Ideas for Christmas Gifts

iPod Accessories

For music lovers, there is no better gift than something that will spice up their personal music devices. A sturdy case or various accessories will ensure the owner listens to their music in style.

If a friend or family member is interested in high fashion, Ferragamo might just do the trick. Ferragamo offers iPod lovers elegant leather cases complete with leather straps. They come in five different colors and will surely provide a luxurious touch.

Those looking for more simple, less pricey cases can choose from a variety of selections at Internet Web sites as well. ``10x10''(www.10x10.co.kr) and ``babosarang'' (www.babosarang.co.kr) offer colorful cases that range from 9,900 won to 30,000 won. They come in stripes, cartoons, animal prints and famous art works. They also have a range of special headphones, speakers and stickers, which can be used to personalize iPods.





DVD Sets

DVD sets to please the couch potatoes.It doesn't take much to make a warm, relaxing evening. Settling down on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate and a warm blanket to tune into your favorite TV show might just do the trick.

Just in time for the winter holiday, Paramount offers a super-sized Christmas DVD package of the hit series ``Sex and the City.'' Shaped like a shoebox ― hinting at Carrie's (Sarah Jessica Parker) ``shoe fetish'' ― the set includes all of seasons 1-6 of the sexy New York story. Offered at the special price of 99,000 won (18 discs). In stores Dec. 21.

Warner Home Video Korea has released boxed DVD sets of popular American sitcoms: season 6 of the long-running family show ``Full House'' starring the Olsen twins (40,700 won); season 8 of the Emmy Award-winning medical drama ``ER'' (66,000 won); and season 8 of the funny sport columnist story ``Everybody Loves Raymond'' (45,700 won).

All available in a variety of languages and subtitles, including English and Korean. Note that the region code is 3 (Asia) and may not be compatible with DVD players set to a different region code.




Christmas and the year-end are drawing near. For those who haven't had the time to do some shopping yet, here are some gift ideas ― utilitarian products with that personal touch.





Skin Products

Skin products to fight off the nippy weather are a must during the winter. Although hand creams and such aren't that fancy, you can use them everyday, and there are a host of products specially released for the year-end season.

The Body Shop offers various Christmas special gift sets at relatively low prices. There is the limited edition Rich Plum set, which includes a velvety plum-scented soap, shower gel and body lotion, marked down from 21,800 won to 14,900 won. Cranberries are synonymous with sumptuous Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners and the brand offers a line of Cranberry-scented products each winter season, such as the body lotion and shower gel set (250 mililiters each, 31,000 won).

At the lower end of the price range are products from the Face Shop, which you can find almost anywhere. Although there are seasonal gift sets available, it might be pleasant to make your own batch combining nutty and zesty items. Some popular ones are Almond & Sesame Oil Rich Hand & Foot Treatment (6,500 won) and Fruit Ball Hand Cream (4,400 won), which come in an adorable case in the shape of its fruity flavor of lemon or apple.

Another idea is a nice fragrance. Unisex fragrances such the Body Shop's Zinzibar Eau de Toilette (30 milliliters, 15,000 won) has a warm and exotic scent that's perfect for the cold weather and comes in a red bottle that is fitting for Christmas.

If you're looking for something more classic, luxurious Christmas collections by Acqua di Parma might satisfy refined tastes ― or noses. Stars like Audrey Hepburn were avid fans of elegant Italian brand. The Colonia Hat Box (135,000 won) includes a 100-milliliter bottle of Colonia Eau de Toilette, Acqua di Parma's signature unisex fragrance, along with a bath and shower gel (75 milliliters) and body cream.

If you're looking for something more classic, luxurious Christmas collections by Acqua di Parma might satisfy refined tastes ― or noses. Stars like Audrey Hepburn were avid fans of the elegant Italian brand. The Colonia Hat Box (135,000 won) includes a 100-ml bottle of Colonia Eau de Toilette, Acqua di Parma's signature unisex fragrance, along with a bath. shower gel (75 ml) and body cream.

