Software Overview

Software provides the instructions that tell hardware what to do. The same computer system can be used for word processing, gaming, accounting, or Web surfing by installing and using new software. Software comes in various types, including operating systems, application programs, and utility programs.

Operating systems provide standard methods for saving, retrieving, changing, printing, and transmitting information. The most common operating systems today are various versions of Microsoft Windows. The 2003 version of the A+ Certification Exam focuses on all recent 32-bit desktop versions of Windows (Windows 9x and Me, Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows XP). Because operating systems provide the ...

Get Absolute Beginner's Guide to A+ Certification now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.