This document provides an overview of computer software topics, including trends in software, major types of application and system software, popular productivity packages, operating systems, programming languages, and other system software. It includes learning objectives, definitions of key terms, descriptions of common software types, and two case studies on business application software selection and the growth of web-based applications.

1. McGraw-Hill/Irwin ©2008,The McGraw-Hill Companies, All Rights Reserved
Chapter 4
Computer Software

2. 4- 2
Learning Objectives
1. Describe several important trends occurring in
computer software.
2. Give examples of major types of application
and system software.
3. Explain the purpose of several popular
software packages for end user productivity
and collaborative computing.
4. Define and describe the functions of an
operating system.

3. 4- 3
Learning Objectives
5. Describe the main uses of computer
programming software, tools, and languages.

4. 4- 4
Case 1: Wolf Peak International: Failure and
Success in Application Software for the Small-
to-Medium Enterprise
• Wolf Peak International is a small company which designs
and manufactures eyewear for the safety, sporting,
driving, and fashion industries.
• The company outgrew the capabilities of QuickBooks
which handled its accounting functions.
• The company spent a lot of money to implement a new
accounting system, but nobody knew how to extract
financial or operational data used to make critical business
decisions.
• The company successfully implemented SAP Business
One software replacing the failed accounting system.

5. 4- 5
Case Study Questions
1. What problems occurred when Wolf Peak upgraded
from QuickBooks to a new accounting software
package? How could these problems have been
avoided?
2. Why did SAP’s Business One prove to be a better
choice for Wolf Peak’s management than the old
accounting software? Give several examples to
illustrate your answer.
3. Should most SMEs use an integrated business software
suite like SAP Business One instead of specialized
accounting and other business software packages?
Why or why not?

6. 4- 6
Real World Internet Activity
1. This case demonstrates failure and success in the
software research, selection, and installation process,
as well as some major differences among business
application software packages in capabilities, such as
ease of use and information access for employees and
management.
– Search the Internet to find several more examples of such
success and failure for software suites like SAP Business
One or Oracle E-Business Suite and specialized business
packages like QuickBooks or Great Plains Accounting.

7. 4- 7
Real World Group Activity
2. Discuss several key differences you have
found on the basis of your Internet research.
Then make recommendations to the class for
how these differences should shape the
business application software selection
decision for an SME.

8. 4- 8
Types of software

9. 4- 9
Software types
• Application software
– Performs information processing tasks for end users
• System software
– Manages and supports operations of computer systems
and networks

10. 4- 10
Application software
• General purpose
– Programs that perform common information processing
jobs for end users
– E.g., word processing, spreadsheet, etc.
– Also called productivity packages
• Application-specific
– Programs that support specific applications of end
users
– E.g., electronic commerce, customer relationship
management, etc.

11. 4- 11
Software classifications
• Classify based on how it was developed
• Custom software
– Software applications that are developed within an
organization for use by that organization
• COTS software
– Commercial Off-the-shelf (COTS)
– Software developed with the intention of selling the
software in multiple copies
• Why would you choose Custom over COTS?
• Why would you choose COTS over Custom?

12. 4- 12
Software Suites

13. 4- 13
Software Suites
• Software suites integrate software packages
– Advantages:
• Cost less than buying individual packages
• All have a similar GUI
• Work together well
– Disadvantages
• Features not used by all users
• Take a lot of disk space

14. 4- 14
Integrated Packages
• Integrated packages
– Combine the functions of several programs into one
package
– E.g., Microsoft Works, AppleWorks
– Advantages:
• Many functions for lower price and smaller disk space
– Disadvantage
• Limited functionality

15. 4- 15
Web Browser
• Software applications that support navigation
through the point-and-click resources of the Web
• Surfing the web
• Becoming a universal software platform for
Internet-based applications
• Microsoft Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Firefox,
Opera or Mozilla

16. 4- 16
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

17. 4- 17
Word processing and Desktop
publishing
• Word processing
– Create, edit, revise and print documents
– E.g., Microsoft Word, Lotus WordPro and Corel
WordPerfect
• Desktop Publishing
– Produce printed materials that look professionally
published
– E.g., Adobe PageMaker, Microsoft Publisher and
QuarkXPress

