Skip to main content
Engineering LibreTexts

3.7: Summary

  • Page ID
    84118
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    Summary

    Software gives the instructions that tell the hardware what to do. There are two basic categories of software: operating systems and applications. Operating systems interface with the computer hardware and make system resources available. Application software allows users to accomplish specific tasks such as word processing, presentations, or databases. This group is also referred to as productivity software. An ERP system stores all data in a centralized database that is made accessible to all programs and departments across the organization. Cloud computing provides access to software and databases from the Internet via a web browser. Developers use various programming languages to develop software.


    Study Questions

    1. Develop your own definition of software being certain to explain the key terms.
    2. What are the primary functions of an operating system?
    3. Which of the following are operating systems and which are applications: Microsoft Excel, Google Chrome, iTunes, Windows, Android, Angry Birds.
    4. What is your favorite software application? What tasks does it help you accomplish?
    5. How would you categorize the software that runs on mobile devices? Break down these apps into at least three basic categories and give an example of each.
    6. What does an ERP system do?
    7. What is open-source software? How does it differ from closed-source software? Give an example of each.
    8. What does a software license grant to the purchaser of the software?

    Exercises

    1. Find a case study online about the implementation of an ERP system. Was it successful? How long did it take? Does the case study tell you how much money the organization spent?
    2. If you were running a small business with limited funds for information technology, would you consider using cloud computing? Find some web-based resources that support your decision.
    3. Go to sourceforge.net and review their most downloaded software applications. Report on the variety of applications you find. Then pick one that interests you and report back on what it does, the kind of technical support offered, and the user reviews.
    4. Review this article on the security risks of open-source software. Write a short analysis giving your opinion on the different risks discussed.
    5. List three examples of programming languages? What features in each language makes it useful to developers?

    Lab

    1. Download Apache Open Office and create a document. Note: If your computer does not have Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 32-bit (x86) installed, you will need to download it first from this site.Open Office runs only in 32-bit (x86) mode. Here is a link to the Getting Started documentation for Open Office. How does it compare to Microsoft Office? Does the fact that you got it for free make it feel less valuable?

    1. Statista. (2017). Microsoft – Statistics & Facts. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/topics/823/microsoft/
    2. Kawasaki, G. (n.d.). The 10/20/30 Rules for PowerPoint. Retrieved from https://guykawasaki.com/the_102030_rule/.
    3. Statista. (2018). Number of apps in Apple App Store July 2008 to January 2017. Retrieved from https:https://www.statista.com/statistics/...ple-app-store/.
    1.  

    This page titled 3.7: Summary is shared under a CC BY-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by David T. Bourgeois (Saylor Foundation) .

    • Was this article helpful?