Applications Software

Word-processing software:

• Used to produce documents containing text such as letters, reports, memos, essays
• Text is prepared and edited using the word-processing software and then saved and imported into the other package for further arrangement
• Page layout/format: page orientation, page numbering, paper size, borders, headers and footers, margins
• Formatting text: font colour, font style (bold, underlined, italic), font size, font type
• Formatting blocks of text: bullet points/numbering, tabs and indents, line spacing, alignment

DTP Software:

• Desktop publishing software used to produce posters, brochures, magazines, newsletters etc
• Ideal because page design is complex and involves lots of graphics

Spreadsheet Software:

• Used to manipulate numbers and text arranged in cells
• Formulae used to relate one cell with other cells

• Ideal for: budgets, cash flow forecasts, accounts, creating and using models, performing statistical analysis on data, producing graphs and charts from sets of data
• Functions of spreadsheets: use of functions such as IF, Average, Count, ability to copy formulae across rows and down columns, automatic recalculation, can create models to answer 'what if' questions, ability to produce graphs/charts using a range of data, can be used to create simple flat file database

Database Software:

• Used where a store of data needs to be kept and where the information needs to be extracted from this store in lots of different ways
• More complex datavases are relational databases

Web design software:

• Can create simple websites

Presentation Software:

• Creating self - running presentations
• Creating interactive presentations where the user can decided what to do next
• Creating teaching material, multimedia quizzes

Proprietary and open source software:

• OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE: licence to use the software allows users to use, change and improve the software freely
• PROPRIETARY SOFTWARE: software that is neither free nor open source. User pays for the software and is not free to alter it in any way

Advantages and disadvantages of proprietary software versus open source software:

• Open source software is free, whereas you pay for proprietary software
• A user can alter the program code legally for the open source software. The copyright restricts them from doing this with proprietary software
• Proprietary software has a copyright owner who can control what can be done with the software. Open source software is open to the public and there is no control over how it is used

• With proprietary software the software producer will often take steps to make it virtually impossible for a user to view the source code (i.e, the step-by-step program instructions)

Hosted applications:

• Software applications where the software is hosted on servers connected to the Internet rather than on network servers or the individual computer hard drives.
• To access and use teh software you use the Internet

Advantages of hosted applications:

• Reduced costs, not necessary to install and maintain the software, so there are reduced administration costs
• Instantly available, do not need to download the software, just have to log in and start using it
• Lower risk, can often access software freely for a certain period to see if you like it, can pay for the software using pay-as-you-go
• Improved access, anywhere you have access to the Internet, have access to the software
• Support, do not have to download updates or new versions, latest and other older versions are available for you to choose

Disadvantages of hosted applications:

• May not have high speed access to the Internet, some countries/regions do not have the high speed Internet access that is needed for hosted applications
• Security, issues when using the Internet with sensitive or personal data
• May become expensive, monthly subscriptions may rise and make the system expensive and it might be difficult to change to a different software provider