Three Major Types Of Computer Software

Without the various software installed on your computer, be it a PC or a laptop, it is deemed useless. These software programs are the lifeline of the computer. It makes the computer perform various functions like computing, drawing, surfing the world wide web and even more complex functions like security and navigation.

If you are new to the computer world, you might end up asking the difference between hardware and software. Well the hardware are more on the things that you get to hold, while the software are more on the programs and applications.

Software are integrated into your computer system and to further understand how these work, let us break it down to three major types.

1. Application Software. This is the simplest type of software and most computer users, be it amateurs or experts, are familiar with this. The application software are those programs that we download in order to get things going.

One solid example is our internet browser. The internet browser is a form of application software and the most commonly known ones are Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer. This software is used to access the net. Without the internet browser, it would be really impossible to access sites like Yahoo and Google.

Another example of application software is the Adobe Photoshop, which is commonly used to perform photo editing. If you want to do some computations and type some documents then you will certainly need the Microsoft Office. This software contains programs that enable you to type documents, do computations and even create slideshows for presentations and reports.

The application software is probably the simplest type of software among the three.

2. System Software. This type of software is more commonly known as the operating system. Without the operating system, installation of the application software is impossible.

For a computer to be able to start up, a system software should be installed first. This type of software acts more like a translator. The system software translates information in languages that the computer can understand and interpret. In addition, this software also functions as a coordinator because it coordinates the function of the different hardware attached to that computer.

There are a lot of system software or operating systems available in the market. The most famous of which is Windows by Microsoft. Other operating systems include Mac and Linux. Each operating system has its own pros and cons and in choosing one, it will depend on your needs and preference.

3. Programming Software or Languages. This software is used by advance users, mostly programmers. Most regular computer users rarely encounter or use this type of software.

Programming software are used to input languages in order to create applications and other types of software like operating or system software. In simpler terms, programming software or languages are more like bricks or building blocks.

One example of a programming language is the C++ which is mainly used by professional developers. The Java, on the other hand, is used to create internet applications like plug-ins. So unless you are a programmer, you don't really have to master this type of software.