4. Give definition to Software

Software is a general term for the programs that control the computer system. There are two types of software:

-systems software: programs that allow the hardware to run properly, e.g.operating systems

-applications software: programs that allow the user to do specific tasks, e.g. spreadsheets.

Software is any set of instructions that tells the hardware what to do and how to do it. Examples of software include web browsers, games, and word processors. Below, you can see an image of Microsoft PowerPoint, which is used to create presentations.

Everything you do on your computer will rely on both hardware and software. For example, right now you may be viewing this lesson in a web browser (software) and using your mouse (hardware) to click from page to page. As you learn about different types of computers, ask yourself about the differences in their hardware. As you progress through this tutorial, you'll see that different types of computers also often use different types of software.

5.Describe Multimediacontents

Multimedia represents various types of media content, used together. If we have a text with pictures, we have multimedia. Multimedia content is what shapes the Internet as we know it.

Text.Text in multimedia systems can express specific information, or it can act as reinforcement for information contained in other media items.

Images. Digital images can display application content or can alternatively form part of a user interface. JPEG and PNG image formats often appear on websites, as the formats allow developers to minimize on file size while maximizing on picture quality.

Audio.Audio files appear as part of application content and also to aid interaction. Audio formats include MP3, WMA, Wave, MIDI and RealAudio. Developers usually use a compressed format to minimize on download times. Web services can also stream audio, so that users can begin playback before the entire file is downloaded.

Video.Digital video appears in many multimedia applications, particularly on the Web. Common digital video formats include Flash, MPEG, AVI, WMV and QuickTime. Most digital video requires use of browser plug-ins to play within Web pages, but in many cases the user's browser will already have the required resources installed.

Animation.Animated components are common within both Web and desktop multimedia applications. Animations can also include interactive effects, allowing users to engage with the animation action using their mouse and keyboard. The most common tool for creating animations on the Web is Adobe Flash, which also facilitates desktop applications. Using Flash, developers can author FLV files, exporting them as SWF movies for deployment to users. Flash also uses ActionScript code to achieve animated and interactive effects.

6. Describe Archivingofdata

When projects finish or files are no longer being used then there is no real need to store them on the network or system. However, it is likely that the organisation will want to keep a copy for future reference.

Archiving is the term used to refer to making a copy of data or files which are no longer in use, removing the files from the network or system and then storing the files away from the computer, ready to be accessed at a later date if required.

Benefits of archiving

- you have a permanent record or source of the data/files that are no longer in use

- reduces data which is stored on the network or system thus making it faster to back-up

- network storage space is expensive. By archiving data it frees up space for data or files which are currently in use.

- improves the performance of the system since less files stored.

Difference between backing up and archiving

When files are backed up, the original data still remains on the system. Whereas with archiving, once a copy has been made, the original files are removed from the system.