App

This is a new sloppy abbreviated term for Software Application. It has become popularized when discussing software written specifically for mobile devices such as tablet computers and smart phones. To the dismay of traditionalists the term has infiltrated modern personal computer vernacular.

An "app" is computer software, which is the same as the term software application. Consider app short for application.

Marketing people are not logical, nor are they engineers. The choice of popularizing the term app was strategic for marketing mobile device software applications in a way that would not carry any negative stigma that comes along with software problems. However, so called mobile device apps are riddled with greater incompatibility issues than any Microsoft Windows software applications to date.

Ironically, Microsoft has adopted the "app" terminology for Windows 8 as have services such as Facebook, Google, SkyDrive, Spotify and others. Many will argue that the distinction between software and the app is in the device itself, where apps are relevant to mobile devices and software mainly stationary units such as desktop or laptop computers. It could be said that you install an app on your Android phone, and you install a software application on your personal computer. Microsoft has no respect for convention, version consistency, or anything logically established in technology, thus they will call it whatever they believe is clever and will increase sales for the company.

In reality, using the term "app" is simply sloppy slang for Software Application, and for the betterment of all mankind it will hopefully die as a trend so that consistent logical terminology will prevail. However, first lets get rid of the much more offensive term "hashtag" used to describe the # (pound) character.