Computer software tells a computer what to do, with two main types: system and application. Hardware is tangible and does physical work, while software tells hardware what to do. Open source software can be modified, proprietary cannot. Programming quality is comparable, but open source may have faster bug fixes.
Computer software is a program that tells a computer what to do. These instructions could be internal commands, such as updating the system clock or a response to external input received from the keyboard or mouse. While there are many different types of software built with both open source and proprietary standards, programming mostly boils down to a few basic rules.
Hardware vs. software
The key difference between hardware and software is that the former is tangible while the latter is not. The hardware is the machine itself and does all the physical work, while the software tells the various hardware components what to do and how to interact with each other. This allows computers to adapt to new tasks or install new hardware. While hardware includes things like monitors, CPUs (Central Processing Units), keyboards, and mice; software includes things like word processing programs, operating systems, and games.
Actions
There are two main types of computer software: system and application. The former type is only used to run hardware, while the latter is used to do other things. The main types of system software are operating systems, such as Windows OS X or Linux; and drivers, which are programs that allow a computer to interact with other devices, such as printers and video cards. There are many different types of application software, including games, media players, word processors, antivirus programs, and applications for creating new programs.
How does it work
The hardware understands only the two basic concepts, on and off, which are represented as 1 and 0 in binary language. Software acts as a translator between human languages and binary, which allows hardware to understand the instructions that are given to it. Programmers write commands called source code in programming languages similar to what someone might use in everyday speech. Another program called a compiler is then used to transform the source code commands into binary. The result is an executable computer program.
Open Source vs. Owner
Programmers create open source or proprietary computer software. The first type can be modified and adapted by users, while the second is protected and not intended to be modified by people outside the company that sells it. While open source programs are usually free, proprietary ones are licensed to distributors and must be paid for.
Both types generally have comparable programming quality, but fixes for bugs generally arrive faster for open source products than for proprietary ones. Also, some people prefer to use open source applications because they can feel a sense of ownership in the final design or feel that computer software companies create monopolies and want alternatives. Others prefer closed source programs because they are sometimes more stable or less vulnerable to hackers, often come in suites, and come with company customer service.
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