Study sheet: System and Application Software

📋 Course Outline

1. Software Foundations and Categories
2. The Software Stack
3. System Software Functions
4. Four Kinds of System Software
5. Application Software and Categories
6. System Versus Application

📖 1. Software Foundations and Categories

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Software : a set of instructions that tells computer hardware what to do

★ Must-know

📌 System software manages and controls computer hardware and resources so that other software can run, whereas application software helps users perform specific tasks such as writing, browsing, editing, and gaming.

Further detail

• Examples of system software include Windows, macOS, and device drivers, while examples of application software include Microsoft Word, Chrome, and Photoshop.

💡 Memory Hook

System software runs the computer; application software runs on it.

📖 2. The Software Stack

★ Must-know

📌 Each layer of the software stack depends on the layer beneath it, so application software depends on system software and system software depends on hardware.

• 🔄 The software stack is ordered as follows:
  1. Hardware
  2. System software
  3. Application software
  4. User

Further detail

• Hardware includes the CPU, memory, storage, and physical devices, while system software manages these resources for application software.

💡 Memory Hook

Hardware → system software → application software → user

📖 3. System Software Functions

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• System Software : software that manages computer hardware and provides the platform on which application software runs

📝 Essential Points

📌 System software is required for the computer to operate and is general-purpose rather than designed for one specific user task.

• System software usually runs in the background without the user directly seeing or launching it.

• System software manages memory, storage, processing power, and connected devices.

💡 Memory Hook

R-M-R-G: runs in the background, manages resources, required to operate, general-purpose

📖 4. Four Kinds of System Software

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Operating System : the main program that manages all hardware and software resources
• Device Drivers : small programs that let the operating system communicate with specific hardware, such as a printer or Wi-Fi device
• Firmware : permanent software built into hardware that runs before the operating system loads, such as BIOS, UEFI, or router firmware
• Utility Software : tools that maintain, optimize, or protect the system, such as antivirus and file-compression tools

💡 Memory Hook

ODUF: operating system, device drivers, utility software, firmware

📖 5. Application Software and Categories

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Application Software : designed to help users complete specific tasks, runs on top of system software, and depends on system software to access hardware and run

★ Must-know

📌 A computer can still run without any particular application installed, but application software cannot run without system software.

• Application software is user-facing, so it is directly opened, used, and closed by the person at the computer.

Further detail

• Application software categories include productivity, communication, entertainment and media, and specialized or custom software.

📖 6. System Versus Application

★ Must-know

📌 System software usually runs in the background and has minimal user interaction, whereas application software is opened directly and has constant user interaction.

📌 If a user has to open a program directly, it is generally application software; if it works quietly to keep the computer running, it is generally system software.

Further detail

• Microsoft Word, Google Chrome, and Spotify are application software, while Windows 11, a printer driver, and antivirus software are system software.

💡 Memory Hook

System software is required and mostly unseen; application software is optional and user-facing.

📊 Synthesis Tables

System and Application Software Comparison

Dimension	System software	Application software
Purpose	Manages hardware and system resources	Helps users complete specific tasks
Operation	Runs in the background	Runs when opened directly by the user
Dependency	Required for the computer to work	Depends on system software
User interaction	Minimal	Direct and constant
Examples	Windows, macOS, device drivers	Microsoft Word, Chrome, Photoshop