Computer software (or simply software) is the programs and procedures that enable a computer to perform a specific task, as opposed to the physical components of the system (hardware). This includes application software such as a word processor, which enables a user to perform a task, and system software such as an operating system, which enables other software to run properly, by interfacing with hardware and with other software.

The term "software" was first used in this sense by John W. Tukey in 1957. In computer science and software engineering, computer software is all information processed by computer systems, programs and data. The concept of reading different sequences of instructions into the memory of a device to control computations was invented by Charles Babbage as part of his difference engine. The theory that is the basis for most modern software was first proposed by Alan Turing in his 1935 essay Computable numbers with an application to the Entscheidungsproblem. Hally, Mike (2005:79). Electronic brains/Stories from the dawn of the computer age. British Broadcasting Corporation and Granta Books, London. ISBN 1-86-207663-4.

Relationship to hardware

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Computer software is so called in contrast to computer hardware, which encompasses the physical interconnections and devices required to store and execute (or run) the software. In computers, software is loaded into RAM and executed in the central processing unit. At the lowest level, software consists of a machine language specific to an individual processor. A machine language consists of groups of binary values signifying processor instructions (object code), which change the state of the computer from its preceding state. Software is an ordered sequence of instructions for changing the state of the computer hardware in a particular sequence. It is generally written in high-level programming languages that are easier and more efficient for humans to use (closer to natural language) than machine language. High-level languages are compiled or interpreted into machine language object code. Software may also be written in an assembly language, essentially, a mnemonic representation of a machine language using a natural language alphabet. Assembly language must be assembled into object code via an assembler.

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NYT > Home & Garden

Style: Sky Lark
Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:03:31 -0000
When a family in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, needed more space, there was nowhere to go but up.
Australia in Sonoma
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:04:24 -0000
Linda Dodwell, an intrepid motorcyclist, adventurer and artist, built a compound in California that was inspired by her solo ride across the Australian outback.
At Midlife, Called to a New Field
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:16:39 -0000
A change in home life, as much as in career, seems to appeal to a new breed of back-to-the-landers: former urban professionals.
Shopping for House Gifts With Simon Doonan
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:24:06 -0000
The creative director of Barneys New York shopped for house gifts that would suit the hypothetical characters described in his new book.
In the Garden: Foraging for Berries, the Summer Special on Nature’s Produce Aisle
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:02:11 -0000
If you can’t tell the difference between a blueberry and a pokeberry, you need to carefully educate yourself, and periodically refresh the lessons.
The Fix: Power Remedies for Dirty Grout
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:28:27 -0000
Some homeowners hide their ugly grout behind shower curtains. Others throw rugs over offensive areas or take to their knees and try to scrub it clean.

L.A. Times - Home & Garden

With vast views and clean lines, a Mulholland Drive remodel takes its owners to a higher plane
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700
The new Mayberry?
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Venice artists Nancy Evans and Tucker Strasser build up and turn to glass to create a home-studio
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700
In July, take a rest from planting but keep an eye on the watering
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Grow your own exotic citrus -- pummelos, blood oranges and kaffir limes.
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Doghouses get a green roof with plants that cool the inside
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Christian Science Monitor | The Home Forum

Redemption
A poem
'Jingle-belling' in China
Chinese students learning English catch the Christmas spirit as they sing carols to college classmates and staff.
Where did that Christmas song come from?
For kids: The stories behind three popular Christmas songs.
Today's Article on Christian Science: 'Meekness will receive him'
A Christian Science perspective on daily life.

Denver Post: Lifestyle

Amache internment camp survivors remember tough times
editor@denverpost.com (By Jordan Dresser / The Denver Post) Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:55:05 -0600
Standing on a dusty road near the foundations of what were once barracks at the Amache Japanese internment camp, Kumiko Hasegawa begins to make her journey home.
Maybe bidders more generous with a song in their hearts
jadavidson@denverpost.com (By Joanne Davidson / The Denver Post) Thu, 03 Jul 2008 20:10:59 -0600
For everyone who has vowed "never again" after enduring another fundraiser that devolved into a speech-and-live-auction marathon: You should have been at the National Repertory Orchestra's 2008 Summer Gala.
Ask Amy
editor@denverpost.com (By Amy Dickinson / Tribune Media Services) Thu, 03 Jul 2008 20:00:38 -0600
Dear Amy: Another graduation season has come and gone, which means another display of tacky behavior.

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