Word Processors
Microsoft Word is
a word processor application, part of the Microsoft Office suite of
productivity applications, and the most widely used word processor today,
followed by the free online Google Docs. The advantage of a word processor is
that the file contains metadata about the formatting of the text in the
document, type of fonts, indentation, bold, italic, etc., some of the
properties stored and saved in a Word document.
Spreadsheets
Microsoft Excel is
a spreadsheet document that saves data in cells of a table represented by the
intersection of a column and a row. The data can be text, numbers formatted differently,
and formulas to provide calculation results from numbers. Spreadsheets also
contain functions that help make calculations easier; SUM is the function I use
the most when creating spreadsheets representing the SUM of the content of the
cells defined after that. CONCAT is another function I often use to concatenate
or place together text from separate cells into one.
Presentation applications
PowerPoint is a
presentation application that allows the creation of a slideshow with text,
graphics, and sometimes animation. It is mainly used by people involved in
sales to present their cases to potential customers. The slideshow helps convey
information in an easier-to-understand format rather than writing a letter
using Word. The same information can be provided; however, the slideshow nature
of presentation applications helps identify and retain information easier. I
sometimes have to use a PowerPoint presentation when proposing new ideas to
upper management, to help them visualize the concepts of my proposition. It is
also widely used in conferences and online webinars.
Database applications
A database is a
storage container described in our textbook as a “collection of facts and
values.” Databases store data for use later; an example would be the number of
employees that work for a company and all their personal information, such as
age, sex, salary, title, etc. The most basic database type is a relational
database which stores data in rows and columns and uses a unique identifier to
reference that table within the database. Other databases use more than rows
and columns, known as object-oriented databases or data-warehouse. Organizations
widely use databases and the Internet today to calculate results, keep track of
transactions and customers, and aid in future predictions about potential sales
or demand for a product.
Reference
Vahid,
Fl, & Lysecky, S. (2019). Computing Technolgoy for all. zyBooks.
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