For gentlemen, Collezione Barbiere Shaving Set (225,000 won) includes Colonia Eau de Cologne (100 milliliters), shaving gel can and after-shave balm is the ultimate solution to masculine grooming needs.

Resolving Windows Common Problems

Resolving Common Problems on Installation Windows XP This is lists for some common installation problems and offers solutions. Troubleshooting Tips Problem : Media errors occur Solution : If you are installing from a CD-ROM, use a different CD-ROM. To request a replacement CD-ROM, contact Microsoft or your vendor. Try using a different computer and CD-ROM drive. If you can read the CD-ROM on a different computer, you can perform an over-the-network installation. If one of your Setup disks is not working, try using a different set of Setup disks. Problem : CD-ROM drive is not supported Solution : Replace the CD-ROM drive with a supported drive. If replacement is impossible, try another installation method such as installing over the network. After you complete the installation, add the adapter card driver for the CD-ROM drive if it is available. Problem : Computer is unable to copy files from the CD-ROM Solution : Test the CD-ROM on another computer. If you can copy the files using a different CD-ROM drive on a different computer, use the CD-ROM to copy the files to a network share or to the hard drive of the computer on which you want to install Windows XP Professional. Problem : Insufficient disk space Solution : Do one of the following: ª Use the Setup program to create a partition by using existing free space on the hard disk. ª Delete and create partitions as needed to create a partition that is large enough for installation. ª Reformat an existing partition to create more space. Problem : Dependency service fails Solution : In the Windows XP Professional Setup Wizard, return to the to start Network Settings dialog box and verify that you installed the correct protocol and network adapter. Verify that the network adapter has the proper configuration settings, such as transceiver type, and that the local computer name is unique on the network. Problem : Setup cannot connect to the domain controller Solution : Verify the following: - The domain name is correct. - The server running the DNS service and the domain controller are both running and online. If you cannot locate a domain controller, install Windows XP Professional into a workgroup and then join the domain after installation. - The network adapter card and protocol settings are set correctly. If you are reinstalling Windows XP Professional and are using the same computer name, delete the computer account and recreate it. Problem : Windows XP Professional fails to install or start Solution : Verify the following: -Windows XP Professional is detecting all of the hardware. -All of the hardware is on the HCL. -Try running Winnt32 /checkupgradeonly to verify that the hardware is compatible with Windows XP Professional. Setup Logs During Setup, Windows XP Professional generates a number of log files containing installation information that can help you resolve any problems that occur after setup is completed. The action log and the error log are especially useful for troubleshooting. Action Log The action log records in chronological order the actions that the Setup program performs. It includes actions such as copying files and creating Registry entries. It also contains entries that are written to the Setup error log. The action log is stored in SETUPACT.LOG. Error Log The error log describes errors that occur during setup and their severity. If errors occur, the log viewer displays the error log at the end of setup. The error log is stored in SETUPERR.LOG. Additional Logs Setup creates a number of additional logs, including the following: % windir%\comsetup.log Outlines installation for Optional Component Manager and COM+ components. % windir%\setupapi.log Receives an entry each time a line from an .inf file is implemented. If an error occurs, this log describes the failure. % windir%\debug\NetSetup.log Logs activity when computers join domains or workgroups. % windir%\repair\setup.log Provides information that is used by the Recovery Console. (In Windows NT 4, this was used by the Emergency Repair Process.) "

