Computer Software

Software refers to the programs your computer uses to perform the actions you want it to. Learn all about computer software, from Web browsers to the latest operating systems, with our explanations, reviews, videos and prices.

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A brochure is an excellent way to promote your business, organization, service or institution, and Microsoft Word 2007 is an excellent to make one. Read this article to learn how to make a brochure in Microsoft Word 2007.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

You need to make a data table, but you’re not sure how to do it. Learn about how to make a data table in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Google's new operating system is designed to be faster and to require less maintenance than existing OSes. What will you give up in return? Will you be running it on your everyday machine?

By Nathan Chandler

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If you have overflowing to-do lists and find yourself missing appointments and forgetting deadlines, time management software might be for you. How can these programs help you make the best use of your time?

By Eileen Duncan

Some say the reason people steal software is because of its cost. But it turns out there are many reasons why people pirate computer programs. Is there any effective way to prevent software piracy?

By Jonathan Strickland

File sharing is a controversial and, in many cases, illegal pastime. Sites that track BitTorrent files are already magnets for scrutiny. But with a name like The Pirate Bay, you know the site will get extra attention.

By Stephanie Crawford

As they branch out into other fields, tech giants Google and Microsoft are engaged in a full-scale turf war. Which one -- if either -- will come out on top?

By Jonathan Strickland & Stephanie Crawford

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To broadcast the 2008 Summer Olympic Games online, American broadcast network NBC chose Microsoft Silverlight. Can it beat Adobe Flash and set a new standard?

By Jonathan Strickland

is well-known for Flash, Photoshop, Illustrator and other design software. So why did the company release AIR, a software development platform?

By John Fuller

Data integration is a simple idea, but the process can be quite complex. Once a computer gets information from a user, how does it know what to do next?

By Jonathan Strickland

What if you could access all your software and files from any computer? If you use a Web operating system, all you need is a Web browser and the Internet.

By Jonathan Strickland

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Plain and simple, productivity software takes our ideas and makes them a reality. These programs will help you get the job done. But how much of the work do they actually do?

By Jonathan Strickland

LimeWire is a peer-to-peer file sharing system that features music and other media downloads shared between users. Learn about LimeWire in this article.

By Dave Roos

Content-recognition software does a lot more than just help you find that song you heard while shopping. It serves as a watchdog for copyright infringement, thus eliminating some of the toil of countless human workers scouring websites and other public spaces.

By Jonathan Strickland

A study published in February 2007 shows that through brain scans and corresponding computer software, researchers are able to read people's intentions with great accuracy. Find out how they did it and what it means for the future of "private thoughts."

By Julia Layton

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After lengthy delays, Microsoft finally released the much-anticipated first version of the graphics-heavy Windows Vista. Check out what's new.

By Tracy V. Wilson

The digital revolution that has empowered consumers to use digital media in new and innovative ways has also made it nearly impossible for copyright holders to control the distribution of their property. Enter "digital rights management," or DRM.

By Julia Layton

Microsoft is a software company. It makes money by selling its software for use on computers. That's an accurate summary, but it doesn't tell anywhere near the whole story. Microsoft rules the world, but just what does it do, anyway?

By John Postley

Instead of downloading a file in its entirety, BitTorrent gathers pieces of the file you want and transfers them simultaneously from other sources. How does it put the pieces back together?

By Carmen Carmack

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With unlimited file sharing comes the big question: Should users be granted unrestricted -- and free -- access to copyrighted movies, music and games? Find out how Kazaa has weathered the legal storm so far.

By Stephanie Watson

File-sharing allow millions of people to freely trade MP3 and video files on the Internet. Is it legal? How are the files exchanged? Is there a central database? Find out how the file-sharing structure works and see why it makes it difficult for record labels to sue.

By Marshall Brain

Have a camcorder and a computer? Add a piece of software to the mix and you can turn a home movie into a high-quality video masterpiece!

By Marshall Brain & Roxanne Reid

When you use programming to tell a computer what to do, you also get to choose how it's going to do it. So, what is an algorithm? It's the basic technique used to get the job done.

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There's a special command your computer sends when your keyboard and mice have been idle for a period of time. Find out how your computer activates your screensaver.

In this article, we'll find out exactly what Shockwave 3-D technology is and how it works. We'll also explore some applications of this technology and check out some very cool 3-D images.

By Tom Harris