1.7 System software

1.7 System software

1. Systems software is a type of software that controls the computers hardware

   • Provides as an interface between the user and the hardware
   • An operating system is a type of system software

2. Utility programs

   • anti-virus software
   • Disk defragmentation tool
   • Disk copier /formatter
   • Data compression

3. Device drivers

   • Network interface driver
   • Graphics card driver
   • Drivers are OS specific
   • Drivers control hardware
   • Drivers control hardware

4. GUI

   • Windows
   • icons
   • menus
   • pointers
   • WIMP

5. Operating system

   • Provides an interface between the user and the hardware
   • Provides virtual machine to hide complexities