Differences between writen software and off-the-shelf software

Off-the-shelf software is ready to roll the minute you slide the installation CD in the drive and the other is software which is built to your specification. There is a lot of difference between the writen and off-the-shelf software and the usability of the two types is also considerably different. Here are some of the main differences:

Price: One of the biggest differences is the price. An off-the-shelf product is usually reasonably priced whereas a customized product can be relatively expensive to build.

Generic build: An off-the-shelf product is made for a wide range of audience. Thus the development team has to provide a set design as well as a pre-defined framework. Since the product is ready to use, it may not cater to the exact requirement of all organizations. Usually there are some adjustments that an existing organization will need to make in order to implement an off-the-shelf product. This disadvantage is the biggest advantage in the case of customized software. Customized software picks up current processes and builds an electronic framework to automate them. There is no requirement to change any processes and people can usually get used to the software within a few days. Customized software provides flexibility as well for the organization to tinker around with the software and fine tune it for better performance.

Updates: Off-the-shelf products have off-the-shelf updates. Each time there is a revision in software purchased off-the-shelf, you will need to shell out an update fee. On the other hand, some off-the-shelf products may not have any updates for a long time, thus making you use obsolete software which might have negative repercussions on your business. Updates in customized software are done based on the requirements and budget of the company.

Below are the benifits of using a custom or writen software over an off-the-shelf or packaged software:

1. CUSTOM SOFTWARE: Custom software solutions enable you to develop software solutions that map your unique business processes rather than changing your business processes to conform to what a "packaged software" provides.

PACKAGED SOFTWARE: You may have to bend your business practices to fit the requirements of the package, so that it will suite your business.

2. CUSTOM SOFTWARE: Clearly specifying and achieving the requirements that fits your business is possible.

PACKAGED SOFTWARE: Selecting the best package software that entirely fits your business is very difficult.

3. CUSTOM SOFTWARE: With a custom application, you can have all the features you need and request for your business.

PACKAGED SOFTWARE: You may end up paying a lot of money for features that you don't really need and may be unable to utilize the software effectively in your business.

4. CUSTOM SOFTWARE: The cost of and amount of training required is an up-front investment. 24/7 support is available for you on your software functionality and training.

PACKAGED SOFTWARE: If the product is complex, your staff may be confused, making the software useless. You may not receive 24/7 support service and attention for your business's functionality.

5. CUSTOM SOFTWARE : There are no licensing fees with the custom solutions. Once you have paid for the product, you can usually make as many copies as you need.

PACKAGED SOFTWARE : When you buy off-the-shelf software you are always subject to licensing fees.

6. CUSTOM SOFTWARE :Once you have paid for the product, you can use it for as many employees that you need.

PACKAGED SOFTWARE :The initial purchase price for a product often limits your right of use to a limited number of current users. You have to pay extra if you want the product to be accessible to more users.

7. CUSTOM SOFTWARE : Custom software developers can create a version that contains only the system core and essential system modules. This permits the repair of bugs found in the software.

PACKAGED SOFTWARE : Packaged software, in comparison, are often plagued with serious bugs resulting from a short span between deadline and first sale.

Application software

Applications are programs written to carry out a specific task or set of tasks, for example: word processors, spreadsheets, accounting packages, media players and games.

Types of applications software

Applications come in several different types:

Utility programs - examples include virus scanners, disk defragmenters and backup utilities.

Generic - general purpose software that is not written for any particular type of business. Examples of this include word processors and spreadsheets.

Integrated - a collection of software that has a common set of commands/icons. Usually they include word processors, spreadsheets and graphics software, but they can contain databases as well. They tend to be cheaper than purchasing each application separately.

Specific - software written for a defined purpose. Accountancy software is a good example of this that can be bought by anyone.

Bespoke - bespoke software is written when a company requires a piece of software to perform a very specific task or function and there's no existing software that does what they need. It can be very expensive.

Input and Output device

Output device is any peripheral that receives and/or displays output from a computer. For example plotter, speaker and printer.

PlotterSpeaker

Printer

Input device is a hardware that sends information or feeds data into the computer. For example mouse, keyboard and trackball.

keyboard.mouse.trackball.

Natural Language User Interfaces

Natural Language User Interfaces (LUI) are a type of computer human interface where linguistic phenomenon such as verbs, phrases, and clauses act as UI controls for creating, selecting, and modifying data in software applications.

Command-line interface

A command-line interface allows the user to interact with the computer by typing in commandscommand: a directive given to a computer program. The computer displays a prompt, the user keys in the command and presses enter or return.

Menu

A list of commands or options from which you can choose. Most applications now have a menu-driven component. You can choose an item from the menu by highlighting it and then pressing the Enter or Return key, or by simply pointing to the item with a mouse and clicking one of the mouse buttons.

The antithesis of a menu-driven program is a command-driven system, in which you must explicitly enter the command you want rather than choose from a list of possible commands. Menu-driven systems are simpler and easier to learn but are generally not as flexible as command-driven systems, which lend themselves more naturally to interaction with programs.

There are several different types of menus:
# pop-up menu: A menu that appears temporarily when you click the mouse button on a selection. Once you make a selection from a pop-up menu, the menu usually disappears.
# cascading menu: A submenu that opens when you select a choice from another menu.
# pull-down menu : A special type of pop-up menu that appears directly beneath the command you selected.
# moving-bar menu : A menu in which options are highlighted by a bar that you can move from one item to another. Most menus are moving-bar menus.
# menu bar : A menu arranged horizontally. Each menu option is generally associated with another pull-down menu that appears when you make a selection.
# tear-off menu : A pop-up menu that you can move around the screen like a window.

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Forms

A formatted document containing blank fields that users can fill in with data. With paper forms, it is usually necessary for someone to transfer the data from the paper to a computer database, where the results can then be statistically analyzed. Some OCR systems can do this automatically, but they're generally limited to forms containing just check boxes. They can't handle handwritten text.

Electronic forms solve this problem by entirely skipping the paper stage. Instead, the form appears on the user's display screen and the user fills it in by selecting options with a pointing device or typing in text from the computer keyboard. The data is then sent directly to a forms processing application, which enters the information into a database.

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