What is software?
Software is a collection of instructions that tells the computer what to do. It may be as simple as telling your computer to add two numbers, or it may be a complex program that calculates how much money you owe in taxes based on your income and number of dependents. But there’s one thing they all have in common: they’re all software!
Types of software
It’s the reason your computer can play video games, take photos and send emails. Software is categorized based on its function. Software can be classified based on the type of computer it runs on, or by the type of software it is.
Software for PCs, for example, can be further divided into three categories: operating systems (such as Windows), application programs (such as Word), and utilities (such as antivirus software). A program, such as Microsoft Word or Google Chrome, consists of many different pieces of software.
Software is the foundation of your computer. It is used to organize, edit and store data; control and automate processes; run your computer; create other software; create websites and apps for mobile devices among many other things.
Sometimes you have to pay for software, sometimes you don’t
The first thing to know about software is that it’s just a set of instructions. It tells your computer what to do. Sometimes, those instructions are complicated and require special knowledge to understand how they work—but sometimes they’re simple enough that even you can use them! Usually the simple ones are free, but that’s not always the case.
Software can be used for many different things: it can help you play games, design websites, manage your bank account or create music. Some types of software have been around for decades (like MS Paint), while others are new and exciting (like Pokémon GO). Software may come free with your computer or device; otherwise, you’ll need to buy it from Apple’s App Store or Google Play.
We hope this article has helped you understand what software is! It’s a complex subject, but we think it’s important to know. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and I’ll try my best to answer them :).
