1.7 Software suites and integrated software
Software suites
A
software suite or
application suite is a collection of computer programs, usually application software and programming software of related functionality, often sharing a more-or-less common user interface and some ability to smoothly exchange data with each other. These applications are from the same software manufacturer and are packaged together in a large box and sold at prices that are much lower than if they were purchased individually - usually less than half of the original collective price! The software applications contained in a suite or bundle are the same applications a professional user might purchase individually. No corners have been cut, and additional features may have been added such as a "common interface" that allows any of the programs to be accessed from the same "main menu," a consistent screen layout used by each of the programs, and the ability to easily exchange data from one program to another.
1.7 Software suites and integrated software
The advantages of bundled software suites are:
1. Low cost compared to buying each application separately
2. Option to install all of the programs at the same time or only the programs you want to use
3. Consistent interface from one application to another
4. The ability to share information between applications
5. Future upgrades can update each application all at the same time
6. Ideal for personal use, professional use, large or small business
7. Each application is the full-featured version
The disadvantages are:
1. High initial cost
2. All applications are from the same manufacturer - you might prefer a word processor from one company, a spreadsheet from a different manufacturer, etc.
3. May be purchasing more software than you actually need
4. Installation of the entire suite of applications takes up a large amount of storage space on your internal hard disk
5. Several large manuals to study if you plan to master each application, or the package might not include printed manuals in order to keep the cost low
1.7 Software suites and integrated software
Software suites can be classified into three main categories:
I. Office suite
II. Internet suite
III. Graphics suite
i. Office suite
An office suite or productivity suite is a software suite intended to be used by typical clerical worker and knowledge workers. They have a consistent user interface and usually can interact with each other. There is currently a trend towards online office suites which are web applications rather than traditional software. The currently dominant office suite is Microsoft Office, which is available for Microsoft Windows and Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X. It has become a proprietary de-facto standard in office software. Another alternative is the open-source software, OpenOffice that is available for Windows, Linux, Macintosh, and other platforms. Other free or less-expensive office suites include StarOffice, KOffice, Celframe Office, and Lotus Symphony. These programs support many of the features of Microsoft Office, can open the files it creates, and can save new documents in its formats.
1.7 Software suites and integrated software
ii. Internet suite
An Internet suite is an Internet-related software suite. Internet suites usually include a web browser, e-mail client (often with a news client and address book), download manager, HTML editor, and an IRC client.
To explore more about internet suite available in the market click on the following links.
Netscape Communicator
Netscape
Mozilla Application Suite,
SeaMonkey and
Gnuzilla
K Desktop Environment
Opera
Arachne
Cyberdog
MSN Explorer
1.7 Software suites and integrated software
iii. Graphic suite
A graphics suite is a software suite for graphics work that are distributed together will include at least a bitmap graphics editor and a vector graphics editor. In addition to these, the suite may contain VRML editors, animation editors, and morphing tools. Examples include; Adobe graphics suite and Corel graphics suite.
Integrated software
Integrated software refers to two or more components merged together into a single system. For example, any software product that performs more than one task can be described as integrated. The term integrated software is reserved for applications that combine word processing, database management, spreadsheet functions, and communications into a single package. The user can easily switch from one type of application to another without exiting the program.
1.7 Software suites and integrated software
The advantages of integrated software are:
1. Low cost
2. Only one program to install and learn
3. Consistent interface from one module to another
4. The ability to share information between modules
5. Usually only one reference manual
6. Ideal for personal use or small business
The disadvantages are:
1. Each module is limited to basic functions
2. May not be compatible with other popular business software
3. Not suited for large companies or professional use
Integrated software usually costs around $200 and offers basic word processing, spreadsheet, database management, graphics and communications features. To obtain the same assortment of features by purchasing individual applications, you would have to buy five programs at a total cost of over $1000.00! Some examples of integrated software are Microsoft Works and Lotus Works. Some examples of software suites are Microsoft Office, OpenOffice.org (Sun Star Office) and Corel WordPerfect Office.
