software is defined as the instructions that tell a computer what to do it comprises the entire set of programs procedures and routines associated with the operation of a computer system it is divided into system software and application software in this video we are going to talk about the key differences between these two types let's start with a system software system software is defined as the type of software that is the interface between application software and computer hardware it is designed to manage system resources and is known as a general purpose software it is installed on a computer when the operating system is installed it is used for operating computer hardware it works in the background hence users don't directly interact with them it starts running as we turn on our computer system and stops when the system is turned off system software can run independently it provides a platform for running application software these are examples of system software the operating system is the main program that governs and maintains the intercooperation of the components of a computer system it acts as a bridge for the interface between man and machine for example microsoft windows linux and mac os programming language translators refer to programs that transform programming languages written by developers into a form or a language that can be interpreted compiled and executed by a computer when we say assembler it is used to convert the assembly language into machine language the compiler is used to convert high-level language into machine language in one go the interpreter is also used to convert high level language into machine level language line by line thus execution time is low the device drivers act as an interface between the various input output device and the users or the operating system for example printers and web cameras that come with a driver disk that is needed to be installed into the system to make the device run in the system bios stands for basic input output system it is a small firmware that controls the peripheral or the input output devices attached to the system this software is also responsible for starting the operating system or initializing the booting process the utility software helps to maintain the proper and smooth functioning of a computer system it assists the operating system to manage organize maintain and optimize the functioning of the computer system some examples are the following antivirus software that helps to keep the computer virus free it notifies when any malicious file is detected and removes such files examples of antivirus are mcafee antivirus and windows defender the file management tool helps to browse search arrange and quickly preview the files of the system for example windows explorer is the default file management tool present in the system compression tools compress big files and decrease their size examples of compression tools are winzip and winrar this cleanup tool helps to free up the disk space an example is piriform c cleaner disc the fragmenter helps to reduce the fragmentation and hence reduces the access speed the fraggler is an example of a disk defragmenter backup utility helps to backup the files folders databases or the entire disk an example of backup utility is windows backup and restored application software is defined as the type of software that runs as per user request it runs on the platform which is provided by system software it is known as specific purpose software it is installed according to the user's requirements and it is used by users to perform specific tasks it runs as per user request this means when we launch them that's the only time they start and stop when we close them it works on the user interface hence users directly interact with them they can't run without the presence of system software there are two classifications of examples under application software first the general purpose application software these are the types of application software that are ready to use they are created by a company or an individual the following are some examples of this category word processors help users to input edit format and output text content microsoft word and google docs are some examples of it database software helps in organizing data by creating and managing a database by storing modifying extracting and searching for information within a database examples of database application software are microsoft access oracle and mysql spreadsheet software helps in organizing storing and analyzing data in columns and rows to facilitate calculations effortlessly and efficiently examples of application software in the spreadsheet category are microsoft excel and google sheets presentation software is designed to help users to present information with ease and clarity through engaging visual modes such as text pictures sound and video some examples are microsoft powerpoint and google slides web browsers are used to access and view websites through accessing the world wide web it retrieves the necessary content from a web server and then shows the page on the user's device upon user requests some of the most popular web browsers are google chrome and safari multimedia software helps users to create edit or record images audio and video files apple's imovie and adobe's premiere pro are some examples of this software second the specific purpose application software these are the type of software that is customizable and mostly used in real time or business environments they are developed and designed to fulfill certain business functions and to enhance the accuracy efficiency and effectiveness of operations the following are some of its examples ticket reservation system hotel management system and payroll management system in a nutshell system software acts as the interface between the application software and hardware of the computer system whereas the application software acts as an interface between the system software and the end user we come to the end of this video lesson i hope i have given some light to your knowledge about the difference between system software and application software if you find this helpful please consider subscribing to my channel thank you for your time you