OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE Open-source software (OSS) is computer software that is available in source code form: the source

code and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders are provided under anopen-source license that permits users to study, change, improve and at times also to distribute the software. Open source software is very often developed in a public, collaborative manner. Open-source software is the most prominent example of open-source development and often compared to (technically defined) user-generated content or (legally defined) open content movements.[1] A report by the Standish Group states that adoption of open-source software models has resulted in savings of about $60 billion per year to consumers.[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source_software HARDWARE Hardware is a general term for equipment that can be touched/held by hand such as keys, locks, hinges, latches, handles, wire, chains, belts, plumbing sup plies, electrical supplies, tools,utensils, cutlery and machine parts. Household hardware is typically sold in hardware stores. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardware SOFTWARE Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provides the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it. Software refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of the computer for some purposes. In other words, software is a set of programs, procedures, algorithms and its documentation concerned with the

operation of a data processing system. Program software performs the function of the program it implements, either by directly providing instructions to the computer hardware or by serving as input to another piece of software. The term was coined to contrast to the old term hardware (meaning physical devices). In contrast to hardware, software "cannot be touched".[1] Software is also sometimes used in a more narrow sense, meaning application software only. Sometimes the term includes data that has not traditionally been associated with computers, such as film, tapes, and records.[2] Computer software is so called to distinguish it from computer hardware, which encompasses the physical interconnections and devices required to store and execute (or run) the software. At the lowest level, executable code consists of machine language instructions specific to an individual processor. A machine language consists of groups of binary values signifying processor instructions that change the state of the computer from its preceding state. Programs are an ordered sequence of instructions for changing the state of the computer in a particular sequence. It is usually written in high-level programming languages that are easier and more efficient for humans to use (closer to natural language) than machine language. High-level languages are compiled or interpreted into machine language object code. Software may also be written in an assembly language, essentially, a mnemonic representation of a machine language using a natural language alphabet. Assembly language must be assembled into object code via an assembler. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software OPERATING SYSTEM An operating system (OS) is a set of software that manages computer hardware resources and provides common services for computer programs. The operating system is a vital component of the system software in a computer system. Application programs require an operating system to function.

Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also include accounting for cost allocation of processor time, mass storage, printing, and other resources. For hardware functions such as input and output and memory allocation, the operating system acts as an intermediary between programs and the computer hardware,[1][2] although the application code is usually executed directly by the hardware and will frequently make a system call to an OS function or be interrupted by it. Operating systems can be found on almost any device that contains a computerfrom cellular phones and video game consoles to supercomputers and web servers. Examples of popular modern operating systems include Android, BSD, iOS, GNU/Linux, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows,[3] Windows Phone, and IBM z/OS. All these, except Windows and z/OS, share roots in UNIX. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_system APPLICATION SOFTWARE Application software, also known as an application or an app, is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software,accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with documents. Apps may be bundled with the computer and its system software, or may be published separately. Some users are satisfied with the bundled apps and need never install one. Application software is contrasted with system software and middleware, which manage and integrate a computer's capabilities, but typically do not directly apply in the performance of tasks that benefit the user. The system software serves the application, which in turn serves the user. Similar relationships apply in other fields. For example, a shopping mall does not provide the merchandise a shopper is seeking, but provides space and services for retailers that serve the shopper. A bridge may

similarly support rail tracks which support trains, allowing the trains to transport passengers. Application software applies the power of a particular computing platform or system software to a particular purpose. Some applications are available in versions for several different platforms; others have narrower requirements and are thus called, for example, a Geography application for Windows or an Android application for education or Linux gaming. Sometimes a new and popular application arises which only runs on one platform, increasing the desirability of that platform. This is called a killer application. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_software

Examples Of Open Source Operating System. -2 example and description. -Date release. Windows 7 is the current release of Microsoft Windows, a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and businessdesktops, laptops, netbooks, tablet PCs, and media center PCs.[6] Windows 7 was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009,[7] and reached general retail availability worldwide on October 22, 2009,[8] less than three years after the release of its predecessor, Windows Vista. Windows 7's server counterpart, Windows Server 2008 R2, was released at the same time. Unlike Windows Vista, which introduced a large number of new features, Windows 7 was intended to be a more focused, incremental upgrade to the Windows line, with the goal of being compatible with applications and hardware with which Windows Vista was already compatible.[9] Presentations given by Microsoft in 2008 focused

on multi-touch support, a redesigned Windows shell with a new taskbar, referred to as the Superbar, a home networking system called HomeGroup,[10] and performance improvements. Some standard applications that have been included with prior releases of Microsoft Windows, including Windows Calendar, Windows Mail, Windows Movie Maker, and Windows Photo Gallery, are not included in Windows 7;[11][12] most are instead offered separately at no charge as part of the Windows Live Essentials suite. Release on July 22, 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7 Windows 8 is the next version of Microsoft Windows, a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops,laptops, Microsoft Tablet PCs, and Home theater PCs. The release to manufacturing (RTM) is expected around July 2012[2], three years after the release of its predecessor,Windows 7. Windows 8's server counterpart, Windows Server 2012, is in development concurrently with Windows 8. The most recent official pre-release version of Windows 8 is theRelease Preview, which was released on May 31, 2012. Unlike Windows 7, which was intended to be a more focused, incremental upgrade to the Windows line,[3] Windows 8 has been "reimagined from the chipset to the user experience" to connect more with the user. It features a new user interface inspired by Microsoft's Metro design language that can be used for multiple input methods, includingtouchscreen input similar to that in Windows Phone and physical button input similar to the Xbox 360 and a PC. A version of Windows 8, called Windows RT, also adds support for the ARM processor architecture in addition to the previously supported x86 microprocessors from Intel, AMD, and VIA.

Release on May 31, 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_8 The latest hardware 2012