Basics of Computers

  Basics of Computers – Office Tools Application software that assists users in regular office jobs like creating, updating, and maintaining documents, handling large amounts of data, creating presentations, scheduling, etc. are called office tools. Using office tools saves time and effort and lots of repetitive tasks can be done easily. Some of the software that do this are − Word processors Spreadsheets Database systems Presentation software E-mail tools Word Processor A software for creating, storing and manipulating text documents is called a word processor. Some common word processors are MS-Word, WordPad, WordPerfect, Google docs, etc. A word processor allows you to − Create, save and edit documents Format text properties like font, alignment, font color, background color, etc. Check spelling and grammar Add images Add header and footer, set page margins and insert watermarks Spreadsheet The spreadsheet is software that assists users in processing and analyzing tabular data. It i

 👉 A software whose  source code  is freely distributed with a license to study, change, and further distributed to anyone for any purpose is called  open-source software . Open-source software is generally a team effort where dedicated programmers improve upon the source code and share the changes within the community. Open-source software provides these advantages to the users due to its thriving communities − Security Affordability Transparent Interoperable on multiple platforms Flexible due to customizations Localization is possible Freeware A software that is available free of cost for use and distribution but cannot be modified as its source code is not available is called  freeware . Examples of freeware are Google Chrome, Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader, Skype, etc. Shareware A software that is initially free and can be distributed to others as well, but needs to be paid for after a stipulated period of time is called  shareware . Its source code is also not available and hence canno

 👉What is  Utility Software ?   Application software that assists OS in carrying out certain specialized tasks is called utility software. ⇉ S ome of the most popular utility software. Antivirus File management tools Compression tools Disk Cleanup Disk Defragmenter Backup 1.Antivirus A virus can be defined as a malicious program that attaches itself to a host program and makes multiple copies of itself, slowing down, corrupting or destroying the system. A software that assists the OS in providing virus free environment to the users is called  antivirus . An anti-virus scans the system for any virus and if detected, gets rid of it by deleting or isolating it. It can detect many types of virus like  boot virus, Trojan, worm, spyware , etc. 2.File management tools As you know, file management is an important function of operating systems as all data and instructions are stored in the computer in form of files. Utility software providing regular file management tasks like browse, search,

👉 Types of OS ? GUI OS Time Sharing OS Real Time OS Distributed OS Popular Operating Systems    (Ex: Windows, BOSS, etc..) Mobile OS   (Ex: Android, Apple iOS, etc..) GUI OS GUI is the acronym for Graphical User Interface. An operating system that presents an interface comprising graphics and icons is called a  GUI OS . GUI OS is very easy to navigate and use as users need not remember commands to be given to accomplish each task. Examples of GUI OS include Windows, macOS, Ubuntu, etc. 2.Time Sharing OS Operating systems that schedule tasks for efficient processor use are called  time sharing OS . Time sharing, or  multitasking , is used by operating systems when multiple users located at different terminals need processor time to complete their tasks. Many scheduling techniques like round robin scheduling and shortest job next scheduling are used by time sharing OS. 3.Real Time OS An operating system that guarantees to process live events or data and deliver the results within a stip

  As you know, operating system is responsible for functioning of the computer system. To do that it carries out these three broad categories of activities − Essential functions  − Ensures optimum and effective utilization of resources Monitoring functions  − Monitors and collects information related to system performance Service functions  − Provides services to users Let us look at some of the most important functions associated with these activities. Processor management Managing a computer’s CPU to ensure its optimum utilization is called  processor management . Managing processor basically involves allocating processor time to the tasks that need to be completed. This is called  job scheduling . Jobs must be scheduled in such a way that − There is maximum utilization of CPU Turnaround time, i.e. time required to complete each job, is minimum Waiting time is minimum Each job gets the fastest possible response time Maximum throughput is achieved, where throughput is the average time

  As you know, the hardware devices need user instructions to function. A set of instructions that achieve a single outcome are called a program or procedure. Many programs functioning together to do a task make  software . For example, word-processing software enables the user to create, edit and save documents. A web browser enables the user to view and share web pages and multimedia files. There are two categories of software − System Software Application Software Utility Software System Software Software required to run the hardware parts of the computer and other application software is called  system software . System software acts as an  interface  between hardware and user applications. An interface is needed because hardware devices or machines and humans speak in different languages. Machines understand only binary language i.e. 0 (absence of electric signal) and 1 (presence of electric signal) while humans speak in English, French, German, Tamil, Hindi, and many other langua