This post is meant for that reader
who's not-so-tech-savvy, but wants to get a head start in the world
of computing. I'm excited to share details about my future projects,
but since my primary focus is technology, I realize that certain
topics may be over a beginner's head. To help minimize this
knowledge gap, I want to offer my readers a starting point. After
all,
"a journey of a
thousand miles begins with a single step" - Lau Tzu
As the title implies, this post
discusses the difference between Application Software and System
Software. We'll begin by exploring the concepts of computer
Operating Systems (OSs) and user applications. Over the years, many
OSs have been developed, each with a different goal in mind. The
most familiar type of OS is the General Purpose OS installed on
Personal Computers (PCs). There are several flavors of the General
Purpose OS, but in recent years, three well-known names have
virtually dominated the PC world: Windows, Mac OS, and GNULinux.
Since you're reading an online resource, I'll assume you've used a PC
at some point in your life. If this is the case, I feel safe
assuming the PC was driven by one the Operating Systems listed above.
However, with the diffusion of web-enabled mobile devices, it's also
possible that you're reading this on a phone, tablet, or MP3 player.
In this case, the device is driven by a Mobile OS and not a General
Purpose OS. Either way, you've had first-hand experience using two
different types of software: System Software and Application
Software.
The primary goal of an Operating System
is to establish a platform that supports user applications. The term
'platform' is used widely in technology and engineering to define a
foundation on which other mechanisms can be built. Examples of user
applications include: Web Browsers (for surfing the Internet), File
Managers (for browsing digital documents), Word Processors (for
creating and editing documents) and Image Viewers (for opening and
viewing digital images). These applications are built on OS
platforms and use platform services to enhance user experience.
One very important function of an OS is
to give applications access to an Operating Environment. An
Operating Environment is a user's primary interface to the computer.
If you continue down a technology path, you'll encounter the term
'interface' a lot. An interface is a common medium between two
things enabling them to exchange resources. In the case of an
Operating Environment, users'input data via a keyboard, mouse,
microphone, or similar input device (interface). Applications, on
the other hand, output data via computer screens, speakers, printers,
or similar output devices (interfaces). The Operating Environment
most familiar with today's users, is the Desktop Environment on their
PC. Here, the user is presented with interactive graphical
representations of the underlying software. For example, to open a
Web Browser, a user clicks an icon on the desktop and watches as an
interactive window loads their homepage. Multiple windows can appear
on a single screen, optimizing users' multi-tasking capabilities.
Another more recent Operating Environment is the Mobile Environment.
Though it's still in its infancy by comparison, certain trends are
emerging among the different OS flavors. For instance, mobile
platforms add so much constraint to the user interface that
'application windows' are mostly non-existent. Instead, when the
user launches an application from the mobile desktop, that
application takes control of the entire screen. There are many more
differences, but those are beyond the scope of this post.
So how do Operating Systems and user
applications relate to System Software and Application Software? The
answer is simple! Operating Systems are made from a set of System
Software that works to create a platform for user applications.
Likewise, applications are a set of Application Software built on an
OS platform to serve user needs. It may already be clear at this
point, but I'd like to define the key difference between the two
software types: System Software supplies service(s) to Application
Software while Application Software supplies service(s) to its users.
Let's try investigating what this difference actually means.
As mentioned above, System Software is
goal-oriented toward providing service to user applications. Since
computer hardware is very sensitive, careless software design can
easily damage expensive equipment. For this reason, Application
Software is not able to access hardware directly. Instead, the OS
handles all hardware related tasks and acts as an interface for all
user applications. Technically speaking, OSs aren't necessary for a
computer system to run. However, this model of computing comes with
risks and inconveniences. For starters, app developers no longer
have access to stable implementations of hardware and policy
services. Since these functions are dangerous, tedious, and
difficult to reproduce, app development is made exponentially harder.
On the same note, users would lose the OS-provided luxury of
simultaneously running multiple applications. Having the freedom to
launch more than one app in a single session improves both usability
and efficiency.
As you might imagine, the OS does much
more than push graphics from an application to the screen. Some OS
hardware services include: disk access and management; memory access;
network device control; Input and Output device control; expansion
card access; etc. For now, try not to worry about any hardware terms
you're unfamiliar with. You may recall from an earlier paragraph
that I used the word 'policy'. Policies are governed by System
Software and define access privileges and restraints on a 'user by
user', 'group by group' and 'application by application' basis. Some
examples of OS policies include: limiting user access to his/her
data; managing Application Software's hardware utilization; managing
shared resources between multiple applications; setting system
securities and Access Control Lists (ACLs); etc.
In summary, we define a General Purpose
Operating System as a set of System Software meant to deliver
hardware and policy services to Application Software. In turn, users
can access data (either locally or remotely) by using the services
offered by Application Software. Remember that we've only covered
the surface of General Purpose (or Mobile) OSs. There are other
Operating Systems with similar features, but not all follow a similar
model. For example, it's likely that a production computer is driven
by an embedded OS designed to control machinery rather than interface
with users. Other computing devices, such as communication systems,
are likely to run a Real-Time OS (RTOS), whose primary goal is to
receive, process, and transmit data within predictable margins of
time. Regardless, the information here can act as a foundation when
further investigating other OS types. Keep your head high and your
sight toward a brighter tomorrow! Till then, chow.
Related Posts by Zack Sims:
Window Managers and Systems Vs Desktop Shells and Environments
Related Posts by Zack Sims:
Window Managers and Systems Vs Desktop Shells and Environments
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