Software is a general term for all the computer instructions or data (usually in the form of programs or applications) that exist on a computer. Programs are stored in memory and generally do not have a tangible aspect. Software can range from computer games to word processors (applications software) to the computer’s operating system (OS or system software), which manages and controls all the other software on the system.

Operating systems have been evolving for many years and have become more and more advanced. The major operating systems competing for the personal computer market today are various versions of Microsoft Windows (i.e., 2000, NT, XP Home, XP Pro), Apple Macintosh (i.e., OS 8, 9, X, Tiger), and Linux (there are dozens of operating systems based on Linux that have their own individual strengths and weaknesses).

The main object of this curriculum is to teach students how to create their own computer software. When creating computer software programs as students have already been doing, a language translator and compiler are required to convert the Java code into software 'language' that the CPU is able to understand. Without the aid of these tools, it would be necessary to program computers entirely in binary, with 1’s and 0’s. Imagine debugging code that looked like that!