11.3.1.1 justify the choice of applied software and choice criteria based on the goals
11.3.1.2 classify application software
Application software
Software consists of sequences of instructions, called programs, that can be understood and executed by hardware.
Categories of Application software
Application software is designed to perform specific tasks for users.
Off-the-shelf software comes as a finalized set of functions that customers can start using instantly.
General-purpose software is off-the-shelf software that can be used for many different tasks.
Ex. Word processing software, Database software, Spreadsheet software, Presentation Software, etc.
Special-purpose software is off-the-shelf software that performs a single specific task.
Ex. Web Browsers, Media Players, Email Programs, IDE (Integrated Development Environment) etc.
Custom software or tailor-made software - represents the most personalized development approach.
Bespoke software is software written for the specific needs of a client.
Ex. Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Business process automation system, Ticket booking systems, etc.
Comparison of Off-the-shelf software and Custom Software
Off-the-shelf software
Custom software (Bespoke)
Key Features
- Best practices. It is designed to solve standard user tasks.
- Not always meet needs. Perform only predetermined tasks.
- Low customization level. Cannot be customized for each specific user.
- Fixed prices. This is needed by a large number of users, which allows you to set a specific price that covers the total costs.
- Fully customizable. it's specifically tailored to an organization's unique requirements.
- Only required functions. It allows for the incorporation of precise functionalities and features desired by the client.
- Costs are different. Various development costs according to customers' requirements
Advantages
- Cheaper than bespoke. Costs are recovered from the number of buyers.
- Readily available, while bespoke may take some time to write
- Probably less buggy
- Usually integrates with other software well
- Well-tested. It's used by a wide range of customers, and any bugs or issues are often identified and addressed swiftly.
- Personal solution. The software will work exactly the way the client wants.
- No unused features. The software will only have the features that the client specifically needs.
Disadvantages
- It might not perform all the tasks needed by the user
- Not all required features
- The software will be expensive as you have to cover all of the production costs
- It may take some time to develop the software when special-purpose software could be brought straight away
- There will be less user support and online help
Questions:
Explain which software is called application software.
Describe the differences between Off-the-shelf software and Custom software.
Compare general-purpose software and special-purpose software.
Explain the purpose of programs such as word processors, spreadsheets, graphics packages, sound editors, and web browsers.
Exercises:
Ex.1
Ex.2 (Author: Litvinova Olga - CS teacher of NIS Pavlodar)
Ex.3 (Author: Litvinova Olga - CS teacher of NIS Pavlodar)
Ex.4 (Author: Litvinova Olga - CS teacher of NIS Pavlodar)
