Computer Software
We all take things for granted. We boot our computer, log on to the internet, and check incoming mails and compose and send emails to others. We also use our computer to visit social media sites to chat with our friends or establish business contacts. The same holds true for many other aspects such as shopping online, paying our utility bills through the net, or spending our free time playing games on an online casino. We never bother to think about software, including the audit management software that allows us to conduct an official financial inspection of a company or its accounts, which allows us to do such tasks. Let us understand more about the different types of software and how they help ease our day to day tasks.
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What is computer software?
Computer software consists of tens of thousands of lines of code written in specific programming language such as C++, Java, Python, and many more, and compiled as an installer. They are required for running the computer and for performing hundreds of other tasks.
What types of software are there?
Operating system
The operating system is the most important software as it is required for the computer to work. There are several types of operating systems. However, the four widely used are:
- Windows (available in different versions including XP, Vista, Version 7, 8, and 10)
- iOS (this is used by Apple based computers and is available in different versions such as Cheetah, Jaguar, Leopard, and Snow Leopard etc.)
- Linux (this runs on normal PC's and is available in different versions such as Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Mandriva, etc)
- Unix (this multi tasking operating system it is mainly used on mainframes and servers, but can also be used on laptops and desktops)
Other software
There are many different kinds of software for performing different tasks. For example, you might require specific program to edit images. Some of the popular programs in this category include Photoshop, Serif PhotoPlus, Corel PaintShop, and many more. It is the same with programs required for editing audio. Some of the poplar audio editing software includes Audacity, Audio Studio, WavePad etc. Here is a small list of the different groups of software:
- Multimedia centric software (this includes programs required for animation as well as video editing)
- Audit management software
- Account centric program
- Computer aided design programs
- Browser (used to surf the net)
- Anti Virus (required for protecting the computer against malware infection)
Who needs computer software?
Anybody who uses a computer needs OS software to run the computer (hardware). Apart from this, they require other programs for conducting specific tasks, some of which are mentioned above. In simple terms, anybody who uses a computer requires software. As the OS merely boots up the computer, it, on its own, is not sufficient to complete other tasks.
Why is computer software needed?
You need computer software for completing specific tasks on your computer. If you want to manage the accounts of your company, you need accounting programs that can complete the task quickly. In a nutshell, people depend on computer software to complete tasks in a couple of minutes that would have otherwise taken them days to complete manually.