Applications Software

Chapter 6

The User’s Tools

© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000

2 CCI © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000Ch 6

Overview

• Application software categories

• Common features

• Productivity tools

• Specialty applications

• Installation and updating

• Ethics and intellectual property rights

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Applications

• Of-the-shelf up to ten times less costly than hiring a company to write from scratch

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Four Basic Categories of Applications

• Basic productivity• Business and Specialty

– vertical market software

• Entertainment• Education and

Reference

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Productivity

• Word processing• Spreadsheet• Personal finance• Presentation graphics• Database management

• Group collaboration• Desktop and personal

information management

• Integrated• Web browsing

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Specialty Tools

• Based on requirements of the occupation– desktop publishing in publications work– CAD/CAM for engineering and manufacturing– CASE for software programmers and systems

analysts– Multimedia authoring for graphic artists– Project management for system construction

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Entertainment Software

• Arcade

• Intellectual

• Training-style

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Educational

• Encyclopedia

• Phonebooks

• Almanacs

• Atlases

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Common Features

• Insertion points

• Scrolling

• Windows

• Menu bar

• Pull-down menu

• Help menu and screens

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More Features

• Buttons

• Toolbars

• Dialog box

• Default values

• Macros

• OLE

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More Features (continued)

• Clipboard

• Tutorials and documentation

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Compatibility Issues

• Determine application needs first, before buying a system

• Applications may not be available for all operating systems

• The more applications become available on Web sites, the closer to universal software applicability we get

Ch 6 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000 13 CCI

Word Processing

• Basic documents

• Templates

• Add extras found normally only in publications

• Can show document as WYSIWYG

• Grammar checker

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Word Processing (continued)• Spell checker• Thesaurus• Formatting• Columns• Justification• Pages, footers, headers• More formatting• Linking to other

applications

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Spreadsheet Solutions

• Cells and cell address

• Values

• Formulas

• Functions

• Recalculation

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Increased Usefulness

• Simple database filters

• Linking

• Analytical graphics

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Personal Finance Software

• Income and expenses

• Checkbook management

• Reporting

• Income tax

• Financial planning

• Retirement planning

• Portfolio management

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Presentation Graphics

• Graphs• Data• Information• Charts• Art work• Multimedia

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Database Management Software• Controls database structure • Access to data• Object-oriented databases include

pictures, sound, multimedia• Can be difficult to use• Many templates, including

financial

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Principal Features of a Database• Organization

– field, record, file• Access

– similar to row, column, worksheet

• Excel

– select and display

– sort

– calculate and formulate

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More Database Fundamentals

• Queries

• Forms

• Reports

• Macros

• Modules

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Groupware

• Exemplified by Lotus Notes

• Novell’s GroupWare another example

• Allows people to work as a group, using information from a large, installed database of e-mail and other documents

• Coordinate on group projects

Ch 6 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000 23 CCI

Specialized Groupware

• Workflow software– Action Workflow System– ProcessIt– tasks and information

required to perform the tasks

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More Specialized Groupware• Meeting software

– Microsoft’s NetMeeting– Netscape Collaborator– allows computer-linked meetings

• Scheduling software– Microsoft Outlook– PowerCore’s Network Scheduler 3– electronic calendar and synchronization

Ch 6 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000 25 CCI

Desktop Accessories• Desktop accessories or

organizer– Lotus Agenda– within Windows 9x– calendar, clock, card file,

calculator, notepad– works like items that one

uses on a desktop

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PIMs

• Personal Information Managers– Ecco– Lotus Organizer– word processor– database– desktop accessories– often integrated into e-mail and groupware

products

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Integrated Software

• Combines features of several programs– word processing– spreadsheet– database– graphics– communications– some have help wizards that employ templates– less powerful than full single-purpose programs

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Office Suite Programs

• Bundled and integrated– Microsoft Office

• multiple combinations of applications

– Corel’s Perfect Office– Sun’s StarOffice– Lotus SmartSuite– require large storage capacity

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Web Browsers• Enables Web site viewing

• Microsoft Internet Explorer combined with Windows operating system

• AOL unique browser with Internet access

• Netscape Navigator still a large portion of browsers installed

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Specialty Applications Software

• Desktop publishing• Project

Management • CAD/CAM• Drawing and

painting• Multimedia

authoring

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Desktop Publishing

• DTP

• Typographical precision

• Combining text with graphics

• Varied type and layout styles

• Use of files from other programs

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DTP

• QuarkXPress

• Adobe PageMaker

• Easily add in files from Adobe PhotoShop and Illustrator, CorelDraw, and Microsoft Word

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Project Management• Plan, schedule, control

resources• People, costs,

equipment• Use of Gantt and

PERT charts– including identification

of critical path

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CAD/CAM

• Computer-Aided Design

• Computer-Aided Manufacturing

• Help design products and structures

• Assist architects and engineers

• AutoSketch

• CorelCAD

• TurboCAD

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Drawing

• Drawing program– similar to CAD, vector-based– design and illustrate objects and products– textured papers and backgrounds– Sketcher– CorelDraw– Adobe Illustrator

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Painting

• Raster-based

• Simulate painting on as screen

• Uses large amount of memory

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Multimedia Authoring

• Text

• Graphics

• Sound

• Animation

• Video

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Multimedia

• Can influence decision makers

• Microsoft PowerPoint

• Macromedia AuthorWare

• Asymetrix Toolbook

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Installing Software

• Versions– major upgrade

• Release– minor upgrade

• Most software is upward compatible– sometimes software companies have difficulty

producing clean conversions to new versions• Downward compatible

– new versions that can run on older versions are less common

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Ethics and Intellectual Property

• Three methods of protecting intellectual property rights– patents

• for an invention

– trade secrets ®• for a formula or method of doing business

– copyrights ©• for a song or book

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Copyright ©

• Exclusive legal right that prohibits copying without the permission of the copyright holder

• Protects the expression of an idea but not the idea itself

• Do not have to register to be in effect

• Books, articles, music, movies, software

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Piracy

• Software piracy– unauthorized copy by floppy or

CD-R

• Network piracy– using networks to distribute

unauthorized copies

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Plagiarism

• The expropriation of another writer’s text, findings, interpretations, and presenting it as one’s own

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Ownership of Images and Sound

• Pay fees or give royalties to prevent future law suits when images are used; check whether violating copyright laws

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Public Software

• Public domain software– may be duplicated at will

• Freeware– free of charge within stated rights

• Shareware– copyrighted, but required to pay a fee if usage

beyond a time, – registering allows user to receive help and

updates

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Proprietary Software

• Rights are owned by the individual or business

• Must be used according to permission

• Is a license to use, not an outright sale

• Shrink-wrap common

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Types of Licenses• Single-user license

– one user at a time

• Multiple-user license– more than one on a network

• Concurrent-use license– specified number at one time

• Site license– as many copies as needed for a facility

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The Software Police

• Software Publishers Association

• Hotline: 1-800-388-7478

• Large fines and prison time for violations