What Is Software?
Software, or programming, is the essence of what makes microprocessors interesting. Software is a made-up word meant to indicate it's somehow the opposite of hardware. Everybody knows what hardware is: It's the nuts and bolts of a computer, television, or little red wagon. In semiconductor terms, hardware is silicon, plastic, and other things you can touch. Software, on the other hand, is like the music on a CD or the programming on your television. It might not be physical but it's definitely real.
The TV set, the CD player, the cookbook, and the leaflet printed in 12 languages (none of them your own) are just examples of how the software is delivered. For microprocessor chips, software usually comes on floppy disks, CD-ROMs, ...
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