Computer slang often uses such a word as "software." Along with it was used another, opposite to it - "hard", which did not take root in speech. What is software and hard and how are they related? The first serves to designate software, and the second - as the name of the material components of the computer, but more often and more familiarly sounds "hardware". Therefore, only one component of the union is used in our speech - “software”. We will talk about this concept in today's article.
What is "software": meaning and use of the word
This word comes from English software. For the first time in the meaning of “software,” it was used by John Tukey, a mathematician at Pristan University. It happened back in 1958. We started using it at sunset, perestroika, since then the word has taken root and is actively used in the language of programmers and not only. What is software today? Firstly, these are the most diverse programs necessary for working with a computer and laptop, mobile phone and PDA. These are those that serve the convenient use of the listed equipment, and those aimed at entertainment. Programs can be very diverse - standard office, advanced - for working with multimedia, graphics, etc. This also includes numerous applications for accounting, business, accounting for personal finances, sports, nutrition control, etc. Secondly, software is called differently. kind of games, films and musical works in one format or another. Thirdly, this concept is used to denote the tools for setting up the correct operation of a computer and other devices. These are all kinds of drivers, utilities, operating systems, etc. Thus, this term is quite extensive and ambiguous. Let's see what other variants of the use of this word exist today.
Soft touch: definition and use
This word is used in another sense, acting as a prefix to the "touch". What is a soft touch and what is it for? Translated from English, this term means "soft to the touch" and is used to name elastic rubber-like plastic. It is scratch resistant, does not slip in the hands and is pleasant to the touch. These material properties have made it popular among device manufacturers. They use soft-touch for the manufacture of body parts of devices.
The listed advantages of this plastic allow you to create durable and tactile-friendly coatings for phones, tablets, laptops. An important plus is that when the device falls, the surface of the soft touch will soften the blow, making it less "painful" for the device. As a bonus - there are practically no fingerprints on this plastic, which means that the phone / laptop will retain a neat appearance for longer.
However, soft-touch is not the prerogative of only various computer and mobile equipment. It is also successfully used in the manufacture of tools - screwdrivers, drills, screwdrivers; sports equipment - balls, handles; cars and even weapons. Due to the special chemical properties of the material, it can be applied to a variety of surfaces, from wood to metal.
Soft Key: Concept
As a prefix to the word "key", the term "software" takes on yet another meaning. Let's look at what a soft key is and why it is needed. There are two of them, so the definition is used, as a rule, in the plural. These are the buttons of a mobile device that are usually duplicated on the screen. They are located on the left and right side of the joystick. Otherwise, these keys are called function keys, and their purpose may vary depending on which application is currently in use. By default, they serve to launch standard applications - "Contacts" (right button) and "Calendar" (left).
Types of software
There are many varieties of software, depending on the classification criteria. As you already understood, this term is characterized by ambiguity, but in common usage it is used to refer to programs. But they are different.
Use Classification
Software can be divided according to purpose into:
- systemic;
- applied;
- instrumental.
The system is designed to control the components of a computer system (RAM, processor, network equipment, etc.). A distinctive feature of this type of software is that it provides the work of other programs, but it does not solve any functional tasks of the user. This category includes the operating system, database management systems, utilities.
Application software is a program designed to perform various user tasks. They can be universal and specialized, entertaining, scientific and multimedia. These are web browsers, graphic and text editors, media players and computer games, etc.
Instrumental software can be considered as a separate application subclass. It is used during the development and design of programs, as well as their further support. These are compilers and interpreters, debuggers, generators and other tools.
Distribution Classification
There are three types of software - paid, free and shareware. With the first two, everything is clear: one is provided for money, has a license, guarantee, copyright, the other is in the public domain, it can be launched, copied, distributed, modified without the need for payment.
Regarding the third, clarification is needed. Shareware is called software, which you can get (download) for free, but under certain restrictions. They can be both the time of using the program, and the possibilities in its work (lack of any functions, for example).
Other classification methods
Software is divided into types of components and complexes. The first type is a single program that performs a specific finished function. It is used independently or as an integral part of the complex. The second is a multi-component program, the individual parts of which perform interrelated functions and serve the solution of certain tasks.
Cross-platform and platform-dependent software (depending on the degree of software portability), interpreted and compiled (by the method of program execution), etc. are also distinguished.
Software and computer games
In this case, these two concepts can have both the same and different meanings. What are software games? These are various computer programs that are used for entertainment purposes. Soft games are games of the most diverse genres - strategies, stimulants, action films, puzzles and others. All of them belong to the applied software category, and in recent years there has been a steady tendency toward the “gamification” of non-entertaining software.
At the same time, there is also special software for the games themselves. These are various tools that improve the conditions of the game - speed, quality, etc. For example, take the popular computer game Conter Strike (KS). There is various software in the COP. What is it and what is it for? It is used to perform various tasks of the player, for example, Premium Proxy Switcher Portable software - this is a program that fixes a broken menu in CS, or TeamSpeak Client - is used for voice communication in the game.
Updates: how and why
In order for the software installed on your computer to work correctly and be up to date, you must regularly update it. You can do this manually or automatically. In addition, there are special programs for these purposes. Do you know what Update Software is? This utility allows you to perform a comprehensive update of the software of your computer without having to manually search for it on the Internet. It scans and analyzes data on outdated user software and provides a list of applications recommended for updating. A very convenient thing. There are a number of other similar programs that allow you to always have up-to-date, properly functioning software on your computer.
Conclusion
In this article we examined what software is, why it is needed and what types it happens. In addition, we learned about various uses of the word, such as soft touch and soft keys. We also talked about software in the world of computer games. We hope this information was interesting to you and answered many questions regarding this popular term.