Introduction to Computer Software
Hardware
All of the physical components that come together to form a computer.
Applications
Any kind of software that runs on top of the operating system. The applications you use are the software you work with on a computer.
Computer Language
Each computer language was created for some reason as computers evolved, and those that survive today have particular strengths that make them useful to programmers. Some examples are "C", "C++", "C#", "FORTRAN", "COBOL", "Pascal", "assembly", "Java", or "Basic".
IDE (Integrated Development Environment)
Helps programmers easily design, write and debug programs in one application.
Microsoft Windows
Highly popular operating system that features a graphical operating system and a large number of hardware and software vendors creating compatible peripherals and software applications. Many businesses, schools, and home computers run Windows. Launched in 1985
Linux
Linux was first released in the early 1990's as open-source software, which means it was created by many volunteer programmers and is free to use. Linux is not as tightly tied to a graphical user interface, although several such interfaces do exist. Linux can also be run on small embedded systems that do not have a large monitor, so it's common to control a Linux system through a command-line interface.
Mac
Mac Operating systems is Run by apple computers and known for their ease of use and solid reliability, and are especially popular in some home, school, and academic environments. Released in 1984
Eclipse
Program we'll be using to create programs. It is an IDE.
Device Driver
Small pieces of software that work at a low level within the operating system. The purpose of a device driver is to make hardware like a mouse or printer, work with the operating system.
Software
The collection of programs that make the computer do useful work.
Operating System
The underlying software that makes it possible to run other programs on the computer. It ties together all of the hardware components and gives the user a way to control the computer.