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Module 1.4
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*Application software
*Multimedia software
*Communications software
*Compatibility issues
*Updating your software
*Online software
*Software for physically challenged users
*Test and improve your knowledge
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A group of programs that
perform a specific task for us
as users.
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Grade 10 Revision
Type of program
Word processor
What it is used for
Examples
Used to create, edit, format and print text-based documents.
Microsoft Word
Allows you to perform tasks that are based on calculations.
OpenOffice Writer
Microsoft Excel
Provides charting facilities.
OpenOffice Calc
Presentation
software
Can combine text, sound and graphics including animation into
a presentation – usually in the form of an electronic slide show.
Microsoft PowerPoint
Database
Can be used to store data in an organised manner, manipulate
the data and process the data into information.
Microsoft Access
Spreadsheet
OpenOffice Impress
OpenOffice /Base
MySQL
Graphics and design
Communication
software
Used to create and manipulate images (graphics) on the screen. CorelDraw, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe
Illustrator, Macromedia FreeHand,
AutoCAD and Microsoft Paint.
Allows the user to communicate electronically with other users Microsoft Mail and Outlook (e-mail)
on a network.
Pegasus Mail
Skype and Google Chat
Web authoring
software
Used in the creation and design of websites.
Web browser
Program that is used to access and view web pages on the
Internet.
Special plug-in programs are needed to allow the user to view
‘special’ effects. This has become necessary as more and more
QuickTime
multimedia (a combination of text, pictures, sound and video) is
added to the web.
Plug-ins
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Microsoft Expression Web, Microsoft
SharePoint Designer and Adobe
Dreamweaver
Internet Explorer, Opera, Safari,
Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome
Flash
The function of multimedia software is to
create or view multimedia content.
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Requires special
viewing software
which is usually
supplied free of
charge
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A new type of
multimedia products
have come about
with the interactive
multimedia
textbooks created
for use on consumer
tablet devices such
as the iPad.
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Communications software is used to make
electronic communications simple, effective
and efficient
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 Every company has a different way of encoding
the formatting data in their files.
 New versions of the software introduce new
features and also change the formatting data in
the file.
 When software opens a file, it expects
formatting data of a certain type.
 When the data is not what it expects, the result
is either an error message or a scrambled,
messed-up document. 10
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Export
• Save the document in format - the
other person’s software can use.
Import
• Import / ‘Open with’ option of the
software - open a file in another
format
Upgrade
• Upgrade your software - all have the
latest versions.
Standardise
• All use the same version of software
from the same company.
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‘Computer’ errors can have very serious consequences:
o In the Falklands War a British ship was sunk because its
computer controlled missile defence system thought that
the missile fired at the ship was friendly (the British
weapons included the homing device for that type of
missile and so the software was taught not to think of it
as a threat).
o People have died because the software responsible for
calculating radiation dosage in cancer treatment was
faulty and delivered too much radiation to the patients.
o The Mars Polar Orbiter spacecraft crashed because of
confusion in the software between measurements in Miles
vs. Meters (a loss of an expensive spacecraft and a waste
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of years of work).
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Testing
• Software developers often create and release preliminary or
‘beta’ versions of their software to be tested by the public.
Error reporting
• Make use of the error reporting facilities that are often
provided when a program crashes. The sooner a bug gets
reported, the sooner it can be fixed
Keep up to date
• Update your software. Updates contain bug fixes that make
your software work better.
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Microsoft used a 13 to
indicate Word 2007 and a
14 to indicate Word 2010,
etc. To go from Version 13
to 14, the software must be
upgraded, not just
updated.
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Update
Upgrade
• Some software
has the option
to do this
automatically
so you always
have the latest
updates
installed
without you
having to do
anything at all.
• You have to pay
to go up to the
newest version
when it is
released. Often
existing users of
the software
are offered a
discount price
to upgrade to
the newest
version.
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Service
packs
• A service pack
is usually a
collection of all
the previous
updates for the
last period of
time (6 months
to a year).
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The terms ‘online
software’, ‘cloud
computing’ and ‘Web
applications’ describe a
scenario where software
actually runs on servers on
the Internet.
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• Needs an Internet connection.
• No Internet connection - unable to access software
or your data.
• No control over security of your data /backup
policy.
• Have to ‘rent’ the software – i.e. pay a monthly
fee to use it.
• Might not have all features or abilities of desktop
software.
• Might run much slower, depending on the speed of
your Internet connection.19
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• The software is always up to date.
• You don’t have to download or install anything.
• It does not take up space on your local storage.
• The server may be more powerful than your own
CPU, which means that you can run powerful
software (e.g. Microsoft’s Photosynth software).
• You can use the software and access your data
from any computer anywhere in the world as
long as you have an Internet connection.
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GOOGLE DOCS:
This is free software that gives you access to
Web-based word processor, presentation and
spreadsheet applications.
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Blogs (or Weblogs) are online publishing tools.
WordPress
Blogger
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SquareSpace
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• Update your site frequently (Keep it fresh!).
• Interact with your readers – look at their
comments and respond.
• Be casual, informative and interesting.
• Use catchy titles and graphics.
• Have opinions and express them well.
Link to your sources and other sites of
interest (and check that the links work).
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 Quick way of sharing and communicating ideas and getting feedback.
 Personal as well as business use, where they can be used for
advertising and marketing products as it provides a more ‘personal’
touch for the customers.
 Help forums where people with common interests can share
problems, ideas and solutions.
 They can be used for social change and promote freedom of
expression and speech.
 Many sites such as WordPress and Blogger host blogs for free.
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 You need to keep a blog constantly updated to maintain
interest amongst readers.
 Most blogs allow for responses to be posted (sometimes
anonymously) and these can sometimes be worthless and
meaningless.
 Some of the free hosting sites for blogs constantly display
advertisements.
 Because postings appear in the order that they were posted
(from newest to oldest), older postings and relevant content
can sometimes get ‘lost’.
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Magnifying an area of the screen - easier to read.
Text to speech (Narration
Making the mouse cursor larger
Increased contrast display settings - easier to read
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o Displaying visual notices when the computer normally
makes a sound
o Sticky keys, slow keys and even on-screen display of
non-alphabetic keys to improve typing
o Speech recognition for voice control of the computer /
dictation of text instead of typing
o Using touchscreens and on-screen keyboards
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voice recognition
speech synthesis
screen magnification
screen ‘reading’
camera tracking (software that, for example,
tracks your head movement, so that moving
your head is like moving a mouse)
improve’ upon what the operating system offers
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MAGic Screen Magnification Software increases the
size of what is seen on the computer screen, and can
read it aloud with a synthesiser. Most useful for those
with low vision.
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Magic
software
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Application software
'Readymade'
software
Multi-media
Communica
-tions
Software issues
Compatibility
issues
Updating
software
Other
Online software
Advantages
Disadvantages
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Software for disabled
people
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Authoring
software
Multimedia
Communications
software
Export
Patch
Service Pack
Upgrade
Web
applications /
Online software
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Import
Update
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