Installing Hardware

After buying computer Configuring your computer hardware can be an easy or difficult task to complete. Each hardware device must be configured with unique system resource settings. The resource settings enable the device to communicate with the computer's processor and memory without competing or conflicting with other devices. Most devices have the capability to accept various combinations of resource settings.You install new hardware (for instance, a sound card or hard drive) through a multistep configuration process. The fundamental steps are to configure the device at a physical level and at one or more logical levels so that the system can communicate with the device. A device will not function properly unless it is correctly installed.interrupt A type of signal that is used to get the attention of the CPU when I/O is required. An interrupt tells the CPU that the operating system is requesting that a specific action be taken. Interrupts are prioritized; higher-numbered interrupts are serviced first.base memory Memory addresses that are reserved and used to store low-level control software that is required by an add-on device.I/O memory Memory addresses that are reserved and assigned to add-on devices. Each assignment tells the CPU about the location of a specific device.direct access memory (DMA) DMA enables a device to transfer data directly to RAM without using the attention of the processor for the entire transfer period. The result is a faster and more direct method of data transfer.Note Before you install any piece of hardware, take the precaution of wearing an antistatic wrist guard to protect the computer from any potential electrical shocks that might damage the circuitry.When you install a piece of hardware, you should first properly configure it. You can determine configuration settings by reviewing the documentation that comes with the device. Traditionally, older hardware was configured through DIP switches and jumpers. Now this technology is fairly obsolete. Most hardware configuration is now done through software.Each hardware device is unique and has its own settings that you need to configure. Common configuration settings include interrupts, base memory, I/O memory, and direct memory access (DMA). These items are covered in more detail in the following subsections.Completing the physical installation of the device requires plugging it into the motherboard via a slot, cables, or both. Be sure that you have all the necessary accessories, such as screws or cables, when completing this step. If the device is a PC card, carefully plug it into an available bus slot of the same type, and secure it by screwing it into the case. It usually does not matter which slot you place the card into unless it is a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA), or MicroChannel Architecture (MCA) card; then it is identified by slot number.After you have securely attached the device, you can begin the software configuration. In this step, you install the device drivers and set any configuration parameters that a particular operating system might need in order to communicate and interact with a device.Note One reason Plug and Play technology is so important is that it automatically configures hardware devices for you. Windows 9x, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 all include support for Plug and Play.

How To Clear Your Memory Without Restarting

Every time you use your computer, running multiple task is a daily activities. Especially if you are webmaster, or even graphic designer. Program such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw, Dreamweaver, Macromedia Flash, and perhaps SEO Tools you ran it together. Of course if you have great amount of memory your PC will run smoothly, but what if you less stock of memory space ?. You can try this tips, Most people will restart their computer to remove and idle processes. But if there’s a simpler way, why restart every time windows decides it doesn’t like you today?1. Right click on an empty spot on your desktop and select New - Shortcut.2. Type %windir%\system32\rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks in the box.3. Click Next.4. Give your shortcut a nice name like “Reset Memory”.5. Click Finish and you’re done.Now whenever your computer starts running slow click this shortcut to clear out your memory and get your computer running at a normal pace again.

Windows XP Scheduled Task

With Scheduled Tasks, you can schedule any script, program, or document to run at a time that is most convenient for you. Scheduled Tasks starts every time that you start Windows XP and runs in the background, and it starts each task that you schedule at the time that you specify when you create the task.To open Scheduled Tasks:
Click Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Scheduled Tasks.To schedule a New Task:
Double-click Add Scheduled Task to start the Scheduled Task Wizard, and then click Next in the first dialog box.The next dialog box displays a list of programs that are installed on your computer, either as part of the Windows XP operating system, or as a result of software installation.Use one of the following procedures:
If the program that you want to run is listed, click the program, and then click Next.
If you want to run a program, script, or document that is not listed, click Browse, click the folder and file that you want to schedule, and then click Open.
Type a name for the task, and then choose one of the following options:
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
One time only
When my computer starts (before a user logs on)
When I log on (only after the current user logs on)
Click Next, specify the information about the day and time to run the task, and then click Next.
Note that the information about the day and time to run the task vary depending on the selection that you made in the previous wizard dialog box. For example, if you chose Weekly, you must indicate the day of the week, the time, and if the task should run every week, every 2 weeks, every 3 weeks, and so on.
Type the name and password of the user who is associated with this task. Make sure that you choose a user with sufficient permissions to run the program. By default, the wizard selects the name of the user who is currently logged on.
· Click Next, and then click Finish after you verify the choices that you have made. Using Advanced Options in Scheduled Tasks If you want to change the configuration of the task:
Click Open in the Advanced properties for the task before you click Finish. After you click Finish, the Properties dialog box opens for the task.
On the Schedule tab, you can change any of the scheduling options that you chose in the wizard, and you can also change the task configuration so that the task does not run too long, does not run if the computer is running on batteries (for laptops), and to specify whether or not the computer should be idle for the task to run.Note: You can open the Properties dialog box for the task at any time if you open Scheduled Tasks, right-click the task, and then click Properties.You cannot schedule a task so that it repeats in an interval less than one day; however, you can do this in the Properties dialog box: Click the Schedule tab, and then click Advanced.
Click to select the Repeat task check box, and then specify the number of minutes or hours in which you want the task to be repeated.

