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                                     11
                                    



                                  Software























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Chapter 11 - Software


     Today, just about every IBM or compatible computer comes with a minimum
of DOS and Microsoft Windows or Microsoft Windows 95, but more and more
manufacturers are including other software packages.  For example:  Some
manufacturers include graphics programs, financial programs, and spreadsheet
software.

     When you're ready to buy, pay attention to what software the computer
manufacturer offers.  If the manufacturer includes the software you want and 
would otherwise have to buy, then you've saved yourself some money.  However, 
don't be fooled into thinking you're getting something for nothing because 
you're not.  The price of the software has been included into the price of the 
computer and more often than not, computer manufacturer pay considerably less 
for the software than you would if you went to your local computer store.  
Therefore, it's still a good deal for all involved.


Software version numbers
------------------------

     Ever since programmers started writing programs, they needed some way for
users to be able to understand different variations of the program.  One very
common way is to number the versions of the program.  For example: the first
version would be called version 1, the second would be called 2, the third 3 
and so on.  Some companies take this a step further and include additional 
version numbers.  For example: a company has a program that is version 1 and 
they make a small change to the program.  The company decides the change isn't 
big enough to call the revised program version 2 so instead they call it version 
1.1.  If they later make another small change then they call it version 1.2.  
Even later they make a lot of changes and decide they changed enough to call the 
newest version 2.0.

     Almost always, the larger the number is, the newer the software version. 
Microsoft currently sells MS-DOS version 6.22 and they reached this version
number by continuously adding enhancements to MS-DOS.  Consider the following
and pay close attention to how and why the version numbers change.















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   Microsoft sold version MS-DOS 5.0 several years ago and since that time:


1)   They made major enhancements to MS-DOS 5.0 and renamed it to MS-DOS 6.0.

2)   Next, they made some minor enhancements to MS-DOS 6.0 and renamed it to 
     MS-DOS 6.2 (yes, they skipped the version number 6.1).

3)   Then, they made some very minor enhancements and renamed it to MS-DOS 6.21.  

4)   Lastly, they made more very minor changes and renamed it to MS-DOS 6.22. 


Disk Operating System (DOS)
---------------------------

     Every computer must have some type of software that translates what you
want into what the computer can understand; this software is called the Operating
System.  When you're out looking at computers and they tell you DOS is included,
they are simply telling you the computer comes with the required Operating System. 
You're probably asking yourself "Why would it not come with it?" and the answer
is because that Operating System software costs money and some computer
manufacturers didn't use to include it because of that extra cost.

     Currently, three main companies produce Disk Operating Systems (DOS) for
IBM and compatible computers (IBM, Microsoft and Novell).  Each company
designs their version a little differently so it will look and act a little different, but
still provide all the required features of a Disk Operating System.  Each company
also has its own unique numbers for its version of DOS and the most recent versions
are as follows (as of late 1995):


          Novell DOS     version 7.0
          Microsoft DOS  version 6.22
          IBM PC-DOS     version 7.0















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    If a manufacturer includes software with the computer, then make sure it is
the current version.  Some manufacturers still include MS-DOS 6.20 with their
computers even though the current version of MS-DOS is 6.22.  There are some
important enhancements between those versions so always insist on the most 
recent version of any included software.  Be aware though, some manufacturers
intentionally buy old versions of software so they can include it with the 
computer, and make it more appealing to buyers.  If you request the current 
version of that software, they may charge you extra for it.  Considering that 
some included software is better than no software at all, this is a fair deal.

     Some manufacturers sell their computers with their software "pre-installed".
This simply means someone else installed the software for you before you bought
the computer.  This isn't always a good thing because they may install something
you don't want to use or in a way you don't like.  These are considerations you
must compare to installing the software yourself.  The largest disadvantage to 
pre-installed software is it gives the manufactures a chance (a chance they 
usually take) to NOT include the original disks or CD-ROMs with the computer.  
This is a cost cutting measure for them, and they will usually sell you the 
disks or CD-ROMs for some fee.  I have even heard of one manufacturer that 
doesn't include the software manuals to save money!  Consider what happens if 
you have a hard drive crash and lose all the software on the computer.  You have 
no original disks or CD-ROMs to restore any of the software with.  You're in 
serious trouble.  Therefore, insist on getting the original disks or CD-ROMs, 
even if you must pay for them.  Simply because if something can go wrong, it 
will!


