In recent years, the shortened term 'app' (coined in 1981 or earlier ) has become popular to refer to applications for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, the shortened form matching their typically smaller scope compared to applications on PCs. For Blackberry it was their email software. For example, VisiCalc was the first modern spreadsheet software for the Apple II and helped sell the then-new personal computers into offices. This is called a killer application or killer app. Sometimes a new and popular application arises which only runs on one platform, increasing the desirability of that platform. Some applications are available in versions for several different platforms others only work on one and are thus called, for example, a geography application for Microsoft Windows, or an Android application for education, or a Linux game. For example, concepts such as application programming interface (API), application server, application virtualization, application lifecycle management and portable application apply to all computer programs alike, not just application software. The word 'application' used as an adjective is not restricted to the 'of or pertaining to application software' meaning. For an alternative definition of an app: see Application Portfolio Management. The above definitions may exclude some applications that may exist on some computers in large organizations. In some types of embedded systems, the application software and the operating system software may be indistinguishable to the user, as in the case of software used to control a VCR, DVD player, or microwave oven. As another example, the GNU/Linux naming controversy is, in part, due to disagreement about the relationship between the Linux kernel and the operating systems built over this kernel. antitrust trial was whether Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser was part of its Windows operating system or a separable piece of application software. For example, one of the key questions in the United States v. The delineation between system software such as operating systems and application software is not exact, however, and is occasionally the object of controversy. Users create this software themselves and often overlook how important it is. Even email filters are a kind of user software. User-written software includes spreadsheet templates, word processor macros, scientific simulations, audio, graphics, and animation scripts. User-written software tailors systems to meet the user's specific needs. Some application packages focus on a single task, such as word processing others, called integrated software include several applications. Depending on the activity for which it was designed, an application can manipulate text, numbers, audio, graphics, and a combination of these elements.

In information technology, an application ( app), application program or application software is a computer program designed to help people perform an activity.

How to get an app made