18. 4- 18
Electronic Spreadsheets and
Presentation Graphics
• Electronic Spreadsheets
– Worksheet of rows and columns
– Used for calculations and charts
– E.g., Lotus 1-2-3, Microsoft Excel, Corel QuattroPro
• Presentation Graphics
– Convert numeric data into graphics displays
– Prepare multimedia presentations including graphics,
photos, animation, and video clips
– E.g., Microsoft PowerPoint, Lotus Freelance, Corel
Presentations

19. 4- 19
Personal Information Manager and
Groupware
• Personal Information Manager (PIM)
– Software for end user productivity and collaboration
– Store information about clients, schedules, manage
appointments, manage tasks
– E.g., Lotus Organizer, Microsoft Outlook
• Groupware
– Software that helps workgroups collaborate on group
assignments
– E-mail, discussion groups, databases,
videoconferencing
– E.g., Lotus Notes, Novell GroupWise, Microsoft
Exchange

20. 4- 20
Software alternatives
• Outsourcing development and maintenance of
software
• Application service providers (ASPs)
– Companies that own, operate and maintain application
software and computer system resources
– Use the application for a fee over the Internet
– Pay-as-you-go

21. 4- 21
Software Licensing
• All software (COTS, ASP) is licensed
• You don’t buy software: you buy a license to use
the software under the terms of the licensing
agreement
• Licensed to protect the vendor’s property rights

22. 4- 22
Case 2: Google, Microsoft, and Others:
Transforming the Desktop with Webtop
Software Applications
• Today productivity and business software
applications are becoming browser-based.
• Today’s Web-based apps can run almost as
seamlessly as programs used on the desktop,
with embedded audio, video, and drag-and-drop
ease of use.
• Some webtop applications are: Writely, a free
online word processor; Zimbra, an online e-mail
application; and Tracker, an online spreadsheet
package.

23. 4- 23
Case Study Questions
1. Do you agree that webtop software will one day replace
suites of desktop applications? Why or why not? Check out
the features of a few of the webtop products mentioned in the
case on the Internet to support your answer.
2. Will Microsoft succeed in dominating the webtop? Why or
why not? Visit the Web sites of Windows Live, Office Live,
and Google Apps and review their products and services to
support your answer.
3. Should a small business invest its time and money in
acquiring and learning how to use some of the webtop
applications mentioned in this case? Defend your answer
based on your review of the webtop products from the small
developers, Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft.

24. 4- 24
Real World Internet Activity
1. Research the Web sites of Google and Yahoo
to review the extent of their current products in
the webtop application software market.
– Evaluate several products you find, comparing them
with the offerings of Microsoft and the independent
software developers mentioned in the case.

25. 4- 25
Real World Group Activity
2. Try out demo versions on the Internet of
several of the webtop software applications
mentioned in this case, including those
available from Google and Yahoo.
– Discuss your reactions to the experience and the
features you would like to see changed or added that
might lure you and others into acquiring one or more
of these webtop products.

26. 4- 26
System software
• Software that manages and supports a computer
system
• System management programs
– Programs that manage hardware, software, network,
and data resources
– E.g., operating systems, network management
programs, database management systems, systems
utilities
• Systems development programs
– Programs that help users develop information system
programs

27. 4- 27
Operating System
• 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 support services as computer executes
applications programs

28. 4- 28
Operating System basic functions

29. 4- 29
User Interface
• Part of the operating system that allows you to
communicate with it
• Three main types:
– Command-driven
– Menu-driven
– Graphical user interfaces (GUI)

30. 4- 30
Resource management
• Part of operating system that manages the
hardware and networking resources of a
computer system
– Includes CPU, memory, secondary storage device,
telecommunications, and input/output peripherals
• Virtual memory
– Swapping parts of programs and data between memory
and magnetic disks

31. 4- 31
File management
• Part of the operating system that controls the
creation, deletion, and access of files of data and
programs

