Software is simply a series of instructions and information that tell a particular computer how to perform a certain task. This is rather different than physical hardware, in which the machine is constructed and only performs the designated task when it is activated. Software on the other hand is much more versatile in terms of usage, as it can be easily upgraded or replaced. It also needs to be integrated with other programs in order to make them work together as a whole.
The word ‘software’ itself is very broad, encompassing a huge array of applications and machine codes. In fact, software is extremely convenient to use for various reasons. Since the application software is installed directly onto the computer’s hard drive (non-volatile memory), the user does not have to worry about it being corrupted or damaged like the case with physical hardware. Also, since the application software is stored on the computer’s hard drive, any change to the operating system can easily be reflected on the software too.
Another advantage to using application software is that it is much easier to create new programs than it is to write new code for a hardware device. With hardware creating new programs, the user has to first destroy and re-install the previous program before creating a new one. Writing programs for a machine that is not familiar to him can be a bit daunting at times, making the process of developing new system software quite difficult. But programming software is already written specifically for the machine’s specifications, so all that a user needs to do is to translate the instructions that the programmers have written into the machine’s language. This makes it much easier to create new application software for computers.
On the other hand, writing malware code that will infiltrate a computer is not so easy. First, a person has to understand how to generate a worm or virus, then he has to write it in such a way that it will infect a targeted system without leaving any trace of his work behind. This is very difficult to achieve even with programming software. The main reason why people resort to using malware codes is because they are afraid of prosecution for crimes that may have been committed using a computer that was infected by a virus or worm.
On the other hand, there are also many instances where a business has developed software programs that were not so good in terms of performance. The developers made some mistakes when they developed the application software. In these cases, the company would need to take the initiative in correcting their mistakes and ensure that the business will still be profitable in the near future. They may fix the application software and release it to the market but if the wrong decisions are made with regards to its features and its operation, the company will no longer be able to stay in business.
The above are just some examples of why some businesspeople prefer to use application software over hardware installed computer software. Hardware for a particular program is expensive but software is relatively cheap and available for everyone to use at any given time. Hardware is more complex and cannot be altered easily unless you know the programming code and the hardware are beyond your reach. However, these can all be resolved as long as the owner knows how to use it properly. As long as you are careful with your computer software and do not get stuck with a complicated issue, you can be sure that your hardware will be able to support the program you have purchased.
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