Tangerang, Kartunet - After learning how to turn a computer on and off, it's time to understand the concept of programs within this machine called a computer. If components like the CPU, monitor, keyboard, loudspeaker, etc., are called hardware, then the programs embedded in the computer that serve as our working medium are called software. Both hardware and software are absolutely essential for a computer; without them, a computer would be a useless pile of machinery or a stack of meaningless program CDs. Within software, there are two terms that need to be understood: Operating System and Application. Perhaps you've heard of Windows XP, Windows 7, Linux, Macintosh, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Word, or Microsoft PowerPoint. Some of these fall into the operating system category, while others are applications. Let's understand these two concepts more simply. If we liken it to a building, the operating system is like the house, while applications are the rooms within that house. If someone wants to enter a room, they first need to open the main door of the house, then choose the desired room, open that room's door, and finally enter. Each room in a house usually has its own specific functions that make a house complete. For example, there must be a bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, living room, etc. Similarly, the operating system, like a house, serves as a container for application programs, each with its own function. Many operating systems are available on the market. For popular paid versions, we know Microsoft's Windows and Apple's Macintosh. For open-source or free versions, Linux is well-known. Each operating system also has variants released in line with the latest technological developments. For instance, with Windows, it started from Windows 1.0, up to several versions still commonly used today, such as Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and the latest Windows 10. These various types have the same function: to serve as the foundation for all application programs running on them. The differences lie in the constantly updated and advanced features. There are many types of application programs, and they are created to run on specific operating systems. For example, applications that function as word processors (for typing text, creating tables, letters, etc.). On Windows operating systems, Notepad, Wordpad, or Microsoft Word are known, while on Macintosh operating systems, Pages is known. So, before an application is installed (or "installed" in computer terminology), you must know the minimum requirements for it to run. For this discussion, let's take a few examples of popular applications that run on Windows. Here is a list:
- Word processing programs. Notepad and Wordpad, which are built-in Windows applications, and Microsoft Word, which is part of the Microsoft Office suite along with other additional applications.
- Spreadsheet processors. There's Microsoft Excel, also part of the Microsoft Office suite.
- For creating presentations, Microsoft PowerPoint is commonly used.
- Screen reader programs include Job Access with Speech (JAWS), which is paid, and Non Visual Display Access (NVDA), which is open source or free.
- For graphic design, there's Paint, a simple built-in Windows program, or Adobe Photoshop or CorelDRAW.
- For reading scanned results or converting scans into text, there's Open Book from Freedom Scientific.
- Popular chatting applications include Yahoo Messenger or Skype.
- Music or video player applications include Winamp or Windows Media Player.
- Internet browser applications include Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, or Mozilla Firefox.
- Antivirus applications include Norton Antivirus, Kaspersky Antivirus, AVG Antivirus, or Avast Antivirus.
There are many other applications, each with its own function according to need. However, the applications listed above are among the most frequently used for daily purposes. To find out which programs are installed on a computer with Windows 10, activate the Start Menu, press Tab until you reach "Apps View," then use the up/down arrow keys to browse the list of programs. To activate an application program, press the Enter key.