7. In the field of computer science,
software is defined as a computer program,
which includes logical instructions used for
performing a particular task on a computer
system using hardware components . The
following are the two major categories of
software under which different types of
computer programs can be classified
10. Above figure shows a layered structure ,
which represents different components of a
computer such as hardware , system software ,
application software , and user in a hierarchical
manner.
11. SYSTEM SOFTWARE
SYSTEM SOFTWARE
SYSTEM SOFTWARE refers to a computer
program that manages and controls hardware
components of the computer system OR the
system software is responsible for the proper
functioning of the computer hardware.
12. The system software is also responsible for the
proper functioning of the computer system. The
system software includes general programs, which
are written to provide an environment for
developing new application software using
programming languages.
13. System software includes operating system,
device drivers, compilers, etc. The most
commonly used operating system are:
• WINDOWS,
• MAC OS X,
• LINUX, etc.
14. APPLICATION
SOFTWARE
Application software is a computer program
that is executed on the system software. It is
designed and developed for performing
specific tasks and is also known as end user
program. Application software is unable to
run without system software , such as word
processing and spreadsheet.
15. Using this applications we can also format and
print the document. The most commonly used
word processing applications are:
• MS Word
• MS Excel
• MS Power point
17. TYPES OF MEMORY
1 Primary Memory
a) RAM
b) ROM
c)Flash Memory
d)Cache Memory
2 Secondary Memory
18. PRIMARY MEMORY
Primary storage or main memory or internal
memory is the area in a computer in which data is
stored for quick access by the computer’s
processor.
Types :
1. RAM
2. ROM
3. Cache Memory
19. RAM
The RAM (Random Access Memory) allows data items to be
read or write in almost the same amount of time. RAM
family includes two important memory devices:
1. Static RAM (SRAM) - SRAM retains its contents as long
as electrical power is applied to the chip. If the power is
turned off or lost temporarily, its contents will be lost
forever.
2 Dynamic RAM (DRAM) - DRAM, on the other hand,
has an extremely short data lifetime-typically about four
milliseconds. This is true even when power is applied
constantly. DRAM controller is used to refresh the data
before it expires.
20. ROM
ROM (Read Only Memory) is a type of non-volatile memory
used in computers and electronic devices. Data stored in
ROM can only be read.
TYPES:
1. PROM
2. EPROM
3. EEPROM
4. EAROM
21. CACHE
Cache Memory, also called CPU memory, is random access
memory (RAM) that a computer’s microprocessor can access
more quickly than it can access regular RAM .
There are three different levels of cache memory:
• Level 1 – storage capacity from 8kb to 128kb
• Level 2 – storage capacity from 64kb to 16MB
• Level 3 – storage capacity upto 8MB
22. SECONDARY MEMORY
• Secondary memory is where programs and data are
kept on a long-term basis.
• Common secondary storage devices are the hard disks
and optical disks.
• The hard disks have enormous storage capacity
compared to mainmemory.