Graphical User Interfaces (GUI)
-------------------------------

     Some operating systems (or operating environments) use pictures or graphics
rather than words to represent actions (like checking for spelling mistakes).  
This is called a Graphical User Interface (GUI).  The Apple Macintosh computer 
has always had this type of user interface while until recently, IBM and 
compatibles have not.  Currently, there are several operating systems or 
operating environments that use this type of user interface such as IBM OS/2, 
Apple Macintosh System 7, 













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Microsoft Windows, and Microsoft Windows 95.  GUIs generally offer a number of 
advantages such as:

- common support for the use of a mouse
- use of pull-down menus
- use of dialog boxes (it asks you a question and you answer)
- all types of data and graphics can be easily mixed together
- the support of WYSIWYG 
     This is an acronym for "What You See Is What You Get".  The term WYSIWYG, 
     pronounced "wizzy-wig", is used as an adjective to refer to computer 
     programs such as word processors that generate screen images that are 
     identical in position and type appearance to the final printed document.
- GUIs are generally easier to use and learn
- programs that use a standard GUI tend to look and feel like other programs that      
  are designed to use that same GUI.  Therefore, new programs are easier to 
  learn.


Microsoft Windows
-----------------

     Microsoft Windows (also called Windows) is the most popular and widely
used GUI for IBM and compatible computers.  It was first introduced back in the
mid 1980s and continued to gain strength until 1990 when it really became 
popular.  Today, Windows (one version or another) comes on more than eighty (80) 
percent of all computers sold world-wide.  Windows is covered in more detail 
later in this chapter.


IBM OS/2
--------

     IBM OS/2 is a GUI and similar in appearence to Microsoft Windows.  The
current version of OS/2 is called OS/2 Warp.  It was first introduced shortly 
after Microsoft released Windows, but has taken much longer to become generally
accepted, even though it is technically superior to Windows to several ways.














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For example:

     - It does not require a separate Disk Operating System (DOS) as previous     
       versions of Windows did (Windows 95 doesn't either).
     - It will works with programs written to work with Windows (not Windows      
       95), as well as programs written for OS/2.
     - It is a more stable GUI (it will "crash" less often)
     - It requires less of a computer (less RAM, hard drive space, etc.) to do 
       the same work as Windows or Windows 95.

The largest draw-back to OS/2 is there are not as many programs written for it 
as there are for Windows. 


Understanding How to Read the Names and Versions
------------------------------------------------

Microsoft Windows version numbers are confusing to a lot of people.  The
following quote is from an e-mail posted on the Internet.

      "What is the highest version of windows?  Some say 3.11 or Windows NT.
       Still others say it's 6.0a. I know all about Word....they still say it's 
       Windows 6.0a though.  I had one person say they even had 6.0c."

     The problem here is this person doesn't understand how to read the name and
version of Windows or programs written for the Windows environment.  First I'll
explain how to read the names of programs written for Windows and then explain
what the current versions are.

     Since there are many kinds of operating systems (DOS, Windows, OS/2,
Unix, and System 7), software makers must name the software so people can
determine what operating system the software will work with.   When you're
looking at software, look on the box and you'll see something indicating what
operating system the software requires.  Here's how to interpret it.
















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     If I say "I use WordPerfect for Windows 6.1." I'm actually saying "I use
WordPerfect Version 6.1 that is specifically written to work with the Microsoft
Windows environment."  The 6.1 is actually the WordPerfect version and not the
version of Windows being used.  I could have also said "I use WordPerfect 6.1 
for Windows".  This is perhaps the easiest to understand.  You may be thinking 
"Why can't I simply say I use WordPerfect?"  You can.  However, since there are 
versions written for DOS, Windows, System 7, etc. and some characteristics are 
different between these versions, that may not be specific enough.   


