Chapter 3 Notes – Application Software
Application Software – programs designed to do a specific task
 Can be used as a productivity tool/business tool
 Assists with graphics or multimedia
 Supports household activities for personal business or for education
 Facilitates communications
Categories of Application Software
1. Productivity/Business
2. Graphic Design/Multimedia
3. Home/Personal/Educational
4. Communications
System Software – consists of programs that control the operations of the computer
and its devices
Operating System – contains instructions that coordinate all of the activities of the
hardware devices in a computer (O.S. remains in memory as long as the machine is
on)
Utility Program – system software that performs a specific task (e.g. Norton Antivirus).
The Role of the User Interface
User Interface – GUI – “Desktop” – Graphical User Interface
Guides that are present on screen: Icon, Button, Pointer, Click, Menu, Submenu,
Commands, Window, Title Bar, Dialog Box, Taskbar, Shortcut menu, and System Tray
Starting a Software Application
 Desktop – an on screen work area that can display graphical elements such as
icons (a picture that represents a program, document or shortcut), button (a
graphical element that you activate to cause a specific action to take place), pointer
(a small symbol on the screen), and click (an object on the screen, you move the
pointer to the object and then press and release a button on the mouse)
 Menu – contains commands you can select
 Command – an instruction that causes a computer program to perform a specific
action
Helpful Screen Displays – Dialog Box, Shortcut Menus, Context Sensitive Menus
Productivity Software – makes people operate more efficiently
 Word processing
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Spreadsheet
Database
Presentation Graphics
Personal Information Manager
Software Suites
Project Management
Accounting
Graphics and Multimedia Software – allows power users to work with software
specifically designed to work in their field
 Computer-aided design
 Desktop Publishing
 Paint/Image Editing Software
 Video and Audio Editing Software
 Multimedia Authoring Software
 Web Page Authoring Software
 Project Management
Software For Home, Personal, And Educational Use – allows users to work with an
integrated package that encompasses business and work related software suites.
 Integrated Software
 Personal Finance Software
 Legal Software
 Tax Prep. Software
 Desktop Publishing
 Paint/Image Editing Software
 Clip Art/Image Gallery
 Home Design
 Educational/Reference/Entertainment
Software For Communication – allows users to communicate through various
software packages.
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E-Mail
Web Browsers
Chat Rooms
Newsgroups
Instant Messaging
Groupware
Videoconferencing
Applications on the Web – a software application that exists on the web and can be
rented for a period of time or accessed for free.
 Web-Based Training
 Application Service Providers