LECTURE - 3
APPLICATION SOFTWARE:
END USER APPLICATIONS
James A. O'Brien, and George Marakas
Management Information Systems
Chapter 4 Computer Software 2
Computer Software
• Software is a generic term for organized collections
of computer data and instructions, often broken into two
major categories:
1. System Software that provides the basic non-task-
specific functions of the computer. Example of a system
software is an operating system (UNIX, Linux, Windows,
Android, iOS etc.).
2. Application Software which is used by users to
accomplish specific tasks. Examples of application
software include Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and
Outlook), DBMS etc.
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Difference between system software and
application software
1. System software gets installed when the operating system is installed
on the computer while application software is installed according to the
requirements of the user.
2. System software includes programs such as compilers, debuggers,
drivers, assemblers while application software includes media players,
word processors, and spreadsheet programs.
3. Generally, users do not interact with system software as it works in the
background whereas users interact with application software while
doing different activities.
4. A computer may not require more than one type of system software
while there may be a number of application software programs installed
on the computer at the same time.
5. System software can run independently of the application software
while application software cannot run without the presence of the
system software.
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Types of Application & System Software
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Application Software
• General Software
• Programs that perform common information processing jobs
for end users; e.g., word processing, spreadsheet
• Also call productivity packages
• Custom Software
• Software applications developed within an organization for
use by that organization
• Open-source Software
• Developers collaborate on the development of an application
using programming standards which allow anyone to
contribute to the software
• As each developer completes a project, the application code
becomes available and free to anyone who wants it.
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Business Application Software
• Function-Specific Application Software
• Thousands of these packages support specific applications of end
users
• Examples: customer relationship management, enterprise
resource planning, supply chain management, Web-enabled
electronic commerce
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Software Suites, Integrated Packages
• Most widely used productivity packages are bundled together as software
suites
• Advantages
• Cost less than buying individual packages
• All have similar GUI
• Work well together
• Disadvantages
• All features not used
• Takes a lot of disk space (boatware)
• Boatware: Software that has lots of features and requires considerable
disk space and RAM to install and run.
Software suite: is a collection of several applications that are bundled
together and sold or distributed as a package. Each component program
generally provides different, but related, functionality.
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Components of Top Software Suites
What are these?
Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow, Lollipop, KitKat, Jelly Bean, Ice Cream
Sandwich, Honeycomb, Gingerbread, Froyo, Éclair, Donut, Cupcake
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Integrated Packages
• Integrated packages combine the functions of several
programs into one package
• E.g., Microsoft Works, AppleWorks
• Advantages
• Many functions for lower price
• Uses less disk space
• Frequently pre-installed on microcomputers
• Disadvantages
• Limited functionality
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Web Browsers
• Software applications that support navigation through the
point-and-click hyper-linked resources of the Web
• Becoming the universal platform from which end users
launch…
• Information searches
• E-mail
• Multimedia file transfer
• Discussion groups
• Other Internet-based applications
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Search Engines
• Browsers are used to gain access to Internet search
engines
• Google, Ask Jeeves, Look Smart, Lycos, Overture, Yahoo!
• Using search engines to find information has become an
indispensable part of Internet, intranet, and extranet
applications
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E-mail, Instant Messaging and Weblogs
• E-mail
• Software to communicate by sending and receiving messages and
attachments via the Internet, intranet, or extranet
• Instant messaging (IM)
• Receive electronic messages instantly
• Weblog or blog
• A personal website in dated log format
• Updated with new information about a subject or range of subjects
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Word Processing/Desktop Publishing
• Word Processing
• Create, edit, revise, and print documents
• Example: Microsoft Word, Lotus WordPro, Corel WordPerfect
• Desktop Publishing
• Produce printed materials that look professionally published
• Example: Adobe PageMaker, Microsoft Publisher, QuarkXPress
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Electronic Spreadsheets
• Used by virtually every business for…
• Analysis, planning, modeling
• Electronic Spreadsheet
• Worksheet of rows and columns
• Can be stored on local computer or on network
• Requires designing format and developing the relationships
(formulas)
• Most help us develop charts and graphic displays of spreadsheet
results
• Supports what-if questions
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Presentation Graphics
• Common presentation graphics packages…
• Converts numeric data into graphics displays
• Used to create multimedia presentations of graphics, photos,
animation, and video clips
• E.g., Microsoft PowerPoint, Lotus Freelance, Corel Presentations
• Top packages can tailor files for transfer in HTML format to
websites
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Groupware
• Software that helps workgroups collaborate on group
assignments
• E-mail, discussion groups, databases, video conferencing
• Example: Lotus Notes, Novell GroupWise, Microsoft Exchange
• Windows SharePoint Services and WebSphere both allow teams to
create websites for information sharing and document collaboration
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Software Licensing
• Software is licensed for:
• Involves the underlying..
• Intellectual property rights
• Copyright
• Trademark
• Trade secrets
• Also involves traditional contract law, including Uniform Commercial
Code (UCC)
• We don’t buy software
• We buy a license to use the software
• Licensed to protect the vendor’s property rights
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Questions
1. Define Software according to their categories.
2. What are the main differences between system software
and application software. Make a list of table with 10
case?
3. Define Open-source, Software Suites and Integrated
Packages with example.
4. What type of software are Web browser and Search
Engines? Explain with example.
5. Explain software license with its features.
6. Define E-mail, Instance Message and Blog.
