1. European Computer Driving Licence Syllabus version 5.0 Module 1 – Concepts of ICT Chapter 3 – Software Pass ECDL5 for Office 2007 Module 1 Concepts of ICT Chapter 3 Software © Pearson Education Ltd 2009

2. Software A list of instructions (the program) that tell a computer what to do Software types include:  operating system  applications  utilities Pass ECDL5 for Office 2007 Module 1 Concepts of ICT Chapter 3 Software © Pearson Education Ltd 2009

3. Operating system software A series of programs that organise and control a computer  Provides an interface so that the user can communicate with the computer  Communicates between software and hardware devices  Organises the storage and retrieval of information  Manages the smooth running of programs running in RAM by allocating the required resources Pass ECDL5 for Office 2007 Module 1 Concepts of ICT Chapter 3 Software © Pearson Education Ltd 2009

4. Popular operating systems Microsoft Windows is the most widely-used operating system (OS) OS2 is an OS created by IBM Macintosh (MacOS) was created by Apple MS-DOS was the precursor of Windows but text-based Linux is a popular alternative open-source OS Unix is another OS used in companies or universities Pass ECDL5 for Office 2007 Module 1 Concepts of ICT Chapter 3 Software © Pearson Education Ltd 2009

5. Graphical user interface Enables users to click and point at icons and menus on screen, instead of typing in computer commands Pass ECDL5 for Office 2007 Module 1 Concepts of ICT Chapter 3 Software © Pearson Education Ltd 2009

6. The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) The most basic software within the PC Stored in ROM or flash memory Ensures the hardware operates properly Records basic information about the PC Usually configured by the manufacturer No user intervention is usually required Pass ECDL5 for Office 2007 Module 1 Concepts of ICT Chapter 3 Software © Pearson Education Ltd 2009

7. Application software Programs that let you do your work, for example  Microsoft Office (e.g. Word, Excel, Access etc.)  graphic editors (e.g. Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW etc.)  Typesetting software (e.g. Adobe InDesign, Quark Express etc.) Pass ECDL5 for Office 2007 Module 1 Concepts of ICT Chapter 3 Software © Pearson Education Ltd 2009

8. Utility software Programs that let you do your work efficiently and securely, for example  backup software  file compression software  anti-virus software  compilers Pass ECDL5 for Office 2007 Module 1 Concepts of ICT Chapter 3 Software © Pearson Education Ltd 2009