Software

Computer software is a collection of computer programs, procedures and documentation that perform some tasks on a computer system. The term includes application software, system software and middleware which controls and co-ordinates distributed systems.

A computer user will apply application software to carry out a specific task. Software applications for word processing, Internet browsing, e-mail, multimedia playback, computer game play and computer programming are common. The software industry provides a wide range of new products for use in personal computers, targeted at both the expert and the non-expert user. Multiple applications bundled together as a package are sometimes referred to as an application suite. User-written software includes spreadsheet templates, word processor macros, scientific simulations, graphics and animation scripts. Even e-mail filters are a kind of user software. Users create this software themselves.

System software supports applications and provides common services such as memory management, network connectivity, or device drivers; all of which may be used by applications but which are not directly of interest to the end user. An operating system processes system data and user input, and responds by allocating and managing tasks and internal system resources.

Common contemporary desktop OSes are Microsoft Windows (92.77% market share), Mac OS X (5.12%), Linux (0.95%), Solaris and FreeBSD. Windows, Mac, and Linux all have server and personal variants. Microsoft Windows is the collective brand name of several software operating systems by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces (GUIs). Mac OS X is a line of graphical operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Linux is a family of Unix-like computer operating systems. Linux is one of the most prominent examples of free software and open source development: typically all underlying source code can be freely modified, used, and redistributed by anyone. Linux is supported by corporations such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Novell, Oracle Corporation, Red Hat, Canonical Ltd. and Sun Microsystems. It is used as an operating system for a wide variety of computer hardware, including desktop computers, netbooks, video game systems, such as the PlayStation 3, and embedded devices such as mobile phones, portable media players, routers, and stage lighting systems.

Words and word combinations:

1) application software – прикладное ПО/прикладне ПЗ; application suite – пакет программ 2) middleware - промежу́ точное (связу́ ющее, межплатфо́ рм(ен)ное) ПО, подпрогра́ ммное обеспе́ чение/проміжне ПЗ 3) to apply [ ] – применять/використовувати 4) to provide [ ]– предоставлять, обеспечивать/надавати, забеспечувати 5) to target [ ] at – направлять, нацеливать/спрямовувати 6) spreadsheet [ ] templates – шаблоны для табличного процессора/шаблони для табличного процессору 7) scientific [ ] simulation [ ] – интерактивная модель/інтерактивна модель 8) in response to – в ответ на/у відповідь на to respond [ ] – реагировать/реагувати 9) to allocate [ ]– распределять, назначать/розподiлювати, призначати 10) to manage [ ] – управлять/управляти 11) operating environment [ ] – операционная оболочка/операційна оболонка 12) embedded device – устройство со встроеным компьютером/пристрій з вбудованим комп'ютером

I Find the equivalents in the text:

1) редактирование текста/редагування тексту 2) программы, созданные конечным пользователем/програми, створені кінцевим користувачем 3) данные, введённые пользователем/данні, введені користувачем 4) современные ОС для стационарных компьютеров/сучасні ОС для стаціонарних комп’ютерів 5) яркий пример/яскравий приклад 6) большое разнообразие/велике різномаїття 7) системы управления освещением сцены/системи управління освітленням сцени.

II Are the following statements true or false? Correct the false ones:

1) Middleware controls internal system resources. 2) The software companies provide a wide range of new applications for the expert and the non-expert user. 3) E-mail filters can be referred to as user-written software. 4) Common contemporary desktop OSes are MS Windows, Mac OS X and MS DOS. 5) Some operating systems have server and personal variants. 6) Mac OS X is an example of free software and open source development. 7) Linux is used as an OS only for embedded devices.

III Make questions to the sentences:

1) Computer software is a collection of programs, procedures and documentation to perform some task on a computer system. (What..?) 2) The software industry provides a wide range of products for word processing, Internet browsing, multimedia playback, computer game play and computer programming. (For what purpose..?) 3) Multiple applications bundled together are called an application suite. (What kind of..?) 4) Linux is supported by a number of large corporations such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Novell. (What corporations..?)

IV Give the full name of the shortenings and explain the meaning:

DLL; API