Computing Essentials
Chapter 3
Application Software
Prof. Dr. Malik Sikander Hayat Khiyal
Faculty of Computer Science,
Preston University, Islamabad Campus,
85, Street 3, Sector H-8/1,
Islamabad, PAKISTAN.
drsikandarhayat@preston.edu.pk
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Computing Essentials Contents
Chapter 1. Information Technology, the Internet, and You
Chapter 2. The Internet, the Web, and Electronic Commerce
Chapter 3. Application Software
Chapter 4. System Software
Chapter 5. The System Unit
Chapter 6. Input and Output
Chapter 7. Secondary Storage
Chapter 8. Communications and Networks
Chapter 9. Privacy, Security, and Ethics
Chapter 10. Information Systems
Chapter 11. Databases
Chapter 12. System Analysis and Design
Chapter 13. Programming and Languages
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Competencies (Page 1 of 1)
1. Identify general-purpose applications.
2. Describe word processors, spreadsheets,
presentation programs, and database management
systems.
3. Describe specialized applications, such as
graphics, web authoring, and video game
development programs.
4. Describe mobile apps and app stores.
5. Identify software suites.
6. Describe office suites, cloud suites, specialized
suites, and utility suites.
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Why should I read this chapter?
The power and capability of application software
is exploding. We can expect applications beyond
our imagination, and to control these applications
entirely with our voice, gestures, and thought.
This chapter covers the things you need to know
to be prepared for this ever-changing digital
world, including:
• General-purpose applications – how to create
documents, analyze data, make presentations, and
organize information.
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Why should I read this chapter?
• Special-purpose applications – how to use
programs for image editing, web page creation,
and video game development, and how to locate
and use mobile apps.
• Software suites – how to use suites and cloud-
based applications.
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Introduction
Mia a software engineer like to talk with you about
application software and how to access these traditional
programs using cloud computing.
You may not consider yourself very good at typing,
calculating, organizing, presenting, or managing
information. A personal computer can help you do all
these things and much more. All it takes is the right
kinds of software.
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Introduction
To efficiently and effectively use computers,
you need to understand the capabilities of
general-purpose application software, which
includes word processors, spreadsheets,
presentation programs, and database
management systems. You also need to know
about integrated packages and software suites.
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Application Software
Application software can be described as end-user
software and is used to accomplish a variety of
tasks. The three categories of application software
are general purpose, specialized, and mobile.
• General purpose applications include word
processing programs, spreadsheets, presentation
software, and database management systems.
• Specialized applications include thousands of
other programs that are more narrowly focused on
specific disciplines and occupations.
• Mobile apps consist of programs designed for cell
phones and tablets.
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User Interface
You control and interact with a program using a user
interface. A graphical user interface (GUI) uses
icons selected by a mouse-controlled pointer. A
window contains a document, program, or message.
Software programs with a traditional GUI have (see
Figure 1.)
• Menus – present commands listed on the menu bar
at the top of the screen.
• Toolbars – contain buttons for quick access to
commonly used commands.
• Dialog box – provides additional information or
request user input.
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User Interface
Figure 1 Traditional graphical user interface
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User Interface
Many applications use an interface known as the
Ribbon GUI which changes based on the needs of
the user. This GUI uses a system of interrelated
ribbons, tabs, and galleries. (See Figure 2.)
Software programs with a Ribbon GUI have
• Ribbons – replace menus and toolbars by organizing
commonly used commands into sets of related
activities. These activities are displayed as tabs and
appear in the first ribbon.
• Tabs – divide ribbons into groups. Contextual tabs
automatically appear when needed.
• Galleries – graphically display alternatives before they
are selected.
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User Interface
Figure 2 Ribbon GUI
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User Interface
Common Features
• Some of the most common features include
• Spell checker – looks for misspelled words.
• Alignment – centers, right-aligns, or left-aligns numbers
and characters.
• Fonts and font sizes – specify the size and style of entered
numbers and text.
• Character effects – provide a variety of different typefaces,
such as bold or italics.
