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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


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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$139.99 - $299.98 from 11 stores. User rating:4.3 out of 5. After dominating the handheld video game market for over a decade with the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance, Nintendo diverges from its winning brand with the Nintendo DS. First announced in spring of 2004 and scheduled to launch near the end of that same year, the Nintendo DS is based on an unusual design that suggests possibilities of innovative player interfaces and new styles of gameplay. The most prominent feature of the DS, or "Dual Screen," is its two backlit display screens. The rectangular Nintendo DS is about the same size and shape as a contemporary PDA. It has a clamshell design, with a conventional display screen above, centered on the inside of the lid, and a touchsensitive screen, which can be used for both display and control, on the bottom of the unit. The two screens are aligned, one directly above the other, when the Nintendo DS is opened for use. Both screens are about three inches measured diagonally, comparable in size to the screen on a Game Boy Advance. Games for the Nintendo DS are stored and sold on DS cartridges, which are similar in size to the flash memory cards used in digital cameras and PDAs; considerably smaller than Nintendo's previous handheld media formats. The DS is backwardcompatible, however, and can also play the sinlgeplayer modes of nearly all existing GBA games. The device features two separate cartridge slots to accommodate the two media formats. Game Boy cartridges fit in a slot on the front of the handheld, and Nintendo DS cartridges go in a slot on the back. The control buttons of the Nintendo DS are somewhat similar to those of a Super NES. A crossshaped Dpad is to the left of the bottom screen and four action buttons "A," "B," "X," and "Y" are arranged in a diamond to the right. In games that support the distinguishing dual screen design, the bottom display may also be a primary means of control. The touchsensitive screen can be used with a precision stylus that comes with the handheld, or simply with the player's fingers and thumbs. The Nintendo DS also has two shoulder buttons. The overall performance power of the Nintendo DS has been equated to that of the Nintendo 64 console. The handheld is designed to produce audio, video, and 3D rendering of speed and quality comparable to the late1990s console. The DS supports both IEEE 802.11 and a proprietary format of wireless connectivity, allowing two or more players to join in multiplayer DS games without a physical "link cable" connection. The handheld also features a headphone jack (unlike its GBA SP predecessor) and microphone input for voicerecognition functions. A builtin, rechargeable battery provides an estimated 10 hours of gameplay. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide
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