Types of Software: System, Utility and Application Software

Hello students, welcome to Kwickprep. A brand new laptop with no software is just an expensive box. So what exactly turns it into a useful machine? Today we will learn the types of software: system software, utilities, drivers, application software, firmware, and open source versus proprietary.

First, the difference between hardware and software. Hardware is the physical parts of a computer. Software is a set of programs, which are instructions that tell the hardware what to do. You can touch hardware, but you cannot touch software. A keyboard and the CPU are hardware, while Windows and Chrome are software. Hardware fails by wear and tear, while software fails because of mistakes called bugs. We fix hardware by replacing a part, and software by updating it.

Hardware and software always work together. Hardware without software cannot do any useful work. Software without hardware has nowhere to run. It is like a cricket bat and a batter, where each is useless without the other.

Software is divided into two main types, and this flowchart shows how to decide. Ask, does it run and manage the computer itself? If yes, it is system software. If no, it is application software. Application software helps the user do a task, like writing or paying a bill.

Let us start with system software. It manages the hardware and provides a base for other programs to run. The most important one is the operating system, or OS. Next come utility programs that keep the computer healthy. Then device drivers that let hardware talk to the OS. Language translators, such as compilers and interpreters, are also often counted as system software, and we study them in another lesson.

The operating system is the manager of the whole computer. It shares the CPU, memory, files and devices between programs. It also gives the user an interface, such as icons and windows, to work with. On desktops and laptops, common ones are Windows, macOS and Linux. On phones, the common ones are Android and iOS.

Utility software does maintenance jobs that keep a computer safe and fast. An antivirus finds and removes malware, which is harmful software. A backup utility copies files to another place so they are safe. Compression software, like a zip tool, makes files smaller to save space. Disk cleanup deletes temporary junk files. A defragmenter joins the scattered pieces of files on a hard disk so it reads faster, and it is not needed for SSDs.

Next, device drivers. A driver is a small program written for one particular device. It translates the general commands of the operating system into the exact signals that device understands. A printer, a graphics card and a Wi-Fi adapter each need their own driver. If the driver is missing or wrong, the device is not detected or does not work, even though the hardware is fine.

Now, application software, often called apps. It helps the user do a particular job, like writing a letter or making a video call. It runs on top of the operating system, so it needs the OS first. Microsoft Word, Chrome, WhatsApp and Tally are examples. Application software has two kinds, general purpose and specific purpose.

This table compares the two kinds. General purpose software, also called generic software, suits many people and many kinds of jobs, like a spreadsheet. Specific purpose software is made for one particular job, like the railway ticket booking system. Some specific purpose software is made for one organisation, like a school fee system. This is called customised or tailor made software.

Let us pause and predict. Your printer worked yesterday, but stopped after you upgraded the operating system. Is the problem hardware or software? Which type of software should you update? The answer is the printer driver, which is system software, because the old driver may not suit the new OS.

Now, a special kind of software. Firmware is software that is stored permanently inside a hardware chip, like ROM or flash memory. It controls the hardware at the lowest level, before any other software runs. The BIOS or UEFI in a PC, and the programs inside a Wi-Fi router or a washing machine, are firmware. It can be updated, but only rarely, and a failed update can stop the device from working.

Finally, software can be grouped by its licence. Source code is the human written program, and open source software makes it public, while proprietary software keeps it secret. Open source lets anyone change and share the software, but proprietary software does not allow this. Open source is usually free, while proprietary software is often paid, though some, like WhatsApp, are free to use. Linux, LibreOffice and Python are open source, while Windows and Microsoft Office are proprietary.

A common exam trap is to mix up free and open source. Freeware is free to use, but its source code is secret. WhatsApp and Adobe Acrobat Reader are examples of freeware. Open source means the code itself is open for everyone to read and improve. So always check the licence before you copy or share any software.

Let us revise what we learned today. Hardware is the physical parts, and software is the programs. System software includes the OS, utilities and device drivers. Application software can be general purpose or specific purpose. Firmware is software stored permanently in a chip. Open source software shares its code, while proprietary software keeps it secret. Tonight, list five programs on your phone and sort them into these types.