32. 4- 32
Task Management
• Part of the operating system that manages the
accomplishment of computing tasks of the end
users
• Multitasking
– Task management approach that allows for several
tasks to be performed in a seemingly simultaneous
fashion
• Assigns only one task to CPU but switches between tasks
so quickly looks like executing all programs at once
– Also called multiprogramming or time-sharing

33. 4- 33
Popular Operating Systems
• Windows
– GUI, multitasking, networking, multimedia
– Microsoft’s operating system
– Different versions manage servers
• Unix
– Multitasking, multiuser, network-managing
– Portable – can run on mainframes, midrange and PCs
• Linux
– Low-cost, powerful reliable Unix-like operating system
– Open-source
• MAC OS X
– Apple operating system for the iMac
– GUI, multitasking, multimedia

34. 4- 34
Other types of system software

35. 4- 35
Other system software
• Utilities
– Miscellaneous housekeeping functions
– Example, Norton utilities includes data backup, virus
protection, data compression, etc.
• Performance monitors
– Programs that monitor and adjust computer system to
keep them running efficiently
• Security monitors
– Programs that monitor and control use of computer
systems to prevent unauthorized use of resources

36. 4- 36
Application servers
• Provide an interface between an operating
system and the application programs of users
• Middleware
– Software that helps diverse software applications
exchange data and work together more efficiently

37. 4- 37
Systems development
programs

38. 4- 38
Programming Languages

39. 4- 39
Machine Languages
• First-generation languages
• All program instructions had to be written using
binary codes unique to each computer
• Programmers had to know the internal
operations of the specific type of CPU

40. 4- 40
Assembler Languages
• Second-generation languages
• Symbols are used to represent operation codes
and storage locations
• Need language translator programs to convert
the instructions into machine instructions
• Used by systems programmers (who program
system software)

41. 4- 41
High-Level Languages
• Third-generation languages
• Instructions that use brief statements or
arithmetic expressions
• Macroinstructions: each statement generates
several machine instructions when translated by
compilers or interpreters
• Easier to learn than assembler
• Machine independent
• Less efficient than assembler

42. 4- 42
Fourth-Generation Languages
• Variety of programming languages that are
nonprocedural and conversational
• Nonprocedural – users specify results they want
while computer determines the sequence of
instructions that will accomplish those results
• Natural Language – very close to English or
other human language

43. 4- 43
Object-Oriented Languages
• Combine data elements
and the procedures that
will be performed upon
them into Objects
• E.g., an object could be
data about a bank account
and the procedures
performed on it such as
interest calculations

44. 4- 44
Object-Oriented Languages
• Most widely used software development
languages today
• Easier to use and more efficient for graphics-
oriented user interfaces
• Reusable: can use an object from one
application in another application
• E.g., Visual Basic, C++, Java

45. 4- 45
Web Languages
• HTML
– A page description language that creates hypertext
documents for the Web
• XML
– Describes the contents of Web pages by applying identifying
tags or contextual labels to the data in Web documents
• Java
– Object-oriented programming language that is simple, secure
and platform independent
– Java applets can be executed on any computer

46. 4- 46
Web Services
• Software components
• based on a framework of Web and object-
oriented standards and technologies
• for using the Web
• to electronically link the applications of different
users and different computing platforms

47. 4- 47
How web services work
Source: Adapted from Bala Iyer, Jim Freedman, Mark Gaynor and George Wyner, “Web Services: Enabling Dynamic Business
Networks,” Communications of the Association for Information Systems, Volume11, 2003, p. 543.

48. 4- 48
Language Translator Programs
• Translate instructions written in programming
languages into machine language
• Assembler
– translates assembler language statements
• Compiler
– translates high-level language statements
• Interpreter
– compiler that translates and executes each statement in
a program one at a time
– Java is interpreted

49. 4- 49
Programming Tools
• Help programmers identify and minimize errors
while they are programming
– Graphical Programming Interfaces
– Programming Editors
– Debuggers
• CASE tools
– A combination of many programming tools into a single
application with a common interface
– Used in different stages of the systems development
process