Software / Firmware?

In electronics, specifically, any device that does computing, you will run into the terms software and firmware, The difference between the two can be a little hard to define as they both, in general, refer to data stored within a hardware device.

Software: Software is most often meant to describe a program or piece of data that is meant to be viewed, changed or otherwise interact with most often by the user.

Firmware: Firmware is a term for a piece of software that is stored on a hardware device in order to make it run properly. It is not really meant to be interacted with by the user once it is there. The firmware, once installed, is usually changed infrequently and only through updates from the manufacturer. Loss of firmware can often lead to a hardware device losing function entirely depending on the situation.