An explanation of software and how it is used
For a computer to function, it must have software added to the brain. Think of it this way: Hardware is the machinery and brain of the computer. The machinery and brain are useless unless intelligence or information is added to it. Software is the information or intelligence of the brain. Without software, a computer is nothing more than an oversized chunk of plastic. It’s like the telephone: The phone is the hardware; our voices are the software.
You do not need to completely understand software to be able to use a computer. My guess is that, unless you are a brain surgeon, you’ve been using your brain all this time without really understanding how it works in any detail. Again, the goal is to be able to use the computer, not dismantle and reassemble it!
There are two types of software: operating software and application software. Your computer will come with operating software already stored on the hard drive. (Remember, the hard drive is the permanent memory of the computer.) Operating software organizes and manages your computer. Think of it as the computer’s filing system and library.
In Chapter 2 we became familiar with the central processing unit (CPU)—the hardware that organizes the flow of information. Well, the operating software works hand in hand with the CPU. A computer would not be able to function without operating software. It would be like having the lumber (hardware) to make a house, but no foundation and no blueprints (operating software).
Application software, with the help of the operating software, enables you to perform certain tasks (type a letter, create cards, design a website, chart your family genealogy). For example, word-processing application software allows you to use the computer as a typewriter with advanced editing tools. Other application software teaches you to speak Spanish, set up your taxes, or play chess. There are hundreds of thousands of different application software programs on the market.
Software needs to be transferred to the brain of the computer. This is done by way of a CD or DVD or by transferring (aka downloading) the software from a website onto your computer. The CD or DVD drives of the computer read the information off these disks and store it in the brain. The CD or DVD drives are the bridge between software and the computer.
Regardless of which type of application software interests you, it will come in the form of either a CD or DVD. A CD and DVD look just like a compact disc for a stereo. However, unlike a compact disc for your stereo, which contains only sound, a CD and DVD are capable of holding sound, text, and images (even moving images), which we can access on our computer’s monitor and speakers. A CD can store the equivalent of an entire set of encyclopedias, about 400 times the information on a floppy disk—its predecessor. A DVD can store up to 26 times the information on a CD. By the way, CDs and DVDs aren’t just for installing software. A CD can also hold music for your listening pleasure or photographs for you to see. A DVD can do all that and let you watch movies on your computer.
• CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks all store information. A CD stores 400 times as much as a floppy. A DVD stores 26 times as much as a CD.
Before you can use application software, it needs to be added to the brain of the computer. To add software to your computer, your computer transfers the information stored on a CD or DVD onto the hard drive. This process of transferring the software to the hard drive is referred to as “installing” software. Once the software has been installed, it is stored permanently on the hard drive.
To install software, you first insert either the CD or DVD into its proper drive (see the illustration to the left).
The drive for the CD or DVD works one of two ways. There may be a button you push to open the drive. What looks like a shallow cup holder in your car will slide out. You will place the CD or DVD on this tray, label side up, and push the button again to close the tray. This particular piece of the computer can be quite fragile. You never want to force the CD or DVD tray to close. Always use the open and close button. Alternatively, your computer may not have a button to open the drive but instead a slot where you insert the CD or DVD (label side up). After part of the disk is inserted, the computer will grab the CD or DVD. You don’t need to use any force.
Once the disk is inserted, you will either follow the instructions that will automatically appear on the screen of your computer or the written instructions included with the software. Through this process the hard drive will transfer and store the information from the CD or DVD into the brain of the computer. You may also hear people refer to this transferring of data as “reading” the software onto the computer.
• A CD or DVD is inserted into the D: drive. Once the disk is inserted, the computer can read its contents.
Another option for installing software onto the computer is to transfer it from the Internet or “download it.” There are some computers (the MacBook Air, netbook computers, and tablets, for instance) that don’t have a CD or DVD drive. With these devices, your only option for installing a program is to access a website that offers the software program you seek and follow the instructions for downloading or copying the software from the site onto your computer. (You can download software even if you don’t have a CD drive.)
We’ve discussed putting information into the computer, but what if you want to take information out of the computer? A CD or DVD can work in two ways. Information can be transferred from the CD or DVD onto the computer. The reverse is also true; you can take information from the computer and store it on a CD or DVD.
Let’s say that you want to give your publisher a copy of the autobiography you’ve typed on the computer. You could print out the whole book and lug it to the publisher’s office. Or you could copy it (aka burn it) onto a CD, slip the disk into your pocket, and stroll over to deliver it. At that point your publisher would copy the information from the CD onto the hard drive of his or her computer.
On an older computer the CD is a one-way operation. Information can be transferred from a CD onto your computer, but the old ones do not let you transfer information onto the CD or DVD. Now there are writable CD and DVD drives on the market that allow information to be transferred onto them both.
Even as you purchase your new software, a group of diligent computer researchers (aka computer geeks) may be fast at work improving that software. So within a relatively short period of time, there might be a new and improved version of what you have purchased. This is true for application and operating software. Both are constantly being improved and changed to better meet your needs. It may be that the upgrade (another term used for an upgrade is update) is just cosmetic or that the company corrected glitches people complained about. Rather than buying a whole new version of the software, you can buy an upgrade from the manufacturer. Some manufacturers offer their upgrades at a greatly reduced price; others may offer them for free.
An update or upgrade can come in the form of either a CD or DVD and is installed on the computer as you would install any application software. Alternatively, some upgrades can be installed directly to your computer from a website. Once you install the upgrade, it will automatically make changes to the existing software on your hard drive to reflect the improvements.
You do not need to upgrade your software unless you need to or want to. When the time comes, you will know whether you are interested in the improvements that are being touted. If there is any uncertainty, ask a friend with more computer experience for his or her advice or experience with upgrading.
When purchasing software, look to buy from a company that isn’t going to disappear into the sunset. Buy only from a manufacturer with a good reputation and a solid track record. Friends and the retailer you buy it from will be able to offer you guidance on what to get.
Q: How expensive is most software?
A: That’s kind of like asking “how expensive is a car?” The price varies depending on what you’re buying. Some software is actually free. I would say the cheapest personal software to purchase is around $19.99, and the costliest I’ve run across is close to $400.
Q: Will the store where I buy my computer or software install it on my computer?
A: The store where you buy your computer may be willing to install the software you purchased from them onto your computer at the time of purchase. Because you’re making a fairly large purchase, they should do it for free. It is certainly worth asking.
Q: My son bought Microsoft Office for his computer. Can I borrow it and install it on mine?
A: Using software that you have not paid for is called “pirating software” and is against the law. Many software manufacturers protect their product so it can be installed only once and then never again. Some programs allow for several installations. If the latter is the case with your son’s software, then you can legally install it without a problem on your computer (providing your computer is compatible to that version of software—ask your son to check).