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Define and distinguish the following software categories: operating systems; drivers; utilities/libraries; programming languages; and applications.

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This job contrasts software categories.

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Define and distinguish the following software categories: operating systems; drivers; utilities/libraries; programming languages; and applications.

Utilities: are programs that help to manage and organize the computer systems (or environment), for example disk de-fragmentation software is one among many other useful system tools.

Application programs: are programs designed to help make end user's life easier such as word processor, spreadsheet, and database programs

Drivers: are programs that control other devices such as printer, scanner, keyboard and disk drives. Now a day these devices usually incorporate plug and play technology making the need to install driver software manually a thing of the past.

Operating system: is by far one the most important program that runs on a computer and which serves as an interface between the computer and human interactions.

Libraries: in object oriented programming practices are collections of pre compiled sub routines of standard functions, that programmers can easily link their programs to for added functionality. It is designed under the philosophy of code re use and therefore saves times re inventing the wheel over and over again and avoids coding errors.

Programming languages: are what programmers use to create computer program. It is a vocabulary and set of grammatical rules for instructing a computer to perform specific tasks.

Application: falls under the general category of computer software, which are programs designed to help make end users life easier.

The two major types of computer software are:

Operating system software: these packages such as Microsoft Disk Operating System (DOS), Microsoft Windows and Linux.

Application software: these are Microsoft Word (word processor), Adobe Photoshop (graphic tool), Excel (spreadsheets), Microsoft Access (database), Games and Communication (chat room).

OTHER RESOURCES from webopedia.com:

Operating System:

Every general-purpose computer must have an operating system to run other programs. Operating ...

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