Most people interact with computers at the application level. That is, even if a person doesn’t know anything about the details of the other underlying levels of computing, the chances are that he or she has used application software. Our goal at this level is to give you an appreciation for how various application systems work. Application software can be classified in several ways. In this chapter we focus on general information systems. In Chapter 13 we discuss applications in the realm of artificial intelligence, and in Chapter 14 we focus on simulations, graphics, and gaming.

Computers exist to manage and analyze data. Today they affect almost all aspects of our lives. We use general information systems to manage everything from sports statistics to payroll data. Likewise, cash registers and ATMs are supported by large information systems. In this chapter we examine general-purpose software, particularly spreadsheets and database management systems; these help us organize and analyze the huge amounts of data with which we must deal.