Current versions of Windows
---------------------------

     There are currently three variations of Windows being sold (Windows,
Windows for Workgroups, and Windows 95).  Both Windows and Windows for
Workgroups are version 3.11, but Windows for Workgroups includes a few extra
programs (such as e-mail, scheduler, etc.) for use on a network.  Without some 
type of network, these extra programs aren't much good, so if you don't have a 
network or foresee having a network in the near future; don't pay the extra 
money for the Workgroups version.

     The most recent version of Windows is called Windows 95.  Think of it as a
Windows version 4.0.  Microsoft decided the "official" name of this new version
would be Windows 95, because they thought people would better understand the
name "Windows 95" compared to "Windows version 4.0".  It is superior to 
previous versions of Windows (Windows and Windows for Workgroups) in several 
ways.  The following is a list of some of the improvements Microsoft made:

- it no longer requires a separate DOS
- supports 32-bit processing
- performs better multi-tasking (running more than one program at once)
- adds "Plug and Play" compatibility (Plug and Play is a term that refers to an      
       Operating System that is smart enough to recognize when hardware has been  
       added, removed, or changed inside the computer.  It makes all of the 
       necessary changes to itself so everything will work correctly.  The whole 
       idea behind Plug and Play is to make it easier for the average person to 
       add, 
  
  











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       remove or change hardware in the computer.  Plug and Play is still 
       very new so it still has some quirks or problems, but these should be 
       resolved as more hardware manufacturers make their hardware Plug and Play 
       compatible.  Windows 95 is the only GUI I'm aware of that currently 
       supports Plug and Play, but I'm sure others will have it in time.)

Windows 95 currently doesn't have a lot of applications written specifically for 
it (and it's new features), but more programs are being written everyday.  
Therefore, this should not be an issue for long.

     There is also another Windows product called Windows NT (the current
version is 3.51), but this IS ONLY intended for use on a network computer and 
not for home or personal use.  The name may be the same, but it's a totally 
different kind of program and is considerably more expensive compared to Windows 
or Windows for Workgroups.   You will not see Windows NT installed on any of the
computers you intend to buy unless you're buying a network.


Comparing Software
------------------

     When you're out comparing various software programs (like word processing
software) don't compare them based on their version numbers, but rather on their
features and abilities.  Let me explain.  Both Microsoft and WordPerfect make 
word processing software that are currently called version 6.0.  Since both are 
version 6.0, you must compare programs to see which is a better program, has 
more features, and is easier to learn, and not the version numbers.  The version 
number doesn't tell you much more than how long the company has been working on 
it.


Word Processing
---------------

     One of the most popular uses for personal computers is word processing.  It 
is an information processing system that relies on automated and computerized 
typing, copying, filing, dictation, document storage, and retrieval.  A word 
processor is a computer program designed to provide easy manipulation of text.  
It can be used to 











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write letters and/or documents, while inserting, deleting, and/or changing 
words, paragraphs, or pages.  WordPerfect, Word Star, PC-Write, and Word are 
popular word processing programs.


Spreadsheet
-----------

     A spreadsheet is a computer program that uses a grid to provide a structure
for entering, calculating, storing, and organizing information.  For example: a
spreadsheet could be used for making budgets or keeping track of your bank
account balance.   VisiCalc, Lotus 1-2-3, Quattro Pro, and Excel are popular
spreadsheet programs.


Database
--------

     A database is a computer program that allows similar pieces of data to be
linked together in an organized way.  For example: a database can be setup to 
store the name, address and age of all employees at a company.  Later, if 
someone wants to know which employees lives on Elm street or how many employees 
are over the age of 20, the database would quickly provide that information in 
an organized way.  Database programs are very powerful and can store huge 
amounts of almost any kind of data.  dBASE, FoxBASE, Access, and Clarion are 
popular database programs.
























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