internet.com
You are in the: Small Business Computing Channelarrow
Small Business Technology
» ECommerce-Guide | Small Business Computing | Webopedia | WinPlanet |Refer-It
Webopedia.com
Enter a word for a definition... ...or choose a computer category.
 
 

menu
   Home
   Term of the Day
   New Terms
   Pronunciation
   New Links
   Quick Reference
   Did You Know?
   Categories
   Tech Support
   Technology Jobs
   About Us
   Link to Us
   Advertising

   rss/xmlrss/xml  

Become a Marketplace Partner



talk to us
   Submit a URL
   Suggest a Term
   Report an Error

internet.com
IT
Developer
Internet News
Small Business
Personal Technology
International

Search internet.com
Advertise
Corporate Info
Newsletters
Tech Jobs
E-mail Offers
commerce
  Be a Commerce Partner
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

software
Last modified: Friday, January 04, 2002 

Computer instructions or data. Anything that can be stored electronically is software. The storage devices and display devices are hardware.

The terms software and hardware are used as both nouns and adjectives. For example, you can say: "The problem lies in the software," meaning that there is a problem with the program or data, not with the computer itself. You can also say: "It's a software problem."

The distinction between software and hardware is sometimes confusing because they are so integrally linked. Clearly, when you purchase a program, you are buying software. But to buy the software, you need to buy the disk (hardware) on which the software is recorded.

Software is often divided into two categories:

  • systems software : Includes the operating system and all the utilities that enable the computer to function.
  • applications software : Includes programs that do real work for users. For example, word processors, spreadsheets, and database management systems fall under the category of applications software.
  • E-mail this definition to a colleague

    Sponsored listings

    Software - IBM Online Meetings. Run Better Meetings Online. Easy to Use. Get Complimentary Trial.

    Asset Management Software - Offers automated accounting solutions for hedge funds, private equity funds and family offices.

    Engineering Change Management Software by Arena Solutions - Learn how to document product changes, analyze and track revisions across bill of materials. Download a whitepaper on Engineering Change Management.


    For internet.com pages about software . Also check out the following links!

    Related Links

    Software Publishers Association home page 
    The Software Publishers Association is a leading association for the software industry. Their site offers links to news and events, a member directory, courses, publications, and research information.

    Business Software Alliance (BSA) home page
    The BSA is an organization promoting the continued growth of the software industry through its international public policy, enforcement, and education programs. Their site offers links to news, resources, policies, anti-virus information, and worldwide hotlines.

    CNET's download.com site
    A site for locating downloadable software by keyword or by subject category, from CNET.

    League for programming freedom
    Provides news, position statements and legal resouces covering software patent issues and user interface copyrights. Includes information on the LZW patent.

    Superkids - Educational software reviews
    SuperKids provides reviews of children's software, by parents, teachers, and children. Following a 'Consumer Reports' format, each month an acadmic subject and age range is selected for product comparisons.

    WebShopper
    Computer hardware and software buyer's guide with helpful product-related articles and recommendations.

    WinSite software archive
    Home page for WinSite, a comprehensive Windows software archive. This site offers a search or browse utility to locate software, which you can then download.

    Yahoo!'s software companies page
    Yahoo!'s directory of links to software companies.

    Yahoo!'s software page
    Yahoo!'s directory of software links.

    Sponsored listings

    Quickbooks Inventory Software - Save thousands using our midrange inventory control package that integrates fully with Quickbooks. Helps you extend the life of your Quickbooks.

    Online Event Registration and Payment Collection - Online event management solutions for events, conferences, and seminars. Collect customer data, real time reporting, customize ticket pricing.

    Sales Force Automation Software Directory - Compare sales force automation software using Capterra's free, comprehensive directory.

    related categories

    Software

    related terms

    application

    bloatware

    COTS

    data

    dribbleware

    Extreme Programming

    firmware

    hardware

    JNI

    program

    refactoring

    robust

    software entropy

    systems software

    vaporware


    webopedia
    Give Us Your
    Feedback


    software Products :


    Top Store Offers:
    Dynamic Tech Shop  249.00Microsoft Windows 2000 Server & 25 CAL
    Factory Express  192.00The Acroprint Attendance Rx Time and Attendance Software is an economical solution for any small business. It saves time preparing payroll, a supervis...
    Corel Draw  99.99Dramatically Increase the Qualtiy of Your Photo Composites with Precision Masking. A Natural Addition to Photoshop.
    Dynamic Tech Shop  875.00Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Standard & 5 CAL
    Factory Express  199.00The Acroprint Attendance Rx Network Time and Attendance System is an economical solution for any small business. It saves time preparing payroll, a su...

    Compare all matches:
    2392 Store Offers




    JupiterOnlineMedia

    internet.comearthweb.comDevx.commediabistro.comGraphics.com

    Search:

    Jupitermedia Corporation has two divisions: Jupiterimages and JupiterOnlineMedia

    Jupitermedia Corporate Info


    Legal Notices, Licensing, Reprints, & Permissions, Privacy Policy.

    Advertise | Newsletters | Tech Jobs | Shopping | E-mail Offers