COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND ITS TYPES

Software is a set of instructions and programs, which is designed to perform a well-defined function or task. A program is a sequence of instructions written in specific manner to solve a particular problem.

There are two types of software -

System Software
Application Software

System Software

The system software is collection of programs designed to operate, control, and extend the processing capabilities of the computer itself. System software are generally prepared by computer manufactures. These software products comprise of programs written in low-level languages which interact with the hardware at a very basic level. System software serves as the interface between hardware and the end users.

Some examples of system software are:

Operating System (Windows, Mac, Android and Linux), Compilers, Interpreter, Assemblers etc.

Features of system software are as follows:

Close to system
Fast in speed
Difficult to design
Difficult to understand
Less interactive
Smaller in size
Difficult to manipulate
Generally written in low-level language

Application Software

Application software products are designed to satisfy a particular need of a particular environment. All software applications prepared in the computer lab can come under the category of Application software.

Application software may consist of a single program, such as a Microsoft's notepad for writing and editing simple text. It may also consist of a collection of programs, often called a software package, which work together to accomplish a task, such as a spreadsheet package.