MicroComputer Apps Spring II 2012 Professor Joyce Hoke 3/15/2012

The difference between Operating System and Application Software. Well a few examples we could start with are Linux, Mac OS/X and Microsoft Windows.. etc for Operating Systems . Now a few examples of Application Software would include the programs that run within the Operating System.. Such as Libre Office, Microsoft Word, Real Player, Access, Firefox, etc. Operating Systems facilitate communication between hardware and software, memory management and allow Application Software to utilize hardware and other services. Application software is mostly used by the end user, although there are other applications that only facilitate services. Now for three categories 1. Computer Programming Software 2. Business Software 3. Spreadsheet Software How do they differ from each other ? 1. Computer Programming Software is used to create other Software from Applications to services to Operating Systems. These can be designed according to specific needs of the User(s). 2. Business Software is primarily used for its name.. business.. depending on what services the business requires such as email programs databases, spreadsheets, and would be used to organize and more efficiently run the processes of the business. Programming Software can be used to customize things like these. .i.e Visual Basic with Excel 3. Spreadsheet Software.. This can be used also in a business setting but primarily for analyzing numbers, figures.. can be manipulated with formulas in the cells of the spreadsheet to perform many mathematical functions at the same time and compare data. Compare and Contrast Word Excel and Access. Word is a word processor. Excel is a spreadsheet. Access is a database. Wordprocessors are used for memos, documents, publishing, etc. Excel is for math and numbers/analysis, Access is for mailing lists, account info, numbers, names.. organizing of data.. It would be hard to organize everything in Excel when numerous types of data secured and insecured need to be manged.,. Spreadsheets could be contained within a database, to organize large amounts of analyzed data.