Windows XP Run Commands (DOS)

99 Commands the Windows XP Command prompt can run.

Here is a list of commands that you can run off from the Run Command prompt in XP:

Go to Start Menu > Run… and type in the command to run

Application = Command

Accessibility Controls = access.cpl
Add Hardware Wizard = hdwwiz.cpl
Add/Remove Programs = appwiz.cpl
Administrative Tools = control admintools
Automatic Updates = wuaucpl.cpl
Bluetooth Transfer Wizard = fsquirt
Calculator = calc
Certificate Manager = certmgr.msc
Character Map = charmap
Check Disk Utility = chkdsk
Clipboard Viewer = clipbrd
Command Prompt = cmd
Component Services = dcomcnfg
Computer Management = compmgmt.msc
Date and Time Properties = timedate.cpl
DDE Shares = ddeshare
Device Manager = devmgmt.msc
Direct X Control Panel (If Installed)* = directx.cpl
Direct X Troubleshooter = dxdiag
Disk Cleanup Utility = cleanmgr
Disk Defragment = dfrg.msc
Disk Management = diskmgmt.msc
Disk Partition Manager = diskpart
Display Properties = control desktop/desk.cpl
Dr. Watson System Troubleshooting Utility = drwtsn32
Driver Verifier Utility = verifier
Event Viewer = eventvwr.msc
File Signature Verification Tool = sigverif
Findfast = findfast.cpl
Folders Properties = control folders
Fonts = control fonts
Fonts Folder = fonts
Free Cell Card Game = freecell
Game Controllers = joy.cpl
Group Policy Editor (XP Prof) = gpedit.msc
Hearts Card Game = mshearts
Iexpress Wizard = iexpress
Indexing Service = ciadv.msc
Internet Properties = inetcpl.cpl
IP Configuration = ipconfig
Java Control Panel (If Installed) = jpicpl32.cpl
Java Application Cache Viewer (If Installed) = javaws
Keyboard Properties = control keyboard
Local Security Settings = secpol.msc
Local Users and Groups = lusrmgr.msc
Logs You Out Of Windows = logoff
Microsoft Chat = winchat
Minesweeper Game = winmine
Mouse Properties = control mouse
Mouse Properties = main.cpl
Network Connections = control netconnections
Network Connections = ncpa.cpl
Network Setup Wizard = netsetup.cpl
Notepad = notepad
Nview Desktop Manager (If Installed) = nvtuicpl.cpl
Object Packager = packager
ODBC Data Source Administrator = odbccp32.cpl
On Screen Keyboard = osk
Opens AC3 Filter (If Installed) = ac3filter.cpl
Password Properties = password.cpl
Performance Monitor = perfmon.msc
Performance Monitor = perfmon
Phone and Modem Options = telephon.cpl
Power Configuration = powercfg.cpl
Printers and Faxes = control printers
Printers Folder = printers
Private Character Editor = eudcedit
Quicktime (If Installed) = QuickTime.cpl
Regional Settings = intl.cpl
Registry Editor = regedit
Registry Editor = regedit32
Remote Desktop = mstsc
Removable Storage = ntmsmgr.msc
Removable Storage Operator Requests = ntmsoprq.msc
Resultant Set of Policy (XP Prof) = rsop.msc
Scanners and Cameras = sticpl.cpl
Scheduled Tasks = control schedtasks
Security Center = wscui.cpl
Services = services.msc
Shared Folders = fsmgmt.msc
Shuts Down Windows = shutdown
Sounds and Audio = mmsys.cpl
Spider Solitare Card Game = spider
SQL Client Configuration = cliconfg
System Configuration Editor = sysedit
System Configuration Utility = msconfig
System File Checker Utility = sfc
System Properties = sysdm.cpl
Task Manager = taskmgr
Telnet Client = telnet
User Account Management = nusrmgr.cpl
Utility Manager = utilman
Windows Firewall = firewall.cpl
Windows Magnifier = magnify
Windows Management Infrastructure = wmimgmt.msc
Windows System Security Tool = syskey
Windows Update Launches = wupdmgr
Windows XP Tour Wizard = tourstart
Wordpad = write