• Edit options – provide easy ways to edit text, such as cut,
copy, and paste.
• Find and Replace – searches a document for a specific word
or phrase, with the option to replace the word or phrase with
something else.
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General-Purpose Applications
General-purpose applications include word
processors, spreadsheets, presentation software,
and database management systems.
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Word Processors
Word processors create text-based
documents. Individuals and organizations
use word processors to create memos,
letters, and reports. Organizations also
create newsletters, manuals, and brochures
to provide information to their customers.
Microsoft Word is the most widely used
word processor. Others include Apple
Pages and Google Docs.
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Word Processors
Assume that you have accepted a job as an
advertising coordinator for Adventure
Travel Tours, a travel agency specializing
in active adventure vacations. Your
primary responsibilities are to create and
coordinate the company’s promotional
materials, including flyers and travel
reports. To see how you could use
Microsoft Word as the advertising
coordinator for the Adventure Travel
Tours, see Figure 3 and 4.
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Word Processors
Figure 3 Flyer
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Word Processors
Figure 4 Report
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Word Processors
Creating a Flyer
You have been asked to create a promotional
advertising flyer. After discussing the flyer’s
content and basic structure with your supervisor,
you start to enter the flyer’s text. As you enter the
text, the spell checker and grammar checker catch
some spelling and grammatical errors. Once the text
has been entered, you proofread the text and then
focus your attention on enhancing the visual aspects
of the flyer. You add a photograph and experiment
with different character and paragraph formats,
including fonts, font sizes, colors, and alignments.
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Word Processors
Creating a Report
Your next assignment is to create a report on
Tanzania and Peru. After conducting your research,
you start writing your paper. As you enter the text for
the report, you notice that the AutoCorrect feature
automatically corrects some grammar and
punctuation error. Your report includes several
figures and tables. You use the captions feature to
keep track of figure and table numbers, to enter the
caption text, and to position the captions. You use
the footnote feature to assist in adding notes to
further explain or comment on information in the
report. Finally, you prepare the report for printing by
adding header and footer information.
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Spreadsheets
Spreadsheets organize, analyze, and graph numeric
data such as budgets and financial reports. They are
widely used by nearly very profession. Microsoft
Excel is the most widely used spreadsheet program.
Others include Apple Numbers and Google Sheets.
Assume that you have just accepted a job as
manager of the Downtown Internet Cafe. This cafe
provides a variety of flavoured coffees as well as
Internet access. One of your responsibilities is to
create a financial plan for the next year. To see how
you could use Microsoft Excel as the manager for
the Downtown Internet Cafe, see Figures 5 and 6.
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Spreadsheets
Figure 5 First-quarter forecast
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Spreadsheets
Figure 6 Annual forecast and analysis
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Spreadsheets
Creating a Sales Forecast
The first project is to develop a first-quarter sales
forecast for the cafe. You begin by studying sales
data and talking with several managers. After
obtaining sales and expense estimates, you are ready
to create the first-quarter forecast. You start
structuring the worksheet by inserting descriptive
text entries for the row and column headings. Next,
you insert numeric entries, including formula and
functions to perform calculations. To test the
accuracy of the worksheet, you change the values in
some cells and compare the recalculated spreadsheet
results with hand calculations.
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Spreadsheets
Analyzing Your Data
After presenting the First-Quarter Forecast to the
owner, you revise the format and expand the
worksheet to include worksheets for each quarter
and an annual forecast summary. You give each
worksheet a descriptive sheet name. At the
request of the owner, you perform a what-if
analysis to test the effect of different estimates for
payroll, and you use a chart to visualize the effect.
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Presentation Software
Presentation Software is programs that
combine a variety of visual objects to create
attractive, visually interesting presentations.
They are excellent tools to communicate a
message and to persuade people. People in a
variety of settings and situations use
presentation software programs to make their
presentations more interesting and
professional. Three of the most widely used
presentation software programs are Microsoft
PowerPoint, Apple Keynote, and Google
Slides.
