Part II. System software controls standard internal compu­ter activities

System software controls standard internal compu­ter activities. An operating system, for example, is a col­lection of system programs that aid in the operation of a computer regardless of the application software being used. When a computer is first turned on, one of the sys­tems programs is booted or loaded into the computers memory. This software contains information about memory capacity, the model of the processor, the disk drives to be used, and more. Once the system software is loaded, the applications software can be brought in.

System programs are designed for the specific pieces of hardware. These programs are called drivers and coor­dinate peripheral hardware and computer activities. User needs to install a specific driver in order to activate a pe­ripheral device. For example, if you intend to buy a printer or a scanner you need to worry in advance about the driver program which, though, commonly goes along with your device. By installing the driver you «teach» your mainboard to «understand» the newly attached part.

Applications software satisfies your specific need. The developers of application software rely mostly on mar­keting research strategies trying to do their best to at­tract more users (buyers) to their software. As the pro­ductivity of the hardware has increased greatly in recent years, the programmers nowadays tend to include as much as possible in one program to make software inter­face look more attractive to the user. These class of pro­grams is the most numerous and perspective from the marketing point of view.

Data communication within and between computers systems is handled by system software. Communications software transfers data from one computer system to another. These programs usually provide users with data security and error checking along with physically trans-

Unit 8

ferring data between the two computer's memories. Dur­ing the past five years the developing electronic network communication has stimulated more and more companies to produce various communication software, such as Web-Browsers for Internet.

• Vocabulary:

aid — помощь to attach — присоединять control — управление developer — разработчик equipment [I'kwipmant] — оборудование general-purpose — общего назначения internal — внутренний mainboard — материнская плата memory capacity — вместимость памяти peripheral — периферийный regard — отношение

regardless — несмотря на, безотносительно, security — безопасность specific — конкретный, определенный to boot — загружать to check — проверять to complete — совершать, завершать to conduct — проводить to develop — развивать, проявлять to direct [dai'rekt] — управлять, руководить •to handle — управлять, обращаться с to install — устанавливать, встраивать, инсталли­ровать

to provide with — обеспечивать чем-либо

to require [n'kwaig'j — требовать

to secure [si'kjus'] — обеспечивать безопасность

to transfer — переводить, переносить