After all, what is computer software? Categories of computer software and why software is needed in a computer? All these matters have been explained in this article. After reading this article, you can get complete information related to the software.
Simply put, software is a set of instructions, data and programs that help a computer perform some basic task. Apart from this, all of you must have known about the computer and all the hardware components in the computer. So only this hardware and software of the computer is used to run the computer properly.
The user can touch the hardware in the computer but cannot run it. Like if you want to edit a photo, then you cannot do it with hardware. Software is required for that. The most important thing is that the software helps the user to run any hardware device. If there was no software, then the user would not be able to run any hardware devices. So without delay, let’s know the categories of computer software & need of software for computer
What is a Software?
Computer Software is a collection of instructions, data, or programs that provide instructions to the computer to complete a task. It tells a computer what to do and how to do it. In simple terms, the software is untouchable or intangible part of the computer.
The computer is made up of two things, one hardware, and the other software. Just like a computer has hardware and software, in the same way, the human body also has hardware and software. We touch hands, feet, nose, and ears, and we do not touch pain, love, feelings, etc. This shows that everything has hardware and software. The computer needs hardware and software to complete every task well.
Software is required to perform a particular task on the computer. In this article, we will tell you what is computer software, what are its types and about the software in detail.
Need of software
Why software is needed? Hardware and software are required to do any work. The computer is made up of many hardware devices and it needs software to run. That’s why the computer needs an operating system to start.
In this way, many electronic devices like many mobiles, laptops, and tablets have been introduced today. Different software has been released to run them all. Today the world has become the master of software.
We cannot give instructions directly to the hardware of the computer. Computer software acts as an interface between users and hardware. If you want to write something, Microsoft Office, Notepad, and much more software will be available. That’s why in today’s world the software is programmed according to the need.
So let’s know some points about need of software.
Automation
All the software being developed nowadays enables automation of various tasks and processes. This reduces manual effort and increases efficiency. It can automate repetitive tasks, streamline workflows, and improve productivity across a variety of industries and sectors.
Data Processing and Analysis
The main need of software is to operate computers, mobile or other electronic devices. It processes, analyzes and interprets the data stored inside that device. It can perform complex calculations, generate reports, visualize data, and extract meaningful insights. This helps in deciding something on the computer and solving the problem.
Communication and Collaboration
Software is needed for communication and collaboration between individuals and teams. It enables functions such as real-time messaging, video conferencing, document sharing and project management. This increases productivity in both personal and professional situations.
Information Management
Software is also needed to organize and manage information. It enables creation, storage, retrieval and manipulation of data in structured and accessible formats. Database management systems, content management systems and file management tools are some examples of software.
Enhancing User Experience
The software requirement is very important to provide user friendly and interactive experience. User interface and user experience (UI/UX) design principles are implemented through software to provide intuitive navigation, feedback, and engaging interactions for applications, websites, and digital products.
Innovation and Creativity
Software empowers innovation and creativity by providing the tools to design and develop new ideas. The role of software is very important in the success of new innovative work like graphic design, 3D modeling, video editing and programming.
Problem Solving and Decision Making
The software helps in solving complex problems and making decisions. It simulates scenarios, data modelling, simulations and provides analytical tools. It helps in evaluating alternatives, predicting outcomes and finding optimal solutions.
The reasons mentioned above demonstrate the fundamental need of software in modern society. Nowadays, the rapidly evolving software digital landscape, empowers individuals, businesses and organizations to leverage technology for innovation, efficiency, problem-solving and growth.
2 major categories of computer software
Computer software can be divided into two main categories.
- System software
- Application software
System software
The software that starts the computer by communicating with the computer hardware is called system software. System software is a set of programs to control and manage the operation of computer hardware. It is general-purpose software. System software is essential for the working of the computer.
The process of system software are
- To provide basic functionality to the computer.
- control computer hardware.
- To act as an interface between the user, application software, and computer hardware.
Operating system
An operating system is an important part of a computer. It is intermediated between the user of a computer and the computer hardware. Some of the popular operating systems are Windows, Linux, Macintosh, Ubuntu, Fedora, Android, iOS, etc.
System Utilities
System utility software is required for the maintenance of computer system utilities are used for supporting exchanging the programs and the data in the computer. Some system utilities may come embedded with OS and others may be added later on.
Examples of system utilities are-:
- Antivirus utility to scan computers for viruses.
- Data compression utility to compress the files.
- Disk (file) compression utility to compress contents of a disk for increasing the capacity of a disk.
Device Driver
The computer software requires drivers to operate the hardware of the computer. It is called a device driver. This driver software and hardware communicate with each other. Whatever input devices are there, they work for all device drivers. All of them require a driver to connect to the computer. For example, different drivers are used for biometrics devices.
For Example Audio driver, Graphic driver, Network driver, USB driver, etc.
Application software
The software that a user uses to accomplish a particular task is application software. Application software can be a single program that is created for a specific purpose and provides the required functionality is called a software package.
Basic Application software
The basic software is made for easy use in day-to-day life. It is capable of calculating, watching videos, typing, browsing the internet, etc. through software. This program is used to perform simple tasks on the computer.
Examples: Notepad, Media player, Microsoft office, etc.
Specialized Application Software
Specialized application software is made for a specific purpose. This software has to be purchased because all the needs of the consumer are there in it.
For Example Video editing software, Billing Software, Accounting software, etc.
How Software is made?
Today, much software has been developed in the world. This software is made according to the need of the user. The software that is made, we call them programmer, software developer, or software engineer. There are many languages to make software and each one has different work.
The language used to make the software are
C Language, C++, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Swift, TypeScript
Examples of computer software
| Name of Software | Software Type |
| Avast, Quick heal, Norton, Avg | Antivirus |
| SQL, PHP, MySQL | Database |
| VLC player, Gom player, Window media player | Media player |
| Photoshop, Paint, Page maker, Coral Draw | Designing software |
| Chrome, Firefox, Edge | Web browser |
| Word, Notepad, WordPad | Word Editor |
| PowerPoint | Presentation |
| C, C++, HTML, Java, Perl, Visual Basic | Programming language |
| MS Excel | Spreadsheet |
| Outlook, Thunderbird | |
| Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows | Operating system |
Conclusion
To be honest, we are surrounded by software. Because they made our life easy and simple. It is always my endeavour that you get correct and accurate information. I hope that today you must have learned about the Need of software & significant categories of computer software by reading this article.
We hope that you will like this article and prove it useful for you. If you have any doubts about the software, you can ask us in the comment box below. We will definitely solve your doubts. If you like this article then please share it with your friends.
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