What is Software - Program - Application?

You may have heard people talk about using a certain software, program, application or an App. But what exactly does that mean? Simply put, a program or application is a type of software that allows you to do something on your computer. Applications for desktop or laptop computers are sometimes called computer applications - Computer Applications, while those for mobile devices are called mobile applications - Mobile Apps .

Computer application program

Software - What is Software?

Computer software is a collection of data and programs that control the operation of a computer. The term software - Software is used to distinguish it from hardware - Hardware is the physical parts of a computer.

Program - What is a Program?

A program is a set of instructions that tell a computer to process input, then manipulate the data and output the results. Usually, the program is put into a storage area that is accessible to the computer. The computer takes an instruction and executes it and then receives the next command.

Application - What is Application?

An application is a program or group of programs designed for an end user to perform a specific or general task. 

1. When Apple introduced the iPhone, they popularized the term App - Apps. In the past, most people thought of an App as an app on an Apple computer, smartphone, or tablet. Currently, everyone is familiar with installing and using App on application stores such as Microsoft Store on Windows operating system, App Store on macOS and iOS operating system, Google Play Store on Android operating system, etc. .   
2. All apps are programs, but a program is not necessarily an application. For example, there are always a lot of programs that run on the background of an operating system, but because they are not developed for the end user, they are not applications.
3. In computers, software and programs are almost synonymous. However software has a broader meaning, if you are talking about a product it is often referred to as software or computer software.

Types of computer software

Depending on the use of the software, they are classified into different types such as operating system software, control software, application software, utility software, entertainment software, .

Operating System Software - Operating System

Operating System Software - Operating System

The operating system is the most important piece of software that runs on a computer. It manages the memory and operating procedures of the computer as well as all the software and hardware of the computer. The operating system also allows you to communicate with the computer without knowing how to speak the language of the computer. Without an operating system, a computer would be useless.

When you turn on the computer, the operating system is initialized and loaded into the computer's memory. The operating system will run in the background and not be used by the end user. While application software may not be necessary and will not shut down your device when uninstalled, system software is essential and creates a foundation on which applications reside.

Some popular operating systems are Microsoft's Windows, Apple's macOS and iOS, Google's Android, Linux's open source operating system, etc.

See the article What is an operating system

Firmware Software - Firmware

Firmware is stored in the BIOS on the mainboard of the computer

Firmware software, aka core software, firmware. It is a set of instructions stored in read-only memory devices such as ROM, EPROM or Flash memory. Firmware provides essential information about how the device interacts with other hardware.

In computers, Firmware is a specific type of computer software that provides direct control over certain hardware. For example, the basic input/output system - Basic Input/Output System, abbreviated as BIOS of the computer, contains the basic functions of the device to help check the hardware components of the system when powering on, initializing. hardware during boot and load the operating system's bootloader.

The BIOS firmware is pre-installed on the mainboard of the computer and it is the first software that runs when powered on.

Changing the firmware of a device may be rarely or never done during the life of the device. Common reasons for updating Firmware are to fix bugs or add features to the device. Some devices have Firmware that is permanently installed and cannot be changed after manufacturing.

Device Driver Software - Device Driver

Device Driver Software - Device Driver

All hardware devices inside and outside of a computer need a device driver program called Device Driver . Each device has its own control program, through which the computer will identify and control the device to work according to the user's command.

Operating systems often have some built-in programs that control common devices such as keyboards, mice, drives, etc., so when you connect these devices to your computer, they can be used immediately. without having to install drivers for them.

Some common drivers that you often encounter are Display Driver, Motherboard Driver, Printer Driver, Sound card Driver, USB Driver, etc.

Utility software - Utility

Utility software - Utility

Utility software is software designed to help manage, analyze, configure, control, and optimize or maintain computers. It is used to support computer infrastructure - as opposed to application software.

Software such as anti-virus - Antivirus, disk management tool - Disk Manager, file compression and decompression tool - File Compressor, system cleaner - Disk Cleanup, . are all utility tools. .

Operating systems usually have built-in utility software with the necessary tools for this, but other separate utility software may provide more extensive functionality. Utility software is often technically oriented and aimed at users with solid computer knowledge.

Application Software - Application Software

Application Software - Application Software

Computer Application - Computer Application helps you to do a specific job. When it comes to using a computer, you actually use one or more applications to do something on the computer. There are countless applications for computers and they are also divided into many categories. Some are fully featured while others can only do one or two things.

Some application software commonly found on computers

1. Office applications that allow you to edit documents, handle spreadsheets,. Famous office applications are Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Apple iWork, Corel WordPerfect.
2. A graphic design and photo manipulation application that allows you to design an advertisement or edit an image and then print it out. The famous graphic design and image processing applications are Adobe Photoshop, CorelDraw,.
3. Movie editing application helps you to make and edit video movies. Famous movie making applications are Adobe Premiere, CyberLink PowerDirector, Corel VideoStudio,.
4. Web browser - Web browser is an application used to access web pages on the Internet. Most computers come with a web browser pre-installed, but you can also download and install another if you want. Popular browsers include Internet Explorer or Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari.

Apart from these, all software that serves a particular purpose falls under the category of application software.

Entertainment Software - Entertainment Software

Entertainment Software - Entertainment Software

As the name implies, these software only entertain you on the computer. If you want to listen to music or watch movies on your computer, you will need to use a media player - Multimedia Player. Windows Media Player and iTunes are popular media players.

There are many game software - Games that you can play on your computer. They range from simple games like Solitaire to more difficult action games. Many action games require more processing power, so they may not work on older computers with low specs. Some games that require an Internet connection are called online games - Online Game.

Web Application - What is Web Application?

Web Application - Web Application

Web Application - A Web Application or Web App is application software that runs on a web server, unlike computer-based software programs that are run locally on the device's operating system. Web applications are accessed by users through a web browser with an Internet connection.

Commonly used web applications include Web Mail such as Gmail, Yahoo! Mail,. Google Docs and Microsoft 365 online office apps,. online shopping apps - Online Shopping, online banking - Internet Banking,.

See the tutorial article Using a web browser

Free and Paid Software

Free and Paid Software

Paid Software - Paid Software

Most software is free to use. Paid software often has more features and is more complete than free software. When using paid software, you will receive after-sales services and support from the software provider.

Freeware - Freeware

A lot of free software is always available, any user can download it from the internet and use it without paying any fee. However, usually free software will have simple features and support from software providers is also limited. Some free software will come with ads.

Shareware - Shareware

Shareware is a piece of software that is freely distributed to users on a trial basis - Trial. It usually comes with a time limit and when the term expires, the user is required to pay for continued services.

Some software is divided into many versions for different users such as Home  or Personal versions for home users, Professional versions for professionals and Enterprise versions for businesses. or a large organization.

1. See instructions How to install software programs in Windows
2. See instructions How to install software programs on macOS operating system

Kareem Winters

Update 08 May 2023