subject: What Is Computer Application Software And Its Examples [print this page] Many people wonder what is application software. It is designed to help computer users to do certain tasks. It is sometimes referred to as an app. Some of its examples include programs made for accounting, graphics, office suites and media players. Many of these programs are concerned with documents. They are sometimes bundled with a computer or they are made separately.
Recently apps have been made to work on mobile platforms. Application software should be differentiated from system programs and middle-ware. These are used to manage and integrate the capabilities that a computer has. They do not directly benefit the user. However they help the applications which are then used by the user.
A shopping mall can be used to illustrate this point well. The building does not provide clients with the items they need to purchase. Instead it gives the retailers space on which they serve the shoppers. Apps are designed to run on platforms. Other can run on different platforms while others run on specific ones only. There are two main categories of applications. These are horizontal and vertical. Horizontal applications are used by companies and departments while the vertical ones are intended for specific purposes in a business.
One is a suite which is made up of several applications bundled together. Usually such programs serve functions that are related and they share similar interfaces and features. They are also able to interact. A good example is Microsoft office which consists of a spreadsheet, a word processor and a database program among others.
Another type is enterprise programs. This is made to meet specific needs in an organization. Good examples include customer relationship management, financial systems as well as programs designed for managing supply chains. Applications for enterprise infrastructure are another type that provides the capabilities necessary to support enterprise systems. Email servers, databases and network management systems are good examples of this.
Applications for information workers are designed to create and allow management of information useful in individual projects. These include analytical, collaborative, resource and time management as well as documentation tools. Other types of apps are content access applications. These include media players and web browsers. They are designed to allow people to consume digital entertainment as well as published content which is digital. They allow users to access content without editing it.
Students and educators also have educational applications. These apps are capable of providing tests as well as tracking progress through materials and collaborative functions. Another kind of app is simulation programs. These are designed to simulate systems for the purposes of training, research and entertainment. Applications for media development are made to generate media for commercial purposes or for education. They include HTML editors and digital animation. Other type of applications include computer aided engineering as well as computer aided design. They are used to make hardware and software products.
Platforms that applications run on can form a basis of classification. These include mobile platforms and operating systems such as Linux and Windows. Delivery networks such as cloud computing and Web 2.0 Applications can also be used to explain what is application software.
