Rainer Intro 5e
Technology Guide 2: Computer Software
True/False
1. Software is typically quite complex.
2. As hardware costs have decreased over the past 20 years, software costs have also
decreased.
3. Software consists of computer programs, which are sequences of instructions for the
computer.
4. Computer hardware and software are designed to be general purpose.
5. Application software cannot be run on computer hardware without systems software.
6. Computer code is generally efficient, well designed, and contains very few errors.
7. Companies who develop software for sale license that software for use to protect their
product from being copied and distributed illegally.
8. Open systems refers to a model of computer products – hardware, operating systems, and
application software – that allow any computing device to be seamlessly connected to and
interact with any other computing device.
9. The operating system supervises the overall operation of the computer.
10. The user interface is the most sophisticated on enterprise operating systems and the least
sophisticated on desktop operating systems.
12. Packaged application software addresses a specific or unique business need for a
company.
13. Off-the-shelf application software consists of specific software programs developed for a
particular company by a software vendor.
14. Personal application software consists of widely used packages such as word processing,
spreadsheet, communications, and graphics software.
Multiple Choice
15. Over the past 20 years, hardware costs have _____, while software costs have _____.
A. Increased, increased
B. Decreased, decreased
C. Decreased, increased
D. Increased, decreased
E. Increased, remained level
16. Today, software comprises a larger percentage of the cost of modern computer systems
than it did in the early 1950s. Which of the following reasons account(s) for this development?
A. Hardware costs have decreased.
B. Hardware performance has increased.
C. Software has become increasingly complex.
D. Building software applications remains slow, complex, and error-prone.
E. All of the above
17. Which of the following is not a reason why software currently comprises a larger percentage
of the cost of modern computer systems than it did in the early 1950s?
A. Hardware costs have increased.
B. Hardware performance has increased
C. Software has become increasingly complex.
D. Building software applications remains slow, complex, and error-prone.
E. None of the above
18. Which of the following is not an overall trend in software?
A. Increased complexity
B. Increased cost
C. Increased number of errors
D. Increased amount of mainframe software written by users
E. Increasing percentage of the costs of information systems
19. _____ is(are) a written description of a computer program’s functions.
A. Explanatory instructions
B. Documentation
C. Graphical user interface
D. Plug and play
E. README files
20. The overall trends in software include all of the following except:
A. Increased complexity.
B. Increased cost.
C. Increased number of defects.
D. Increased security.
E. Increasing percentage of the costs of modern computer systems.
21. The _____ complexity of software ansresults in a _____ potential for errors.
A. Decreasing, decreasing
B. Decreasing, increasing
C. Increasing, decreasing
D. Increasing, level
E. Increasing, increasing
22. _____ are sequences of instructions used to direct the workings of a computer.
A. Computer programs
B. Microcode instructions
C. Assembler commands
D. Systems software
E. Input/output instructions
23. The set of computer programs used to manage hardware resources is called:
A. Microsoft Office Suite.
B. Application software.
C. General software.
D. Systems software.
E. Personal application software.
24. The set of computer instructions that provides specific functionality to a user is called:
A. Transaction processing software.
B. Application software.
C. General software.
D. Systems software.
E. Microcode
25. Which of the following is not a characteristic of today’s typical software?
A. It s efficient.
B. It is full of errors.
C. It is poorly designed.
D. It is expensive.
E. It is an art as well as a science.
26. The concept of _____ refers to competing computing products working together.
A. Open-source software
B. Software-as-a-Service
C. Object-oriented software
D. Application software packages
E. Open systems
27. In order to protect their software from illegal distribution, vendors often rely on _____.
A. Secure packaging
B. Private security agents
C. Software licensing
D. Internet-based distribution methods
E. Personal honesty
28. _____ is software whose source code is available at no cost to developers and users.
A. Freeware
B. Shareware
C. Open systems
D. Open-source software
E. Software-as-a-Service
29. Which of the following is not an advantage of open-source software?
A. It produces high-quality code.
B. It produces code that can be changed to meet the user’s needs.
C. Bugs are discovered quickly.
D. Support is available only through online communities of core developers.
E. It produces reliable code.
30. Which of the following is not a function of the operating system?
A. It allocates CPU time and main memory to programs running on the computer.
B. It provides an interface between the user and the hardware.
C. It supervises the overall operation of the computer.
D. It increases the complexity of the system to the user.
E. None of the above
31. The main system control program is the _____.
A. Operating system
B. Cache software
C. Virtual memory
D. Security monitor
E. Multithread register
32. The _____ allows users to exert direct control of icons on the computer screen.
A. Systems software
B. Application software
C. Graphical user interface
D. Plug–and–play
E. Operating system
33. Creating specific application software using an organization’s own resources is called ____ .
A. Outsourcing
B. Consultant-based development
C. In-house development
D. Contract software
E. Documentation
34. _____ programs are often used to analyze financial data.
A. Database
B. Word processing
C. Spreadsheet
D. Graphics
E. Communications
Question Type: Essay
35. Discuss the reasons why software is more costly than hardware in today’s information
systems.
36. What are the overall trends in software?
37. Describe the various types of application software.
38. Discuss the importance of software defects.
39. Describe the factors to be considered for software selection.
40. Discuss the importance of software licensing.
Question Type: Multiple Choice
41. un is getting ready to open a store in her home town to sell unique lamp bases and shades.
She has bought a laptop to use in the store for all of her operating needs. One of the first
applications she needs is one to handle her accounting and checkbook. How might she obtain
such an application?
A. Open-source software
B. Software-as-a-Service
C. Object-oriented software
D. Application software package
E. Open systems
42. Jun has bought an accounting package for her business, which involves selling unique
lamp bases and shades. She wants to hire some part-time help to assist her in
implementing and becoming comfortable with the new software.. Which of the follow skill
sets would be the most beneficial for this worker to possess?
A. Business processes
B. Operating systems
C. Programming languages
D. HTML
E. Open systems
43 Jun has bought an accounting package for her business, which involves selling
unique lamp bases and shades. She and a part-time employee are getting up to
speed on the package but are having trouble matching her business processes to
the software. What does Jun have to do to make the software more effective?
A. Change the UI
B. Change the way the program works
C. Change her business processes to match the software
D. Install an updated version of the software
E. Hire another part-time worker to help