Which type of software is designed to perform specific tasks, like editing documents?

The type of software designed to perform specific tasks, such as editing documents, is known as application software. This software is created to help users accomplish particular functions or tasks, making it user-centric and focused on practical utility. Examples of application software include word processors, spreadsheets, graphic design programs, and web browsers. Each of these applications serves a distinct purpose that enhances productivity or facilitates specific activities.

Middleware, on the other hand, serves as a bridge between different software applications or systems, enabling them to communicate and manage data—a function that is more about support and integration than individual tasks. Operating systems manage hardware and provide a platform for running application software, but they do not perform specific user tasks directly. Similarly, firmware is low-level software programmed into hardware devices that facilitates device operation, but it does not perform the kind of specific task-oriented functions that application software does.