Page 20 - Viva ICSE Computer Studies 3 : E-book

System Software
The main software which allows the computer to run and perform all its essential tasks

is called the system software. A computer cannot operate on its own without a system
software. Operating systems like Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10 are examples
of system software.

Application Software

The software that allows us to perform specifi c tasks or applications on a computer is
called the application software. Word processing software (Word 2016), spreadsheet
software (Excel 2016), presentation software (PowerPoint 2016) and Paint are some
examples of application software.

Working of a Computer

A computer works on the principle of IPO (Input – Process – Output) cycle.

IPO Cycle

Data and instructions are entered in an IPO cycle. They are processed and stored. Then
the result is obtained.

• Input: Instructions and commands given to a computer are called inputs or data.

• Processing: A computer accepts, examines and calculates the result. This is called
processing.

• Output: The result given by a computer after processing is called information or
output.

Let’s understand the IPO cycle with the help of the following examples.

Example 1: Making a drawing involves the following.

• We need a pencil, eraser, paper and crayons to draw a picture. These are the inputs.
• Using the pencil, eraser, paper and crayons to make a drawing is processing.

• The completed drawing is the output.

Input Processing Output

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