Nowadays computers are used in every area of human activity: business, art, architecture, medicine, education and everywhere. Such wide distribution happened thanks to the flexible architecture of computers.
A modern computer consists of two parts: hardware, meaning physical devices and software, meaning programs and data stored in digital form. The term software often means software application, i.e. computer programs only and we will use it in this sense. The computer hardware can perform a specific set of commands. The computer software is combination of the hardware commands to operate the hardware in proper way.
Software plays a crucial role in the functioning of the computer. All computer wonder-works that still surprise us mostly are just well-written software applications. If we were think of a computer as a living being, then the hardware would be the physical body, and the software would be the intelligence that controls this body.
Software controls a computer from beginning to end. When a computer powers on, the internal self-test program starts. It tests if the computer hardware is working properly and displays diagnostic messages. We can view these messages on the black background of a screen during boot process.
After a successful self-testing, actual boot process of an operating system (OS) starts. The operating system is the root of the computer software and consists of a large set of individual programs. These programs are called modules and are designed to perform specific tasks on a computer. The most common OS are the Windows family (XP, Vista, 7, 2003) of operating systems developed by Microsoft, the Macintosh operating systems developed by Apple and the UNIX family of operating systems, which have been developed by a whole history of individuals, corporations and collaborators.
Any software application running under OS is a tool designed to perform a specific job. It can replace the writer’s pen, the artist’s pencil, the accountant’s calculator and etc., most of the traditional tools of many trades. For example, there are software packages designed for book publishing, graphical designing, book-keeping and many other trades. Such packages are not part of the OS and should be obtained separately.
If we need a software application that is not part of the OS, e.g. an application to manage personal finances, we can search the Internet for it. The web contains huge amount of free and commercial software. Of course, first we have to look for free software. There are whole communities, who write very reliable free software. Also, even commercial software, i.e. paid software, in some cases, has a free version with less features, or a trial version that works for a short time.
But sometimes we still need buy some software. In such cases, usually, the buyer gets along with the bought software, extensive support package from the manufacturer or its agent.
What if the desired software is nowhere? In this case, the software can be ordered. Many companies and individuals are engaged in the software development on request. Some sites on the Internet bring customers and developers together. In these sites the customer can announce a tender for software development, and developers can take part in the tender that gives customers more choices.
Thus, software is created and exists separately from the hardware. The software can be easily copied, moved to other computers, configured to user needs, or just redone. No need to upgrade hardware in order to add anti-virus functionality, just install anti-virus software. That flexibility and portability of the software makes computers easily adaptable in all spheres of human activity.
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