1. 1
Chapter
14
Computer Software
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2. 2
Learning Objectives
Describe several important trends occurring
in computer software.
Give examples of several major types of
application and system software.
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3. 3
Learning Objectives (continued)
Explain the purpose of several popular
software packages for end user productivity
and collaborative computing.
Outline the functions of an operating system.
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4. 4
Learning Objectives (continued)
Describethe main uses of software
programming languages and tools.
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5. 5
Section I
Application Software:
End User Applications
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6. 6
Software
Types of software
Application software
System software
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7. 7
Software (continued)
Application software for end users
Application-specific
General-purpose
Perform common information processing
jobs
Sometimes known as productivity
packages
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8. 8
Software Suites and Integrated Packages
Suites are a number of productivity packages
bundled together
Microsoft Office
Lotus SmartSuite
Corel WordPerfect Office
Sun StarOffice
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9. 9
Software Suites and Integrated Packages (continued)
Advantages of suites
Cost
Similar graphical user interface
Share common tools
Programs are designed to work together
Disadvantages of suites
Large size
Many features never used by many end
users
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10. 10
Software Suites and Integrated Packages (continued)
Integrated Packages
Combine SOME of the features of several
programs
Cannot do as much as individual packages
or suites
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11. 11
Web Browsers
Key software interface to the hyperlinked
resources of the World Wide Web and the rest
of the Internet
Internet Explorer
Netscape Communicator
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12. 12
Electronic Mail and Instant Messaging
E-Mail
Has changed the way people work and
communicate
Instant Messaging
An e-mail/computer conferencing hybrid
technology
Allows real time
communication/collaboration
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13. 13
Word Processing and Desktop Publishing
Word Processing
Has computerized the creation, editing,
revision, and printing of documents.
Advanced features
Desktop Publishing
Design and print newsletters, brochures,
manuals, and books
Page design process
Page makeup or page composition
WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get)
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14. 14
Electronic Spreadsheets
Used for business analysis, planning, and
modeling
Involves designing its format and developing
the relationships (formulas)
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15. 15
Electronic Spreadsheets (continued)
Allows end users to perform:
What-if
Goal-seeking
Sensitivity analysis
Strength
Computation and calculation
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16. 16
Database Management
Performs four primary tasks
Database development
Define/organize content, relationships, and
structure of the data
Database Interrogation
Selectively retrieve and display
information
Produce forms, reports, & other
documents
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17. 17
Database Management (continued)
Four primary tasks (continued)
Database maintenance
Add, delete, update, and correct the data
Application development
Develop prototypes of web pages, queries,
forms, reports, and labels
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18. 18
Database Management (continued)
Strength
Storage of large amounts of data
Weakness
Computation and calculation
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19. 19
Presentation Graphics
Helps convert numeric data into graphic
displays
Helps prepare multimedia presentations
Easy to use
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20. 20
Personal Information Managers
For end user productivity and collaboration
Store, organize, and retrieve information
Information about customers
Appointments
Contact lists
Task lists
Schedules
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21. 21
Groupware
 Collaboration software
 Helps workgroups and teams work together to
accomplish group assignments
 Combines a variety of software features and functions
 E-mail
 Discussion groups and databases
 Scheduling
 Task management
 Audio and videoconferencing
 Data sharing
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22. 22
Other Business Software
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23. 23
Section II
System Software:
Computer System Management
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24. 24
System Software Overview
Programs that manage and support a
computer system and its information
processing activities
Serves as the software interface between
computer networks and hardware and the
application programs of end users
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25. 25
System Software Overview (continued)
Two major categories
System management programs
 Operating systems
 Network management programs
 Database management systems
 System utilities
System development programs
 Programminglanguage translators & editors
 CASE (computer-aided software engineering)
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26. 26
Operating Systems
Integrated system of programs that
Manages the operations of the CPU
Controls the input/output and storage
resources and activities of the computer
system
Provides various support services as the
computer executes application programs
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27. 27
Operating Systems (continued)
Performs five basic functions
Provides a user interface
Allows humans to communicate with the
computer
Command-driven
Menu-driven
Graphical user interface
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28. 28
Operating Systems (continued)
Five basic functions (continued)
Resource management
Manages the hardware and networking
resources of the system
Virtual memory capability
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29. 29
Operating Systems (continued)
Five basic functions (continued)
File management
Controls the creation, deletion, and access
of files of data and programs
Keeps track of the physical location of files
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30. 30
Operating Systems (continued)
Five basic functions (continued)
Task management
Manages the accomplishment of the
computing tasks of end users
Multitasking
Multiprogramming
Timesharing
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31. 31
Operating Systems (continued)
Popular Operating Systems
Windows
95, 98, ME
NT
2000
XP
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32. 32
Operating Systems (continued)
Popular operating systems (continued)
UNIX
Linux
Mac OS X
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33. 33
Network Management Programs
Perform functions such as
Automatically checking client PCs and video
terminals for input/output activity
Assigning priorities to data communication
requests from clients and terminals
Detecting and correcting transmission
errors and other network problems
Sometimes functions as middleware that
allows diverse networks to communicate
with each other
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34. 34
Database Management Systems
Controls the development, use, and
maintenance of databases.
