Software
- When people think about computers, more often than not, they think about machines.
- But, it is really the software, the algorithm -- the ordered, step-by-step instructions required to turn data into information -- that makes a computer a useful tool.
Categories of Software
- Software can be categorized as system software or applications software.
- A subset of system software is an operating system (OS), the basic software found on all computers, e.g., Windows, iOS, Linux, Unix, etc.
- Applications software is used to solve a particular real-world problem or to perform a particular task.
- Applications software may be either custom or packaged.
- Large organizations with resources may pay programmers to write custom software that is specifically tailored to meet their requirements.