any other item stored on your computer or mobile device based on criteria you specify.

• An image viewer is a tool that allows users to display, copy, and print the contents of a graphics file, such as a photo.

• An uninstaller is a tool that removes a program, as well as any associated entries in the

system files.

• A disk cleanup tool searches for and removes unnecessary files.

• A disk defragmenter is a tool that reorganizes the files and unused space on a computer’s hard disk so that the operating system accesses data more quickly and programs run faster.

    - Defragmenting

* A screen saver is a tool that causes a display device’s screen to show a moving image or blank screen if no keyboard or mouse activity occurs for a specified time.

* A file compression tool shrinks the size of a file(s)

* A PC maintenance tool is a program that identifies and fixes operating system problems, detects and repairs drive problems, and includes the capability of improving a computer’s performance.

• A backup tool allows users to copy, or back up, selected files or the contents of an entire storage medium to another storage location.

• A restore tool reverses the process and returns backed up files to their original form.

SUMMARY :

1. Programs and apps available for computers and mobile devices

2. Role of the operating system and the various ways software is distributed

3. Features of a variety of applications

4. Communications applications

5. Security tools and file, disk, and system management tools.