1851, soft wares, "woolen or cotton fabrics," also, "relatively perishable consumer goods," from soft + ware (n.). The computer sense is a separate coinage from 1960, based on hardware.
权威例句
1. £2,500 for software is soon swallowed up in general costs.
用于软件方面的2,500英镑很快就被一般性费用耗光了。
2. For many software packages, the price bears little relation to cost.
对于很多软件包来说,价钱和成本没有什么联系。
3. Most applications software for personal computers cost over $500 a throw.
个人电脑使用的多数应用软件的单价为500多美元。
4. Europe's software companies still have a growing home market.
欧洲软件公司的国内市场仍在增长中。
5. It's cheaper to buy software bundled with a PC than separately.