Computer science resources for academics

Google has a long history of involvement with universities, and we're excited to share some recent news on that front with you. At the main Google campus this week we're hosting the Google Faculty Summit, which involves universities all over participating in discussions about what we're up to in research-land as well as computer science education - something very near and dear to us.

Meanwhile, because we know that between teaching, doing research and advising students, computer science educators are quite strapped for time, we've recently launched a site called Google Code for Educators. While you may have previously heard about our offerings for K-12 teachers, this new program is focused on CS topics at the university level, and lets us share the knowledge we've built up around things like distributed systems and AJAX programming. It's designed for university faculty to learn about new computer science topics and include them in their courses, as well as to help curious students learn on their own.

Right now, Google Code for Educators offers materials for AJAX web programming, distributed systems and parallel programming, and web security. The site includes slides, programming labs, problem sets, background tutorials and videos. We're eager to provide more content areas and also more iterations for existing topic areas. To allow for liberal reuse and remixing, most sample course content on Code EDU is available under a Creative Commons license. Please let us know your thoughts on this new site.

Beyond CS education, another important faculty topic is research. Google Research offers resources to CS researchers,including papers authored by Googlers and a wide variety of our tech talks. You might be interested in learning more about MapReduce and the Google File System, two pieces of Google-grown technology that have allowed us to operate at enormous scale. We also recently put together a few university research programs and we're eager to see what academics come up with.

Computer Maintenance

You may not realize it, but your computer and your car have something in common: they both need regular maintenance. No, you don't need to change your computer's oil. But you should be updating your software, keeping your antivirus subscription up to date, and checking for spyware. Read on to learn what you can do to help improve your computer's security.

Getting started

Here are some basics maintenance tasks you can do today to start improving your computer's security. Be sure you make these part of your ongoing maintenance as well.

* Sign up for software update e-mail notices. Many software companies will send you e-mail whenever a software update is available. This is particularly important for your operating system, your antivirus program, and your firewall.

* Register your software. If you still have registration forms for existing software, send them in. And be sure to register new software in the future. This is another way for the software manufacturer to alert you when new updates are available.

* Install software updates immediately.

When you get an update notice, download the update immediately and install it. (Remember, downloading and installing are two separate tasks.)

An ounce of prevention

A few simple steps will help you keep your files safe and clean.

* Step 1: Update your software

* Step 2: Backup your files

* Step 3: Use antivirus software and keep it updated

* Step 4: Change your passwords

Developing ongoing maintenance practices

Now that you've done some ground work, it's time to start moving into longer term maintenance tasks. These are all tasks that you should do today (or as soon as possible) to get started. But for best results, make these a part of a regular maintenance schedule. We recommend setting aside time each week to help keep your computer secure.

* Back up your files. Backing up your files simply means creating a copy of your computer files that you can use in the event the originals are lost. (Accidents can happen.) To learn more read our tips for backing up information.

