Software is a set of instructions, data, or programs used to operate a computer and execute specific tasks. In simpler terms, software tells a computer how to function. It’s a generic term used to refer to applications, scripts, and programs that run on devices such as PCs, mobile phones, tablets, and other smart devices. Software contrasts with hardware, which is the physical aspects of a computer that perform the work.
Without software, most computers would be useless. For example, a web browser is a software application that allows users to access the internet. An operating system (OS) is a software program that serves as the interface between other applications and the hardware on a computer or mobile device. TCP/IP is built into all major operating systems to allow computers to communicate over long distance networks. Without the OS or the protocols built into it, it wouldn’t be possible to access a web browser.
The majority of software is written in high-level programming languages due to the language being closer to natural human language as opposed to machine language. The high-level language is then translated into low-level machine code using a compiler or interpreter for the computer to understand. Software can also be written in a low-level assembly language, but it is less common.
HISTORY OF SOFTWARE
Computing as a concept dates back to ancient times with inventions such as the abacus. However, these inventions were fully hardware - software requires a general-purpose processor and computer memory in which reusable sets of routines and mathematical functions can be stored, started, and stopped. This type of technology surfaces fairly recently in history.
Ada Lovelace wrote the first known computer program in 1843 for the Analytical Engine. The Analytical Engine was designed by Charles Babbage in 1837 and was the concept for the first general mechanical computer. The program, however, remained theoretical as the Analytical Engine was never physically constructed. The first modern theory of software was proposed by Alan Turing in his 1935 essay, “Computable numbers with an application to the decision problem.
In the late 1950s, the first programming language emerged: Fortran. Other languages soon followed, including COBOL and BASIC. These languages allowed programs to be specific in an abstract way and were not dependent on the details of the hardware architecture of the computer. The languages were chiefly intended for specifying numerical calculations.
Software became popular in the 1970s and 80s with the arrival of personal computers. Apple released Apple II in 1977, an 8-bit home computer and one of the world’s first successful mass-produced microcomputer products. VisiCalc, the first spreadsheet software for personal computers, was released for the Apple II in 1979. The software was written in specialized assembly language. Other companies such as IBM soon developed home computers. Software for productivity and business dominated the early stages of personal computing. Popular software applications during this time included AutoCAD, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel.
Another major innovation in the history of software development was the emergence of open-source software in the 1990s. The Linux kernel was released in 1991, and interest in open-source software skyrocketed after the 1998 publication of the source code for the Netscape Navigator Browser.
TYPES OF SOFTWARE
Application software
Application software is software that helps an end user complete tasks such as doing research, taking notes, setting an alarm, designing graphics, or keeping an account log. Application software lies above the system software and is different from system software in that it’s designed for the end use and is specific in its functionality. This type of software is sometimes referred to as non-essential software because it’s installed and operated based on the user’s needs. Any application on a mobile phone is an example of application software.
System software
It helps the user, hardware, and application software interact and function with each other. System software acts as a mediator or middle layer between the user and the hardware. It’s essential in managing the whole computer system - when a computer is first turned on, it’s the system software that is initially loaded into memory. Unlike application software, system software isn’t used by end users. Instead, it runs in the background of a device.
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