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Software can be broadly defined as a computer program comprising a series of instructions which, in combination with the underlying hardware and inputs from an end user, allow or cause a computer to perform a specific operation.

There are various categories of software based on the operation it causes the computer to perform. For example, operating systems such as Microsoft Windows or Apple’s macOS control and manage a computer’s basic functions. A computer’s operating system is what recognises input from devices like the keyboard and mouse, sends output to the monitor and manages the sharing of memory between programs.

At the other end of the scale are applications which sit on top of the computer’s operating system and provide a particular, visible function to the end user of the machine. Examples of applications range from word processors to media players to games.

A software licence is a binding agreement that grants a customer the right to use a defined