SOFTWARE:
Software means the aggregate of the computer programs with their appropriate documentation and the data needed for the operation. At this point we wish to state that software-defined slightly from program. They are very many types of software in use today. This software vary as the fields of human discipline. All the software are grouped into system and application software.
PROGRAM:
a computer program refers to a set of instruction written in computer language and logically organised to achieve a defined goal. Every job done by the computer is possibly through the execution of certain instructions. Computers are made intelligent through the instruction given to them. These set of instruction program are usually developed by experts in the area of computer programming and they are called programmers.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROGRAM AND SOFTWARE:
Software comprises of program, data and documentation about the program. Program refers to the instruction written in a computer language and meant to achieve a definite goal. In most programs, they that are isolated from the codes. When the data and documentation on the use of the program is included, software is the resultant product.
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTER SOFTWARE:
Computer software can be classified into two classes thus: system software and application software.
SYSTEM SOFTWARE is the software meant to enable and manage the entire hardware in the computer system to make them more efficient and aswell present them conveniently to the user. The system software includes the operating system os and the other utility programs like language translators, disk and memory management programs, the device drivers, etc.
OPERATING SYSTEMS:
The operating systems found the most important software in the modern computer system. They provide the means to control the computer hardware and make them available to other software. Without operating system, every application would have to contain the drive for all the hardware it will use including video card sound card hard drive and other peripherals. When they we are not available in early computers, human operators would manually load and run programs. After its invention, the operating system ensures that other application have access to memory, input and output device and the computer's file system. In general, the operating system provides the following common core service
Disk access.
Memory management.
Task scheduler and user interfacing.
There are two types of operating system namely pc operating system and network operating systems. Pc operating system refers to the operating system used for computers operating in the stand-alone mode while the network operating system is the operating system used for computers working in a multi user environment. Most of the modern pc operating system have networking features embedded in them and hence they can take part in pc networking. Some examples of operating system include .
Microsoft disk operating system.
Microsoft window operating system windows 98 , nt, xp, m e.
Macintosh popularly called the mac.
Unix
Linux
OS/2.
Operating system versions.
Each operating system mentioned above has different versions. Versions of software just as auditions in books despite the modification from a lower grade to a higher grade. The higher versions of any operating system will definitely have better features and capabilities than the lower versions of the same operating system. The microsoft windows is the most popular desktop operating system. Its earlier version ms window 3.1 had no network in future, but ms window 3.11 called windows for working group had a networking feature in it. Also ms windows 95 and later versions have networking features embedded in them. Below is a list of diversion of microsoft windows operating system.
Ms windows 3.0
Ms windows 3.1
Ms windows 3.11 windows for working group.
Ms window 95
Ms windows 97
Ms windows 98
Ms windows millennium edition , windows me
Ms windows 2000
Ms windows xp launched in october 2002
Ms windows vista launched in november 2006 .