* Scan your files with up to date antivirus software. Use your antivirus scan tool regularly to search for potential computer viruses and worms. Also, check your antivirus program's user manual to see if you can schedule an automatic scan of your computer. To learn more, read our tips for reducing your virus risk

* Change your passwords. Using the same password increases the odds that someone else will discover it. Change all of your passwords regularly (we recommend monthly) to reduce your risk. Also, choose your passwords carefully. To learn more, read our tips for creating stronger passwords

Making a schedule

One of the best ways to help protect your computer is to perform maintenance regularly. To help you keep track, we suggest making a regular "appointment" with your computer. Treat it like you would any other appointment. Record it in your date book or online calendar, and if you cannot make it, reschedule. Remember, you are not only helping to improve your computer, you are also helping to protect your personal information.

EU Examining Google-DoubleClick Bid

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) — The European Commission said Monday it would take until Nov. 13 to examine Google Inc.'s $3.1 billion bid for online ad tracker DoubleClick to review proposals by the world's largest search engine meant to eliminate antitrust concerns.

Google lawyer Julia Holtz said the California company had committed to keep certain DoubleClick business practices unchanged. She did not give details.

"We believe that the deal is good for publishers, advertisers, and users — and we trust that the Commission will reach the same conclusion and clear the transaction," she said. "Today's advertising market is highly competitive and innovative, and it is evolving very quickly."

The Nov. 13 deadline is for the EU to clear the deal or decide to open an in-depth probe that can take up to four months.

Rivals Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp. say the deal will damage fair competition in the growing Internet advertising market.

New York-based DoubleClick helps its customers place and track online advertising, including search ads, which Google — more than its nearest search competitors Yahoo and Microsoft Corp. — has turned into an extremely lucrative business.

It places ads on Web pages that targeted consumers are likely to use, generating money for smaller publishers and lesser-visited pages.

Yahoo's head of European public policy, Andrew Cecil, said last week that combining the two companies would strengthen Google's dominant position in Europe and damage the online ad landscape.

"The end result will be higher prices for Internet publishers and advertisers and less choice for European consumers," he said.

Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith told a U.S. Senate hearing last month that the deal should be blocked because it would enable Google to "become the overwhelmingly dominant pipeline for all forms of online advertising" with "sole control over the largest database of user information the world has ever known."

Microsoft tried to acquire DoubleClick itself, but lost out to Google in April.

Consumer advocates have also raised privacy concerns, but EU antitrust regulators have hinted that they do not plan to examine these in detail.

David Drummond, chief legal officer at Google, told the U.S. Senate that the acquisition will not hurt competition because the online search leader doesn't compete directly with DoubleClick.

Unlike Google, DoubleClick does not sell advertising, but instead provides technology and services to companies seeking to place display ads online, Drummond said, citing other deals as proof that competition in the Internet ad market is robust.

Microsoft agreed earlier this year to pay $6 billion for Seattle-based online advertising firm aQuantive Inc. and Yahoo Inc. bought Right Media Inc. for $680 million.

MSI installation package

A currently popular format for Microsoft Windows is the MSI installation package, which is installed by Windows Installer. Companies making tools for creating installers for Windows include Install Shield, Macro vision’s Install Anywhere, Wise, Setup Builder and Script Logic Corporation (Formerly MaSaI Solutions). Most of these tools can create MSI packages as well as their own proprietary executables.

Free alternatives include NSIS, Click team Install Creator and Inno Setup, and a tool from Microsoft called WiX . Bit Rock has a multiplatform tool, called Install Builder, that creates installers for Windows, Mac OS X , Linux and many others and is free for open source projects. Java projects will also be interested in the open source IzPack installer which allows to generate cross-platform installers.

Mac OS X has an application called Installer bundled with it. However, this is not technically an installer (see table above), but a Package Manager. Some commercial applications for Mac OS X use a custom installer, often Installer VISE or Stuffit InstallerMaker. Applications that do not need to install additional system components can be installed by moving the application files to a desired location on a hard drive; this is known as "drag-and-drop installation" and no installer software is needed. Mac OS X also includes a separate software updating application, Software Update (also known by its shell command, "software update") but only supports Apple and system software.

