5.1 Software: Other Software

Expert Systems:

Examples: Expert Astronomer, House Purchase, Quicken finance and many, many more. These programs allow you to type in some data and see its effect either typed or simulated on the screen.

Computer-Aided Learning (CAL):

Examples: Success Maker, GCSE Revision Courses, Flight Simulator. Concerned with teaching you how to do something - marks your work, keeps a score and uses this to offer more work appropriate to your ability, before moving you forward. Can provide simulations of real and hazardous situations for training purposes and for the more advanced games.

Multimedia information software:

Examples: Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, DK - The Human Body. Outputs information in the form of text, image, video and music. Not necessarily any tools provided for input, except to provide a search facility or choices which may be selected to guide you through the content.

Games:

Examples: Solitare, Chess, Lemmings, Dune, Star Wars. These programs often simulate or model real or imaginary situations.

Control software:

Used to program (control) external devices, e.g.. traffic lights and car manufacturing where simple and repetitive tasks are required. Often used in situations that may be hazardous, e.g. bomb disposal, paint spraying, handling radioactive substances, moon buggies, space probes, satellites. Feedback from sensors is usually involved to finely tune the level of control, e.g. the magnetic loop on the road at traffic lights in remote rural areas to detect the presence of a vehicle and cause the lights to change to green.

Software Index    Systems software    Applications software
Other software    Programming languages   Database structure/data types