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Presentation Software
Assume that you have volunteered for the
Animal Rescue Foundation, a local animal
rescue agency. You have been asked to create
a powerful and persuasive presentation to
encourage other members from your
community to volunteer. To see how you
could use Microsoft PowerPoint, see Figure 7.
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Presentation Software
Figure 7 Presentation
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Presentation Software
Creating a Presentation
You have been asked to create a powerful and
persuasive presentation for the director of the
foundation designed to encourage other members
from your community to volunteer. The first step is to
meet with the director of the foundation to determine
the content of the presentation. Then, using
PowerPoint, you begin creating the presentation by
selecting a presentation template and document theme.
After entering the content, you add interest to the
presentation by adding animation to selected objects
and using slide transition effects.
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Database Management Systems
A database is a collection of related data. A database
management system (DBMS) or database manager is
a program that structures a database. It provides tools
to enter, edit, and retrieve data from the database.
Organizations use databases for many purposes,
including maintaining employee record. Three widely
used database management systems designed for
personal computers are Microsoft Access, Apple
FileMaker, and Oracle Database Express Edition.
Assume that you have accepted a job as an
employment administrator for the Lifestyle Fitness
Club. To see how you could use Microsoft Access,
see Figure 8.
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Database Management Systems
Figure 8 Database
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Database Management Systems
Creating a Database
You have been asked to create an employee
database to replace the club’s manual system for
recording employee data. Using Microsoft
Access, you design the basic structure or
organization of the new database system to
include a table that will make entering data and
using the database more efficient. You create the
table structure by specifying the fields and
primary key field. To make the process faster and
more accurate, you create a form and enter the
data for each employee as a record in the table.
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Specialized Applications
Specialized applications are widely used within
specific professions. They include graphics
programs, video game design software, and web
authoring programs.
Graphics Programs
Graphics programs are used by graphic arts
professionals. They use video editors, image
editing programs, illustration programs, and
desktop publishing programs.
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Specialized Applications
Graphics Programs
• Video editors edit video to enhance quality and
appearance. There are several free or inexpensive
editors designed to assist the amateur videographer.
Three well-known video editors are Microsoft’s
Photos, Apple Final Cut Pro, and Adobe Premier. (See
Figure 9.)
Figure 9 Video editor
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Specialized Applications
Graphics Programs
• Image editors (photo editors) edit or
modify digital photographs consisting of
thousands of dots, or pixels that form bitmap
or raster images. One limitation of bitmap
images, however, is that when they are
expanded, the images can become pixilated,
or jagged on the edges. For example, when
the letter A in Figure 10 is expanded, the
borders of the letter appear jagged, as
indicated by the expanded view. Popular Figure 10 Bitmap image
image editors include Adobe Photoshop,
Corel PaintShop Pro, and Windows Photo
Gallery.
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Specialized Applications
Graphics Programs
• Illustration programs (drawing
programs) create and edit vector images.
Vector images (vector illustrations) use
geometric shapes or objects. These objects
are created by connecting lines and curves,
avoiding the pixilated or ragged edges
created by bitmap images. (See Figure 11.)
Because these objects can be defined by
mathematical equations, they can be
rapidly and easily resized, colored,
textured, and manipulated. Popular Figure 11 Vector
illustration programs include Adobe image
Illustrator, CorelDraw, and Inkscape.
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Specialized Applications
Graphics Programs
• Desktop publishing programs (page layout
programs) mix text and graphics to create
professionals-quality publications. Desktop
publishers focus on page design and layout and
provide greater flexibility. Popular desktop
publishing programs include Adobe InDesign,
Microsoft Publisher, and QuarkXPress.
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Specialized Applications
Video Game Design Software
To create games on your own with right software,
the first step is to visualize the game by thinking
about the game’s length and plot. The second step
is to choose the right video game design software.
Video game design software helps to organize
thoughts and guide users through the game design
process, including character development and
environmental design. The video game design
software behind some of the biggest games
includes the Unreal Game Engine, the Unity
development kit, and the CryEngine SDL. (See
Figure 12.)
