COMPUTER BASICS Page 3 - Software Software The hardware spoken of on the previous page is just a collection is metal and silicon without something to make it make sense to you, and turn it into an understandable tool. Software works at three basic levels. The BIOS or Basic Input Output System. The BIOS is software built into your computer's motherboard that controls how the hardware devices work together. All that stuff that flashes by before Windows starts is generated by the BIOS, usually just telling you that everything is working fine. If something is not, it will tell you. For example, if you unplugged your keyboard and started the computer, you'd get a message like "keyboard failure". You will seldom if ever need to do anything with your BIOS. The Operating System. (OS) The OS is the real heart of your PC. Windows, in various versions is the most popular, although the Mac (by Apple) and Linux both have their fans. An OS is what interacts between your input devices like the mouse and keyboard, and the output, like the monitor and printer. Sort of like the motherboard on the inside, it ties everything together. Application programs Application programs are what you actually work with to achieve a desired result. Whether you want to type a letter, create presentations, calculate some numbers, look at a web page, listen to a song or whatever, it is some sort of application program working with your operating system that does it. Most operating systems come with a number of small application included, like Internet Explorer or Calculator that come with Windows, and others you must purchase, like MS Office, or Adobe Photoshop for example. Summarizing The lines between "operating system" amd "applications" are sometimes blurred a bit, but in general, a PC is a fairly simple device. Create your files with an application program, save it permanently to the hard drive or a floppy drive, or print it. Certainly there is a lot more to it, when you consider the complexity of a lot of application programs or connecting computers together on an off network or the internet, but if you get a good grasp of the basics, the rest will fall into place.