Acquiring Software
At one time, application and system software were included in the purchase price of the computer. Today however, software is usually not included in the purchase price of the computer. For most computer manufacturers, the purchase price of a computer includes only the hardware, and a minimum of system software. The customer normally has to pay extra charges for additional system software and application software, which he/she may wish to purchase. A desired software may be obtained today in one or more of the ways discussed below. The relative advantages and limitations of each way of obtaining software are also discussed below.
Buying Pre-written Software
Thousands of pre-written software packages are available today, if you can find a software package, which meets your requirements, purchasing it is probably the best option. The following steps are typically followed in selecting and buying a pre-written software package by a user.
The user must first prepare a list of all available software packages, which are meant for performing the task for which the user is looking for a software.
The second step is to select only those software packages, from the list prepared above, which will meet the requirements of the user. For example, compatibility with the user's available/planned hardware, I/O devices, operating system, etc.
The third step is to choose the best one (based on factors such as supported features, duration of warranty support, cost etc.) from the list of selected ones.
The final step is to find out the source from where the finally chosen software can be purchased at the cheapest price. Different vendors normally offer different discount rates on the list price, and selecting the best vendor in terms of price and after sale support is very important.
The following are the advantages and limitations of buying a pre-written software package:
A pre-written software package usually costs less, because its development and maintenance costs are shared by many customers.
With a pre-written software package, a user can start the planned activity almost immediately. The user need not wait for the software to be developed and tested. This may be very important, if the development and testing efforts involve several months.
Pre-written software packages are usually designed to be general purpose, so that they can meet the requirements of as many potential users as possible. Due to this feature, many times, the operating efficiency and the capability to meet the specific needs of a user more effectively is not as good for pre-written software packages as for in house developed software packages.
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