Chapter 3
Discovering Computers Fundamentals
Chapter 3 – Application Software
Application software
 To be honest, this is the type of software we are
most familiar with.
 Remember, software/programs is a set of
instructions to the computer in order to complete a
task.
 The main instructions of a program must be in
memory while its running. If a program is running,
its instructions are in memory!

Application vs. System Software
 System Software are the programs in which
the task (purpose) is to control the computer.
 Application Software are the programs in
which the task (purpose) is to do something
for YOU, the USER.
System Software
 We will discuss system software in further
detail later (later chapter), but for now there
is one major type of system software: The
operating system
One specific operating system is Windows XP
Also Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT,
Windows ME, Windows 2000, etc…
Operating System
The operating system contains instructions that
coordinate activity between all the components of
the computer (printer, keyboard, monitor).
 The OS also provides you with a user interface,
which is a program that allows you to interface with
the computer.
 Since the OS is ALWAYS running, it must always be
loaded in memory. It is basically copied into
memory each time you turn your computer on.
Without the OS, your computer would not function.

User Interface
The user interface controls how YOU communicate
with the computer. How do we do that? We use a
mouse, and we click, and in Windows XP there is a
start button, and a task bar, etc… The
taskbar,desktop, start button, etc… is the user
interface. Since we use pictures (graphics) we call it
a GUI, graphical user interface.
 The OS is really not one program, it is many
programs and the user interface is just one program
included in the OS.

GUI vs. command line interface
 There are two types of user interfaces:
 GUI and Command Line
 Computers use to use a command line
interface, that is, we didn’t have a mouse or
icons to click on, etc… we had to use
commands to do things.
MS DOS prompt

To get a feel of what a command line user interface
was:
Click on the Start Button
Then click on Run
Then enter either one of the following commands (only
one will work depending on which os you use)
– command
– cmd
A black window will pop up.
Type the word: dir
Type the following
word and then press
the Enter key:
dir
What does dir do?
When you typed dir you should have received a
long listing of files. This used to be the only way to
get a listing of our files/folders.
 Since we now use a GUI, we don’t have to
remember those commands. We can just click on
My Computer.
 Type the following word to close the MS-DOS
prompt window:

exit
Back to user interface
 Most people use a GUI instead of a command
line interface. It’s much easier to use, and to
remember.
 So … how do we use the GUI that comes with
Windows? Well, most of us know how to do
that already, but we should all get familiar
with some of the basic terms.
Common GUI terms for Windows
XP – YOU MUST KNOW THE
FOLLOWING!
Desktop, Menus, submenus, start button, TASK BAR,
Task Pane, etc…
 Icons vs buttons
 Single Click vs. Double Click vs. Point vs. Drag
 Copy, Move, Delete in Task Pane
 Window (title bar, status bar, menu bar, toolbar)
 Dialog box

Application Software
 As mentioned earlier, software is divided into
application software and system software.
We will focus on application software for the
remainder of this chapter.
 Application software can be further
subdivided.
More on Categories of
Application Software
Again, application software is divided into various
categories. Think of books. We have fiction and
non-fiction. Then we further divide non-fiction into
travel, cooking, autobiographies, etc… These
categories make it easier for us to group them.
 Same thing with application software. The
categories aren’t written in stone, but they do make
it easier for us to group items (find them in stores,
talk to companies in regard to buying them, etc…).

What to focus on
 You don’t need to know all the details of how
to use the software discussed in the chapter,
though it is interesting and helpful in
understanding their meaning.
 You do, however, need to know the following
categories and specific programs in the
categories
Application Software category 1 :
Productivity Software

Productivity software is the first category of
application software … and most important! I think
of it as programs used in an office environment:
Word processing software
Spread sheet software
Database software
Presentation graphics software
PIM software
Software Suite
Project Management and Accounting
Productivity Software:
Word processing software
 Software used to create, edit and format text
based documents (documents primarily
consisting of words).
 Examples of SPECIFIC word processing
software:
Microsoft WORD
Corel WORDPERFECT
Those are the companies that
produce the product
Productivity Software:
Spreadsheet software
 Software that allows you to organize data in
rows and columns. You can then easily total
up the columns, average them, etc…
 Examples of SPECIFIC spread sheet
software:
Microsoft EXCEL
Lotus 123
Corel QUATTRO PRO
Productivity Software:
Database software
Software that organizes data so that it can be
accessed and retrieved quickly and easily. If you
have never seen a database software it might look
like a spreadsheet software (in the book), but it is
NOT.
 You must use a special program, DBMS, to create
and use your database!!
 Examples of SPECIFIC DMBS software:

Microsoft ACCESS
Oracle (by the company Oracle)
Productivity Software:
More on Database software



Database software can get quite complicated.
Again, you must use a specific DBMS software to create
your database. Whichever DBMS you pick, you must use it
to view your database, change it, etc…. You can’t really go
back and forth between DBMS software.
When you use a word processor (Microsoft Word) you must
use that same word processor to make changes to your
document. However, you could use Microsoft Works to make
changes, or even Wordperfect, if you had to. You cannot do
this with DBMS software. You cannot switch between
products!
Productivity Software:
More on Database software
 You first have to create a database (tell it the
type of information you will be storing in it).
 You then enter the data. You are currently in
the HCC student database. HCC has your
name, address, etc… Someone had to enter
that info.
 You can also use the DMBS to view your data
… make QUERIES (see next slide).
Productivity Software:
More on Database software
Say we had 1 million students in the HCC database.
We wouldn’t want to print out all million of them just
to find out Jeanne Wilequet’s address.
 A query allows us to be specific in our requests:
Only show me Jeanne Wilequet’s address or Only
show me students in ITSC1301 from Spring 2004,
etc…
 It’s much easier then sifting through 1 million lines
of student names!!
 We can’t make the query in English (like I did
above), however. There are special languages you
can use to make queries.

Productivity Software:
Presentation Graphics Software
 Software that allows you to create
presentations
 Examples of SPECIFIC presentation
graphics software:
Microsoft POWERPOINT (used to make
these slides)
Corel PRESENTATIONS
Productivity Software:
Personal Information Manager
(PIM)
 Software to help you organize your days
(calendars, appointment books, etc…). An
electronic day planner USES PIM software.
 Examples of SPECIFIC PIM software:
Microsoft OUTLOOK
Lotus ORGANIZER
 Something to think about: what’s the
difference between a PDA and PIM???
Productivity Software:
Software Suite
 A software suite is a collection of individual
software that is sold together in a group. You
cannot buy them individually.
 The most well known is Microsoft OFFICE.
Microsoft OFFICE contains Word, Excel,
Access, Powerpoint, etc… The only way to
get any of those products is to BUY Microsoft
OFFICE.
Application Software category 2:
Graphics and Multimedia
 Powerful software that allows you to work
with graphics (pictures) and multimedia
(movies, sound, etc…)
 CAD – used by architects to help draw
houses
 DTP – desktop publishing used by
graphic artists to create ads, pamphlets…
 Web page authoring – used to make web
pages
Application Software category 3:
Home/Personal/Educational
The fun stuff!
Games, family tree
software, tax software, etc…
Application Software category 4:
Communication Software
 Very important! Software that allows you to
communicate from one computer to another!!
 The main types discussed in this book:
Groupware, Email, Web browsers, chat rooms,
newsgroups, instant messaging, video
conferencing
Know what these are for, and also know TWO
specific web browsers!!
Reminder: Browsers
A web browser is a program
(software) that allows you to access
and VIEW web page documents.
More on Browsers
There are many browsers out there,
but the two most common are:
Microsoft INTERNET EXPLORER
Netscape NAVIGATOR
AOL also has their own
They all do about the same thing
Some More Quick Terms and
Practice





Wizard (hint: not Merlin)
What’s the difference
between a PDA and PIM
Is Microsoft Access a
spreadsheet software or
DBMS software?
What is the type of software
that is used to create a
database?
Applications on the web.
Do you make queries
with spreadsheet
software or DBMS
software?
 Word processors,
spreadsheets and
database software all fall
under what category of
Application Software?
 What’s a FAQ

One Last Reminder: Email vs. URL
 Is this an email address or a URL:
http://www.junk.com
 Is this an email address or URL:
junk@noname.com
 The first one is a URL, you type it in a web
browser. The second is an email address.
The End