Lesson 3 - Software

 Software is a generic term for organized collections of computer data and instructions, often broken into two major categories: system software that provides the basic non task-specific functions of the computer, and application software which is used by users to accomplish specific tasks.

The arithmetic power that such hardware provides is useless unless it can be put into service performing useful calculations in correct sequences involving meaningful numbers. It is computer software that provides such meaningful, useful direction. Indeed, it is the rise of software that has enabled computers to evolve from mere number crunchers into technologies that now enrich so many areas of human life.

there are two types of software

Unit of Measurements

Storage measurements: The basic unit used in computer data storage is called a bit (binary digit). Computers use these little bits, which are composed of ones and zeros, to do things and talk to other computers. All your files, for instance, are kept in the computer as binary files and translated into words and pictures by the software (which is also ones and zeros). This two number system, is called a “binary number system” since it has only two numbers in it. The decimal number system in contrast has ten unique digits, zero through nine. 

Size example 

• 1 bit - answer to an yes/no question.

• 1 byte - a number from 0 to 255. 

• 90 bytes: enough to store a typical line of text from a book. 

• 4 KB: about one page of text.

• 120 KB: the text of a typical pocket book. 

• 3 MB - a three minute song (128k bitrate).

• 650-900 MB - an CD-ROM.

• 1 GB -114 minutes of uncompressed CD-quality audio at 1.4 Mbit/s.

• 8-16 GB - size of a normal flash drive.

Excercises

Software, an interactive worksheet by Hield
liveworksheets.com

System and Application Software, an interactive worksheet by rida_ansari
liveworksheets.com