Application Softaware & System Software

Application software consists of programs designed to make users more productive and/or assist them with personal tasks. The uses of application software are; to make business activities more efficient, to assist with graphics and multimedia projects, to support home, personal, and educational tasks and to facilitate communication.

Application software is available in a variety of forms: packaged, custom, Web-based, open source, shareware, freeware, and public domain.

System software consists of the programs that control or maintain the operations of the computer and its devices. System software serves as the interface between the user, the application software and the computer’s hardware.

Two types of system software are operating systems and utility programs. Several types of utility programs are provided with an operating system. Other utility programs are available stand-alone, that is, as programs separate from the operating system.

Starting from the next paragraph, all the information, I got from the wikipedia.

Application software is a subclass of computer software that employs the capabilities of a computer directly and thoroughly to a task that the user wishes to perform. This should be contrasted with system software which is involved in integrating a computer's various capabilities, but typically does not directly apply them in the performance of tasks that benefit the user. In this context the term application refers to both the application software and its implementation.

A simple, if imperfect analogy in the world of hardware would be the relationship of an electric light bulb (an application) to an electric power generation plant (a system). The power plant merely generates electricity, not itself of any real use until harnessed to an application like the electric light that performs a service that benefits the user.

Typical examples of software applications are word processors, spreadsheets, and media players.

Multiple applications bundled together as a package are sometimes referred to as an application suite. Microsoft Office, OpenOffice.org, and iWork 08, which bundle together a word processor, a spreadsheet, and several other discrete applications, are typical examples. The separate applications in a suite usually have a user interface that has some commonality making it easier for the user to learn and use each application. And often they may have some capability to interact with each other in ways beneficial to the user. For example, a spreadsheet might be able to be embedded in a word processor document even though it had been created in the separate spreadsheet application.

User-written software tailors systems to meet the user's specific needs. User-written software includes spreadsheet templates, word processor macros, scientific simulations, graphics and animation scripts. Even email filters are a kind of user software. Users create this software themselves and often overlook how important it is.

In some types of embedded systems, the application software and the operating system software may be indistinguishable to the user, as in the case of software used to control a VCR, DVD player or microwave oven.

System software is any computer software which manages and controls computer hardware so that application software can perform a task. Operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X or Linux, are prominent examples of system software. System software contrasts with application software, which are programs that enable the end-user to perform specific, productive tasks, such as word processing or image manipulation.

System software performs tasks like transferring data from memory to disk, or rendering text onto a display device. Specific kinds of system software include loading programs, Operating systems, device drivers, programming tools, compilers, assemblers, linkers, and utility software.

Software libraries that perform generic functions also tend to be regarded as system software, although the dividing line is fuzzy; while a C runtime library is generally agreed to be part of the system, an OpenGL or database library is less obviously so.

If system software is stored on non-volatile memory such as integrated circuits, it is usually termed firmware.

System Software can be classified as operating system and language processors. Operating system creates an interface between user and the system hardware. Language processors are those which help to convert computer language (Assembly and high level Languages) to machine level language. The example of language processors are assemblers, Compilers and interpreters.

Input and Output

Input
Input is any data and instructions entered into the memory of a computer. People have a variety of options for entering input into a computer. Data is a collection of unprocessed text, numbers, images, audio and video. Once data is in memory, the computer interprets and executes instructions to process the data into information. Instructions entered into the computer can be in the form of programs, commands and user responds.
An input device is any hardware component that allows users to enter data and instructions into a computer. Depending on the application and your particular requirement, the input device selected may vary.
The following are the examples of some of the input
1. Keyboard and pointing devices
2. Gaming and media player controllers
3. Voice Input
4. Input for PDAs, Smart Phones and Tablet PCs
5. Video Input

Output
Output is data that has been processed into a useful form. That is, computers process data (input) into information (output). A computer generates several types of output, depending on the hardware and software being used and the requirements of the user.
Users view or watch output on a screen, print it or hear it through speakers, headphones, or earphones. Monitors, notebook computers, Tablet PCs, portable media players, PDAs, and smart phones have screens that allow users to view documents, Web sites, e-mail messages, pictures, videos, movies and other types of output. Some printers produce black-and-white documents and others produce brilliant colors, enabling users to print color documents, photographs and transparencies. Through the computer’s speakers, headphones or earphones, users listen to sounds, music, and voice messages.
While working with a computer, a user encounters four basic categories of output: text, graphics, audio and video. Very often, a single form of output, such as Web page, includes more than one of these catrgories.

Can you classify the application software need for communication with some example?

Application software is actually consists of programs designed to make users more productive and, or assist them with personal tasks. It is widely used relatedly to communications such as Web browser. Web Browser allows users with an Internet connection to access and view Web Pages. Examples of web browser are Internet Explorer, Fire fox, Safari and etc. Many other types of application software include word processing software, spreadsheet software, database software and presentation graphics software.

These are some history about the communication software application
E-mail started in 1965 as a way for multiple users of a time-sharing mainframe computer to communicate. Basic text chat functionality has existed on multi-user computer systems and bulletin board systems since the early 1970s. In the 1980s, a terminal emulator was a piece of software necessary to log into mainframes and thus access e-mail. Prior to the rise of the Internet, computer files were exchanged over dialup lines, requiring ways to send binary files over communication systems that were primarily intended for plain text; programs implementing special transfer modes were implemented using various de facto standards, most notably Kermit. In 1985 the first decentralized chat system was created called Bitnet Relay, whereas Minitel probably provided the largest chat system at the same time. In August 1988 the Internet Relay Chat followed. CU-SeeMe was the first chat system to be equipped with a video camera. Instant messaging featuring a buddy list and the notion of online presence was introduced by ICQ in 1996. In the days of the Internet boom, web chats were very popular, too. Voice over IP is only taking off now

Computer Perspective

Computer. It is an electronic device that cooperates under a counsel of instruction. Nowadays, computers are everywhere. It is a thing that people think a must buy gadget. However, most of the electronic devices have their advantages and disadvantages along them as well as computers. Although computers are designed mainly to help the people but it can brings harm for its disadvantages.
Have these questions ever come to your mind? What if there are no computers? How am I going to do the communications without my computer? So computer does really an important thing in our life right now. One of it advantages is its speed. Time really precious, especially nowadays. So, computer really can save up your time a lot. How? Computer can gives you all the information that you need just by clicking the buttons or keyboard throughout the internet access. See, you do not have to search the newspaper, books and etc, which will cause you your precious time.
Besides the aspect of speed, communication is the main factor why people are using these computers everyday because they want to communicate with other people all around the world. Just imagine, how would you communicate with you family which far away from you without causing a lot of time without communicating with them using the computers?
Computers really do give us benefits although computers have their disadvantages but you will find that it will help you a lot if you use it wisely. So please use it wisely
:)