Can someone tell me the difference between....

[MadPeriot]

Whats the difference?

 

[TGS]

Stolen from Dictionary.com

soft·ware ( P ) Pronunciation Key (sôftwâr, sft-)
n. Computer Science
The programs, routines, and symbolic languages that control the functioning of the hardware and direct its operation.


ap·pli·ca·tion ( P ) Pronunciation Key (pl-kshn)
n.

Computer Science. A computer program with a user interface.

adj. Computer Science also applications
Of or being a computer program designed for a specific task or use: applications software for a missile guidance system.

 

[Hough NutZ]

I guess the same difference between a car and an automobile.

 

[kamper]

Software is a more general term, since a device driver, for instance, is software but it's not an application.

 

[Stan]

They are pretty much the same thing. And a device driver not being an application.. sure it is.. most drivers come with bonus apps.. and its still just a DLL.. which is an application (rundll.. you can actually 'run' parts of drivers if you really wanted).

They would be used interchangably in 99% of the cases.

Engine vs motor

 

[drag]

Nope, it's not like Engine vs Motor. Even engineers don't know the difference.


One is more general, one is specific.

(when talking in computer terms)

All application programs are software programs. Not all software programs are applications.

There are tools, utilities, scripts, interpreters, compilers, programming languages, drivers, kernels, libraries, services, and other things like that.

These are all software, but none of them are application.

At least thats the way it seems like to me.

Now, what is the difference between programs and software?