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*Computers, part of your life

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Module 1.4

*Software

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*Content

*Application software *Multimedia software

*Communications software

*Compatibility issues

*Updating your software

*Online software

*Software for physically challenged users

*Test and improve your knowledge

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*Application software

A group of programs that perform a specific task for us as users.

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Type of program What it is used for Examples

Word processor Used to create, edit, format and print text-based documents.

Microsoft Word

OpenOffice WriterSpreadsheet Allows you to perform tasks that are based on

calculations.

Provides charting facilities.

Microsoft Excel

OpenOffice Calc

Presentation software

Can combine text, sound and graphics including animation into a presentation – usually in the form of an electronic slide show.

Microsoft PowerPoint

OpenOffice Impress

Database Can be used to store data in an organised manner, manipulate the data and process the data into information.

Microsoft Access

OpenOffice /Base

MySQL

Graphics and design

Used to create and manipulate images (graphics) on the screen.

CorelDraw, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia FreeHand, AutoCAD and Microsoft Paint.

Communication software

Allows the user to communicate electronically with other users on a network.

Microsoft Mail and Outlook (e-mail)Pegasus MailSkype and Google Chat

Web authoring software

Used in the creation and design of websites. Microsoft Expression Web, Microsoft SharePoint Designer and Adobe Dreamweaver

Web browser Program that is used to access and view web pages on the Internet.

Internet Explorer, Opera, Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome

Plug-ins Special plug-in programs are needed to allow the user to view ‘special’ effects. This has become necessary as more and more multimedia (a combination of text, pictures, sound and video) is added to the web.

Flash

QuickTime

Grade 10 Revision

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*Multimedia software

The function of multimedia software is to create or view multimedia content.

Requires special viewing software which is usually supplied free of

charge

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A new type of multimedia

products have come about with the interactive

multimedia textbooks created

for use on consumer tablet devices such as

the iPad.

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* Communications software

Communications software is used to make electronic communications

simple, effective and efficient

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*Compatibility issues

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*Reason for compatibility issues

Every company has a different way of encoding the formatting data in their files.

New versions of the software introduce new features and also change the formatting data in the file.

When software opens a file, it expects formatting data of a certain type.

When the data is not what it expects, the result is either an error message or a scrambled, messed-up document.

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*Solutions to compatibility issues

• Save the document in format - the other person’s software can use.

Export

• Import / ‘Open with’ option of the software - open a file in another format

Import

• Upgrade your software - all have the latest versions.Upgrade

• All use the same version of software from the same company.

Standardise

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*Updating your software

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*SOFTWARE BUGS‘Computer’ errors can have very serious consequences:o In the Falklands War a British ship was sunk

because its computer controlled missile defence system thought that the missile fired at the ship was friendly (the British weapons included the homing device for that type of missile and so the software was taught not to think of it as a threat).

o People have died because the software responsible for calculating radiation dosage in cancer treatment was faulty and delivered too much radiation to the patients.

o The Mars Polar Orbiter spacecraft crashed because of confusion in the software between measurements in Miles vs. Meters (a loss of an expensive spacecraft and a waste of years of work).

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*Tools for combating software bugs include:

Testing• Software developers often create and release

preliminary or ‘beta’ versions of their software to be tested by the public.

Error reporting• Make use of the error reporting facilities that are often

provided when a program crashes. The sooner a bug gets reported, the sooner it can be fixed

Keep up to date• Update your software. Updates contain bug fixes that

make your software work better.

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*SOFTWARE VERSIONS

Microsoft used a 13 to indicate Word 2007 and a 14 to indicate Word 2010, etc. To go from Version 13 to 14, the software must be upgraded, not just updated.

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*UPDATE VS. UPGRADE

Update

• Some software has the option to do this automatically so you always have the latest updates installed without you having to do anything at all.

Upgrade

• You have to pay to go up to the newest version when it is released. Often existing users of the software are offered a discount price to upgrade to the newest version.

Service packs

• A service pack is usually a collection of all the previous updates for the last period of time (6 months to a year).

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*Online software

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*?

The terms ‘online software’, ‘cloud

computing’ and ‘Web applications’ describe

a scenario where software actually runs

on servers on the Internet.

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*Disadvantages

• Needs an Internet connection.• No Internet connection - unable to access

software or your data.• No control over security of your data /backup

policy.• Have to ‘rent’ the software – i.e. pay a

monthly fee to use it.• Might not have all features or abilities of

desktop software.• Might run much slower, depending on the

speed of your Internet connection.

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*Advantages

• The software is always up to date.

• You don’t have to download or install anything.

• It does not take up space on your local storage.

• The server may be more powerful than your own CPU, which means that you can run powerful software (e.g. Microsoft’s Photosynth software).

• You can use the software and access your data from any computer anywhere in the world as long as you have an Internet connection.

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GOOGLE DOCS: This is free software that gives you

access to Web-based word processor, presentation and spreadsheet

applications.

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*Blogs

Blogs (or Weblogs) are online publishing tools.

WordPress

Blogger SquareSpace

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*Good practices when blogging

• Update your site frequently (Keep it fresh!).

• Interact with your readers – look at their comments and respond.

• Be casual, informative and interesting.

• Use catchy titles and graphics.

• Have opinions and express them well.Link to your sources and other sites of interest (and check that the links work).

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*Advantages of blogging

Quick way of sharing and communicating ideas and getting

feedback.

Personal as well as business use, where they can be used for

advertising and marketing products as it provides a more

‘personal’ touch for the customers.

Help forums where people with common interests can share

problems, ideas and solutions.

They can be used for social change and promote freedom of

expression and speech.

Many sites such as WordPress and Blogger host blogs for free.

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*Disadvantages of blogging

You need to keep a blog constantly updated to

maintain interest amongst readers.

Most blogs allow for responses to be posted

(sometimes anonymously) and these can sometimes

be worthless and meaningless.

Some of the free hosting sites for blogs constantly

display advertisements.

Because postings appear in the order that they were

posted (from newest to oldest), older postings and

relevant content can sometimes get ‘lost’.

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*Software for physically

challenged users

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* All modern operating systems contain special settings and utilities that help

make the computer easier for disabled people to use.

o Magnifying an area of the screen - easier to read.o Text to speech (Narrationo Making the mouse cursor larger o Increased contrast display settings - easier to read

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* All modern operating systems contain special settings and utilities that help

make the computer easier for disabled people to use.

o Displaying visual notices when the computer

normally makes a sound

o Sticky keys, slow keys and even on-screen display

of non-alphabetic keys to improve typing

o Speech recognition for voice control of the

computer / dictation of text instead of typing

o Using touchscreens and on-screen keyboards

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*Many companies design software for

• voice recognition• speech synthesis• screen magnification • screen ‘reading’• camera tracking (software that, for

example, tracks your head movement, so that moving your head is like moving a mouse)improve’ upon what the operating system offers

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*EXAMPLE: Magic software

MAGic Screen Magnification Software increases the size of what is seen on the computer screen, and can read it aloud with a synthesiser. Most useful for those with low vision.

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*Test and improve your knowledge

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*Overview of module

Application software

'Ready-made'

software

Multi-media

Communica-tions

Software issues

Compatibility issues

Updating software

OtherOnline software

Advantages

Disadvantages

Software for disabled people

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* Important terms and concepts

Authoring software

Communications software Export Import

Multimedia Patch Service Pack Update

Upgrade

Web applications

/ Online software

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*Written module activity