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Specialized Applications
Figure 12 Video game design software
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Specialized Applications
Web Authoring Programs
Web authoring is the process of creating a
website. Individuals create online diaries called
blogs. Web authoring programs (web page
editors, HTML editors) create sophisticated
commercial websites. Some are WYSIWYG
(what you see in what you get) editors means
you can build a page without interacting directly
with HTML code. WYSIWYG editors preview
the page described by HTML code. Widely used
web authoring programs include Adobe
Dreamweaver and Microsoft Expression Web.
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Specialized Applications
Other Specialized Applications
There are numerous other specialized
applications, including accounting, personal
finance, and project management applications.
Accounting applications such as Intuit
QuickBooks help companies record and report
their financial operations. Personal financial
applications such as Quicken Starter Edition help
individuals track their personal finances and
investments. Project management software like
Microsoft Project is widely used in business to
help coordinate and plan complicated projects.
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Mobile Apps
Mobile apps (mobile applications, apps) are add-
on programs for mobile devices. Traditional
applications include address books, to-do lists,
alarms, and message lists.
Apps
Popular apps include those for music, videos,
social networking, shopping, and game playing.
• Music. Pandora and Spotify provide popular
music apps. For a monthly fee, most streaming
music services will offer ad-free music and extra
features.
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Mobile Apps
• Video. With faster data speeds and higher-
resolution screens, cell phones and tablets are
becoming a favorite way to watch TV shows,
movies, or video clips. YouTube and Netflix
provide streaming video apps.
• Social networking. Mobile apps are ideal for
sharing a picture while on vacation, checking in
at your favorite coffee shop, or sending out
invites to a last-minute party. Facebook and
Instagram provide social networking apps.
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Mobile Apps
• Shopping. By scanning a product’s barcode,
shopping apps search for the product and provide
price comparisons as well as product reviews.
Amazon provides a shopping app.
• Game. Mindcraft and Final Fantasy are popular
game playing apps. Mindcraft involves exploring
and reconstructing a world. Players may buy
additional environments to explore. Final Fantasy
is a role playing game (RPG) where gamers can
join a team of adventurers and battle fantastic
worlds. (See Figure 14.)
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Mobile Apps
Figure 14 Final Fantasy game
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Mobile Apps
App Stores
An app store is typically a website that provides
access to specific mobile apps that can be
downloaded either for a nominal fee or free of
charge. Two of the best-known stores are Apple’s
App Store and Google Play. (See Figure 15.) Most
of the best-known app stores specialize in
application for a particular line of mobile devices;
other less well-known stores provide apps for a wide
variety of mobile devices. For a list of some more
widely used app stores, see Figure 16.
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Mobile Apps
Figure 15 Apple’s App Store
Figure 16 App stores
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Software Suites
A software suite is a collection of individual
application packages sold together. Four types of
suites are office suites, cloud suites, specialized
suites, and utility suites.
• Office suites (office software suites or
productivity suites) contain professional-grade
application programs. Productivity suites
commonly include a word processor, spreadsheet,
database manager, and a presentation application.
The best known is Microsoft Office and Apple
iWorks.
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Software Suites
• Cloud suites (online office suites) are stored on servers
and available through the Internet. Document created
using cloud applications can also be stored online,
making it easy to share and collaborate on documents
with others. Popular cloud office suites include Google
Docs, Microsoft Office 365, and Apple iWorks. (See
Figure 17.)
• Specialized suites focus on specific applications such as
graphics. These include graphics suites like CorelDraw
Graphics Suite, financial planning suites like Moneytree
Software’s TOTAL Planning suite, and many others.
• Utility suites include a variety of programs designed to
make computing easier and safer. Two of the best known
are Symantec Norton Utilities and AVG TuneUp.
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Software Suites
Figure 17 Cloud suit
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Making IT work for you
Cloud Office Suites
Choosing a Cloud Office Suite. The three
biggest cloud office suites are Microsoft
office 365, Google Docs, and Apple’s
iWork. Each is unique, with different
prices, strengths, and weaknesses. Here are
a few things to consider when choosing a
cloud office suite for your group:
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Making IT work for you
If your company or school already uses a cloud suite, such as Google
Docs, the best online tool may be the one you already have.
