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Software Concepts

So far this manual has provided a fairly comprehensive overview of the hardware of personal computer system and the systems at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. It is now time to turn to software. Software is the electronic instructions or data of a computer as opposed to the physical hardware. An interesting analogy is the difference between the mind (software) and the brain (hardware). Of course, one could say that the mind consists of bio-electronic signals as well and is therefore hardware too, but software is more than just the electricity. Software is also the meaning of the instructions - or language.

In general software consists in two types, Systems Software and Applications Software. The former is the set of basic utilities for file management, security, program compiles and so forth. The latter are more complex programs for manipulation of data within a program, such as Word Processors, Spreadsheets and Communications. The following illustrates the difference:

This software section of the User's Manual describes the concepts of three related topics to software; programs, systems software and applications software.