Types of Software and Application Software | OCR H446

Learning Objectives

By the end of this topic you will be able to:

Distinguish between system software and application software

Describe utility software and give examples

Compare general-purpose, special-purpose and bespoke application software

Evaluate when to use each type of application software

Software Types

System Software vs Application Software

System Software

Manages and controls computer hardware, providing a platform for application software. Examples:

Operating System

Device drivers

Utility software

Libraries (e.g. C standard library, DLLs)

Application Software

Software designed to perform specific tasks for the end user. Runs on top of the OS and system software. Examples:

Word processor

Web browser

Payroll system

Video editing software

Utility Software

Utility programs are system software that perform specific maintenance or support tasks for the OS or computer system — not for the user’s direct productive work.

File Compression

Reduces file size for storage/transfer. Examples: ZIP, 7-Zip, RAR. Uses lossless compression algorithms.

Disk Defragmentation

Reorganises fragmented HDD sectors to store files contiguously → faster access. Not needed for SSDs.

Antivirus/Antimalware

Scans for, detects and removes malicious software using signature databases and heuristics.

Backup

Creates copies of data on separate media to enable recovery after data loss or corruption.

Encryption tools

Encrypt files or entire disks to protect data at rest (e.g. BitLocker, VeraCrypt).

System Monitor

Monitors CPU, RAM, network usage; identifies bottlenecks and performance issues.

Application Software

Types of Application Software

General purpose: designed for a wide variety of tasks and users. Examples: Microsoft Word (word processing), Excel (spreadsheets), Google Chrome (browsing). Commercially produced, widely available, relatively cheap.

Special purpose: designed for one specific task or industry. Examples: payroll software, hospital patient management, CAD software. More tailored than general purpose but not custom built.

Bespoke: custom built for a specific organisation’s exact requirements. Examples: air traffic control systems, military targeting software, large bank trading platforms. Expensive; exactly meets needs.

Evaluation

Choosing Application Software

General vs Special Purpose

General purpose: cheaper, well-supported, familiar interface. May have excess features. Special purpose: focused feature set, may need customisation. Better fit for a specific industry workflow.

Bespoke Software

Advantages: exact fit, competitive advantage, meets unique requirements. Disadvantages: very expensive, long development time, risk of project failure, ongoing maintenance cost. Support depends entirely on developer.

Exam tip: when evaluating, always consider cost, time, support, features and maintenance. Bespoke is justified when exact requirements cannot be met off the shelf.

Exam Practice

OCR H446 Style · 4 marks

A hospital wants software to manage patient records. Evaluate whether they should use general-purpose, special-purpose or bespoke software.

[4 marks]

General purpose (e.g. a spreadsheet) would be cheap but lacks specific medical record features (e.g. prescription tracking, appointment scheduling, clinical coding).

Special purpose hospital management software exists (e.g. EMIS, SystmOne); cheaper than bespoke, already proven in healthcare, meets most requirements.

Bespoke would exactly fit the hospital’s specific workflow but would be very expensive and time-consuming to develop and maintain.

Conclusion: special-purpose is likely the best balance between cost, features and speed of deployment for most hospitals. Bespoke only justified if highly unusual requirements exist.

Common Mistakes

Don’t Lose Marks

Saying the OS is application software — the OS is system software. Application software runs on top of the OS; the OS manages hardware and provides services to applications.

Saying antivirus software is application software — antivirus is utility software (system software). It maintains the system rather than being used for productive user tasks.

Confusing special purpose and bespoke: special purpose is an off-the-shelf product for a specific field (e.g. dentist practice software). Bespoke is custom-written for one specific client.

Types of Software andApplication Software