Helps organizations use their integrated
collections of data records and files
Allows different user application programs to
easily access the same database
Simplifies the process of retrieving
information from databases
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35. 35
Other System Management Programs
Utility Programs
Perform miscellaneous housekeeping and file
conversion functions
Data backup
Data recovery
Virus protection
Data compression
Data defragmentation
Performance monitors and security monitors
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36. 36
Programming Languages
Allows a programmer to develop the sets of
instructions that constitute a computer
program
Machine Language
First generation language
Written using binary codes unique to each
computer
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37. 37
Programming Languages (continued)
Assembler Language
Second generation
Requires language translator programs
called assemblers
Allows a computer to convert the
instructions into machine instructions
Frequently called symbolic language
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38. 38
Programming Languages (continued)
High-level Languages
Third generation
Uses instructions, called statements, that
use brief statements or arithmetic
expressions
Uses translator programs called compilers
or interpreters
Syntax and semantics
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39. 39
Programming Languages (continued)
Fourth-generation Languages (4GLs)
More nonprocedural and conversational
than prior languages
Natural languages
Ease of use gained at the expense of some
loss in flexibility
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40. 40
Programming Languages (continued)
Object-Oriented Languages (OOP)
Ties data elements to the procedures or
actions that will be performed on them into
“objects”
Easier to use and more efficient for
programming GUIs
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41. 41
Programming Languages (continued)
HTML, XML, and Java
Important for building multimedia Web
pages, websites, and Web-based applications
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
A page description language that creates
hypertext or hypermedia documents
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42. 42
Programming Languages (continued)
XML (eXtensible Markup Language)
Describes the contents of web pages by
applying identifying tags or contextual
labels to the data
Makes the web site more searchable,
sortable, and easier to analyze
Java
Designed for real-time, interactive, Web-
based network applications
Applets
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43. 43
Programming Software
Helps programmers develop computer
programs
Two basic categories
Programming language translators
Programming tools
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44. 44
Programming Software (continued)
Language Translator Programs
Assembler
Translates symbolic instruction codes into
machine language instructions
Compiler
Translates high-level language statements
Interpreter
Translates and executes each statement in
a program one at a time
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45. 45
Programming Software (continued)
Programming Tools
Programming editors and debuggers
Provides a computer-aided programming
environment or workbench
Diagramming packages
Code generators
Libraries of reusable objects & code
Prototyping tools
CASE
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46. 46
Discussion Questions
What major trends are occurring in software?
What capabilities do you expect to see in
future software packages?
How do the different roles of system software
and application software affect you as a
business end user? How do you see this
changing in the future?
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47. 47
Discussion Questions (continued)
Why is an operating system necessary? Why
can’t an end user just load an application
program in a computer and start computing?
Should a Web browser be integrated into an
operating system?
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48. 48
Discussion Questions (continued)
Are software suites, Web browsers, and
groupware merging together? What are the
implications for a business and its end users?
How are HTML, XML, and Java affecting
business applications on the Web?
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49. 49
Discussion Questions (continued)
Do you think Windows 2000 and Linux will
surpass Unix and Netware as operating
systems for network and Web servers?
Which application software packages are the
most important for a business end user to
know how to use?
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50. 50
Real World Case 1 – Intuit Inc.
Why has Intuit’s success improved under
Bennett’s leadership?
What are several things Intuit could do to
successfully compete with Microsoft and
others in the future?
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51. 51
Real World Case 1 (continued)
Why does Intuit dominate its small-business
software market segment?
What software products and services does
Intuit have that might support Bennett’s
strategy to appeal to larger small businesses?
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52. 52
Real World Case 1 (continued)
Do you agree with CEO Bennett’s strategy to
have Intuit compete with Microsoft in the
software market for larger small businesses?
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53. 53
Real World Case 2 – Amazon, Orbitz, and Others
The Business Case for Linux
What are the business and technical benefits
of switching from proprietary systems to
Linux on Intel-based servers?
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54. 54
Real World Case 2 (continued)
Why can Linux make a strategic difference in
the profitability of some companies?
What are the limitations of Linux for business
use?
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55. 55
Real World Case 2 (continued)
Should most companies investigate the use of
Linux for their businesses?
Why or why not?
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56. 56
Real World Case 3 – Burlington Coat Factory and Others
Evaluating Software Suite Alternatives
What is the business case for switching from
Microsoft Office to alternatives like Sun
StarOffice or gobeProductive?
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57. 57
Real World Case 3 (continued)
What is the business case against such a
switch?
What are the weaknesses of the “Office”
competitors?
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58. 58
Real World Case 3 (continued)
What are several business or technical
improvements the developers of Sun
StarOffice or gobeProductive could make to
better compete with Microsoft Office?
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59. 59
Real World Case 4 – Clark Retail & Others
Evaluating Operating System Upgrades
Why do many companies have no plans to
switch to Windows XP?
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60. 60
Real World Case 4 (continued)
What is a business case for switching to
Windows XP?
What is a business case against switching?
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61. 61
Real World Case 4 (continued)
What are several improvements you would
like to see Microsoft make in the next version
of Windows?
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62. 62
Real World Case 5 – Dollar Rent A Car & Imperial Sugar
Pioneering Web Services
What are Web services?
How are they used?
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63. 63
Real World Case 5 (continued)
What is the purpose and business value of
Web services?
What is delaying the implementation of Web
services at many companies?
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64. 64
Real World Case 5 (continued)
What can companies do now to prepare to
implement Web services?
What do you see as the future for Web
services?
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