News: On a related note...
News: On a related note...
by Peetee on May 31st, 2008
Computers without software are like books without words. A book without words is just blank pages and no story, though in this form you can write any story you like in it.
Software is the list of instructions that computers read in order to carry out tasks. No software and the computer doesn't know what to do. Give it software and you give it instructions on what to do, be it play a game, process words, spreadsheet, draw pictures, whatever.
by Carwash on May 31st, 2008
Software is simply a set of instructions, telling the computer what to do.
The hardware, the physical pieces of the computer, are all well and good, but for what we'd like to do with computers, we need a way of giving them instructions, and letting the computers do lots of different jobs. We want our computers to browse the internet, play music, do mathematics for us, let us write our documents, and so on. Without software, all the things we want to do would have to be defined in advance, and we'd only ever be able to do the things that the hardware manufacturer thought about.
With software, we get the chance to give our computers lots of things to do, and always with the option of giving it new tasks. It makes the hardware multi-purpose and generic, and lets us put all the specific stuff into the software, where it's easily changed, added and removed.
Example: When you press a key on the keyboard, it makes a small electrical signal. It's software that gets told about this signal, and works out what to do with it. It passes through a few bits of software, that figures out what letter you pressed, which application is currently receiving input from the keyboard; the application itself decides whether the letter should be added to some text, such as a reply here, or whether it should move a game character on screen, or whether the key means 'next track' on your music player. Without software, the electrical signal from the key would only ever mean one thing, fixed in the factory.
by Shadow is Gone on May 31st, 2008
Well, if you have a computer without software, the only thing that it will be able to do is POST(power on self test). Software furnishes the code necessary to manipulate the computer.
by mildrid on August 4th, 2008
i am not sure i have never thought of that im going to think about that now
What is the easiest way to connect an external input to your pc and is there software to be able to program one or more inputs to email?
by meanpplsuk on March 9th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
Which tool should i use to edit wma files?
by Pickering on March 3rd, 2010
| 1 person likes this
Do you ever forget how to do something in a computer program you've been using for years? How angry do you get at yourself?
by Mister_Bromide on March 9th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
Can I define byte as the smallest amount of information in a computer? If not how can I define it
by asentra on March 4th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
please tell me from where i can download free office 2007 tutorials?
by neerajarora on March 13th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
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Comments
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by SABOTEUR on May 31st, 2008
Great answer.
by Karl Plesz on May 31st, 2008