An installation program on a CD is often designed to run automatically when inserted into the optical disc drive.

As a compromise between the Windows installer concept and the package management systems of UNIX-like systems, Windows installation management systems exist. Many of these form a part of a systems management software (and in some cases open source) alternatives exist.

Uninstall - removing the program and most of its belonging's from your system.

HARDWARE

1 HARDWARE: “WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW TO BUY A COMPUTER?”

What is a computer? I guess the easiest way I can explain it is as a little machine that

follows very specific instructions over and over. A computer cannot learn and, unless

told to do so, won’t respond to anything. Think of it as a very dumb dog that you have to

teach to catch a ball every day and every time you want to play.1

Computers do very complex math. Mind you, it is always related to the basics: add,

subtract, multiply and divide. But as anyone who has had algebra and calculus will tell

you: if you do enough of these basics, you can get approximations of more sophisticated

math that are pretty close to reality. Computers do this math very quickly. Often these

calculations are done in millions per second. Imagine multiplying 10 million pairs of

multi-digit numbers per second. I have a hard enough time myself doing a 3-digit

multiplication in less than a minute.

Computers can store a vast amount of information and retrieve it at extraordinary speeds.

When everything works correctly, this data is as fresh and unblemished by time as when

it was first stored. It can record information about everything (given it has sufficient

storage capacity). While this may not seem to be a great achievement, think about this:

when you last went to the store, how much did you pay for each item you bought?

Computers can store this kind of information a lot better than we can recall it. Also, one

of those CD-ROMs that we see so frequently can store the entire Encyclopedia Brittanica

along with photos. (Please note that if you buy their CD-ROM set, it has more than just

text and photos. So, the set has several CD-ROMs.)

What have computers done for us? Consider the following:

1. Made the world incredibly smaller by facilitating communications.

2. Advanced science and medical discovery more in 10 years than in centuries of

history.

3. Designed cars, roads, cities, clothing, etc.

4. Tested transportation long before the prototypes ever left their studios.

5. Exploded our imaginations with color and virtual reality.

6. Controlled our market-place and caused the “Black Monday” crash.

7. Hinted that a passenger aircraft over Saudi Arabia was an enemy and

recommended firing on it.

8. Opened freedom of speech to areas all over the world via the Internet.

9. Abetted fraud, laundering and gambling.

Software

Software is a general term for the various kinds of programs used to operate computers and related devices. (The term hardware describes the physical aspects of computers and related devices.)
Software can be thought of as the variable part of a computer and hardware the invariable part. Software is often divided into application software (programs that do work users are directly interested in) and system software (which includes operating systems and any program that supports application software). The term middleware is sometimes used to describe programming that mediates between application and system software or between two different kinds of application software (for example, sending a remote work request from an application in a computer that has one kind of operating system to an application in a computer with a different operating system).
An additional and difficult-to-classify category of software is the utility, which is a small useful program with limited capability. Some utilities come with operating systems. Like applications, utilities tend to be separately installable and capable of being used independently from the rest of the operating system.
applets are small applications that sometimes come with the operating system as "accessories." They can also be created independently using the Java or other programming languages.
Software can be purchased or acquired as shareware (usually intended for sale after a trial period), liteware (shareware with some capabilities disabled), freeware (free software but with copyright restrictions), public domain software (free with no restrictions), and open source (software where the source code is furnished and users agree not to limit the distribution of improvements).
Software is often packaged on CD-ROMs and diskettes. Today, much purchased software, shareware, and freeware is downloaded over the Internet. A new trend is software that is made available for use at another site known as an application service provider.
Some general kinds of application software include:
Productivity software, which includes word processors, spreadsheets, and tools for use by most computer users
Presentation software
Graphics software for graphic designers
CAD/CAM software
Specialized scientific applications
vertical market or industry-specific software (for example, for banking, insurance, retail, and manufacturing environments)
Firmware or microcode is programming that is loaded into a special area on a microprocessor or read-only memory on a one-time or infrequent basis so that thereafter it seems to be part of the hardware.