How does the application software need the system software?

Answer 1

Application software sometimes require system software to access some of the operational aspects. For instance during installation, an application software may require motherboard or harddisk serial number. For that purpose, an application software has to depend on a system software to get that information.

The operating system works between the hardware and the applications. Applications focus on what the user needs to do, like type a word processing document or create a graphic. For the application to work it needs to be able to communicate with the hardware for doing things like saving things or printing things. It does that through the operating system.

A diagram like a pyramid in 4 sections or 4 blocks on each other is often used that show the hardware at the bottom, the operating system next, the applications next and the user at the top. Another way of thinking of it is that the user uses the applications, the applications use the operating system and the operating system uses the hardware.