1. Introduction
Specification point:Explain the difference between systems software and application software |
A computer is an electronic machine that can process data. But it needs to be told what to do in the form of a set of instructions. These instructions are called a 'software program'.
Software allows the hardware to do something useful; without software, the hardware wouldn't know what it was supposed to do. So software depends on hardware and hardware depends on software. Together they form a computer system.
Software programs are stored as files on a storage device such as the hard disk, DVD or memory sticks. When they need to run, they are loaded into the computer's memory (RAM).
Use the menu on the left-hand side to find out more about the different categories of software.