Device Drivers

A device driver is a computer program that operates or controls a particular type of

device that is attached to a computer or automation. A driver provides a software
interface to hardware devices, enabling operating systems and other computer
programs to access hardware functions without needing to know precise details about
the hardware being used.

A driver communicates with the device through the computer bus or communications
subsystem to which the hardware connects. When a calling program invokes a routine
in the driver, the driver issues commands to the device (drives it). Once the device
sends data back to the driver, the driver may invoke routines in the original calling
program.

Drivers are hardware dependent and operating-system-specific. They usually provide

the interrupt handling required for any necessary asynchronous time-dependent
hardware interface.
Device Drivers
Computer Components that needs Device Drivers
• Printers
• Video adapters
• Network cards
• Sound cards
• PC chipsets
• Computer storage devices such as hard disk, CD-ROM, and floppy
disk buses (ATA, SATA, SCSI, SAS)
• Image scanners
• Digital cameras
• Radio frequency communication transceiver adapters for wireless
personal area networks as used for short-distance and low-rate
wireless communication in home automation.
Application Software
Is a type of computer program that performs a specific personal, educational,
and business function. Each application is designed to assist end-users in
accomplishing a variety of tasks, which may be related to productivity,
creativity, or communication. (ex. Microsoft Office, Programming Language,
Games, text/image/video/sound Editors)

Types of Application Software

Web browsers
These types of application software assist the users in accessing websites and
conducting research. They help users retrieve information and explore the World Wide
Web. Prevalent web browsers are Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, MS Edge, Safari,
etc. These browsers allow users to access search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo,
etc., to conduct research and surf the web. As a software application, web browsers
facilitate easy surfing of the internet. You can make use of these to quickly locate
information across the web.

Graphic software
Graphics software allows easy editing of visual data. It makes room for picture editing
and illustration. Graphics software assists users in creating illustrations and pictures
through software. Examples of application software include Adobe Photoshop and
PaintShop pro.
Application Software
Types of Application Software

Spreadsheet software
Representation of data in tabular form is possible through spreadsheet software. They
allow easy calculations through formulas and functions.
Spreadsheet software that helps analyze, store, and organize data. They assist in
effortlessly conducting complex calculations and managing data. All the data is neatly
arranged in rows and columns. Users can use spreadsheet software to perform
mathematical calculations. The most used application software in this field is Microsoft
Excel, Google Sheets, and Apple Numbers.

Word processors
Word processor software allows formulation, beautification, and manipulation of text.
They allow a wide variety of features to make room for effective text consolidation and
editing. This software helps the user input, edit, format, and give text output. Moreover,
these types of software help create an exquisite visual experience by providing access
to a thesaurus, synonyms, etc. Apart from that, the software includes font styles,
colors, size, etc. Examples of application software are Appleworks, Wordpad, Notepad,
Google Docs, Microsoft Word Docs, etc.
Application Software
Types of Application Software

Presentation software
This application software is built for personal and professional use. It is designed to
assist the users in creating presentations with information and ideas. These software
applications used by businesses gives the ease of making a presentation at the push
of a button.

Some of the key elements of presentation software are:

• Text editor: Presentation software contains the option of a text editor, where one can
put their text and style it.
• Multimedia files: Presentation software contains the facility of adding and animating
graphics, texts, multimedia, and videos.
• Slideshows: Presentation software help in conducting a slideshow for the
presentation also.

A few famous examples of this are Microsoft’s PowerPoint, Google Slides, and Apple’s
Keynote. These presentation applications are essential to creating an engaging and
informative experience. They allow the easy visual presentation of data with the help of
various tools. Information can be presented easily in the form of slides.
Application Software
Types of Application Software

Database software
Known popularly as database management software, this software helps with effective
data management. This software allows easy organization of data and effortless
access to it. DBMS or Database Management System is an application built for
managing, extracting, storing, and searching for information within a single database.
While searching DBMS, this software accesses data through modification. A few
examples of DBMS are MS Access, Oracle, and MySQL.

Multimedia software
Such software allows easy creation of audio, video, or pictorial files. They deal with all
basic multimedia creation and sharing. They come with a wide variety of tools to
facilitate the same. This software is specially built to record, create and edit audio and
video files. It is a significant part of the entertainment, telecommunications, and media
industry. Multimedia software helps in enhancing the visual and auditory experience of
any multimedia. Users can combine audio, texts, images, and animations in multimedia
software.
Application Software
Types of Application Software

Education software
Any software that enhances the learning experience is called education software. This
kind of software is used in classroom setups where teachers impart knowledge to
students. For example, education software makes it easier to conduct lectures with
visual and auditory experiences to make learning fun and easy. Standards of education
software include ProProfs, Schoology, Google Classroom, TalentLMS, Litmos, etc.
Academic or educational software is designed to take care of learning and tutorials.
Functional across various academic domains, they allow easy and immersive
education.

Programming software
Is a software which helps the programmer in developing other software. Compilers,
assemblers, debuggers, interpreters etc. are examples of programming software.
Integrated development environments (IDEs) are combinations of all these software.
Anti-Virus Software
Antivirus software (abbreviated to AV software), also known as anti-malware,
is a computer program used to prevent, detect, and remove malware.
Antivirus software was originally developed to detect and remove computer
viruses, hence the name. However, with the proliferation of other malware,
antivirus software started to protect against other computer threats. Some
products also include protection from malicious URLs (Uniform Resource
Locator), spam, and phishing.