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Making IT work for you
1. What does your group use now?
To use a cloud office suite, everyone in your group will
need to sign up online and set up their devices. This can be
time-consuming, but if you are already using one of these
tools, the work may already be done. For example, if your
group currently uses Google Docs, setting up a collaborative
workplace could be a simple as sending an e-mail.
2. How experienced is your group?
Microsoft Office 365 is the gold standard of office suites,
with a huge array of tools and options to tweak any
document or presentation, but to use those tools effectively
takes experience and knowledge. A novice at word
processing may find that Apple iWork is better, with fewer
options and a simple interface.
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Making IT work for you
3. Each cloud suite offers different online storage options and
price points. To learn more about pricing and options,
check out these websites:
iWork apple.com/iwork
Office 365 office.com
Google Docs docs.google.com
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Making IT work for you
Collaborative office suites, like Microsoft Office 365, often
emphasize their ease of set-up and tools for working with
co-workers.
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Making IT work for you
Collaborating with Your group. Online
collaborative office suite tools share many
important features:
1. Document versions – when changes are made to a
document by members of the group, the collaborative tools
create a new version of the document. This feature allows
group members to explore changes in the document without
fear of losing important work.
2. Member changes – when a group member changes a
document, the collaborative tool tells the group about the
change by highlighting the change and identifying who
made it. Use this tool to track member’s impact on the
document and to quickly see what changes have been made.
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Making IT work for you
3. Adding members to the group – as the
document progresses, you may want to get more
opinions. Collaborative tools let you add new
people to your group, but also limit what they
can do. Some group members may be able to
view and edit the document, whereas others may
only be able to view it. This is a good tool to
show someone your work without concern that
they might accidentally edit something.
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Making IT work for you
Most collaborative cloud office suites, like Google Docs, offer
the ability to see who made changes to a document and
when and to undo those changes if necessary.
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Making IT work for you
Many office suites, like Apple’s iWorks, are designed to work
with mobile devices and office utility suites, such as Apple’s
word processor, Pages, which has apps for computers,
laptops, and cell phones.
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Making IT work for you
Mobile Tools. For many, working at a laptop or
desktop computer is the easiest way to compose a
document or presentation. However, when travelling
on a crowded plane or walking down the hallway
with a classmate, you can use cloud office suites on
your tablet or phone. This is a great way to review a
document, make a small comment, or quickly show
a document to a teacher or friend. Apple, Google,
and Microsoft all have apps to download to cell
phones and tablets that allow you to view your
online documents and make simple changes with
interfaces designed for the smaller screens and
touch interfaces of tablets and cell phones.
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CAREERS in IT
Software engineers analyze users’
needs and create application
software. Software engineers
typically have experience in
programming but focus on the
design and development of
programs using the principles of
mathematics and engineering. A
bachelor’s or advanced specialized
associate’s degree in computer
science or information systems and
extensive knowledge of computers
and technology are required.
Expected salary range is $60,000 to
$124,000.
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A Look to the Future
VR and AR Application in the Workplace
Imagine going to the office without leaving your
living room. Or travelling to a business meeting across
the globe without ever getting on a plane. Virtual
reality (VR) head-mounted displays are computer
monitors worn on the head that completely obscure
the vision of the outside world. Like VR, augmented
reality (AR) head-mounted displays resemble glasses,
with computer screens that can show images on the
glasses or that can be translucent and allow the user to
see the world around them. VR and AR applications
are reducing our need to physically visit offices and
businesses.
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A Look to the Future
Virtual reality office spaces have the potential to
completely remove the need for office space.
Workers could use VR software at home and
complete their work with co-worker in a virtual
office. Augmented reality programs could allow
you to try on clothes without going to the store,
overlaying a projection of an outfit to model the
style and fit of a garment. Although not common
yet, these tools are currently being developed by
researchers and scientists.
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A Look to the Future
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