What is a Download?
A download is a file you can acquire from a computer on a network and save to your local computer or device. Moving a file is called downloading, which refers to the process of moving a file from a networked computer to your local device.
Downloading takes a file, usually from the Internet, and copies it to your computer's memory so you can access it when you're not connected to the Internet (I'll use the word computer to refer to any device with local memory, which can include smartphones and tablets). A download is the opposite of an upload, which is when you send a file from your computer 'up' to the Internet.
Why download?
There are many reasons why you might want to use downloaded files. You might want a local copy of a document to make changes, a copy of a song to play, or the owners manual for an appliance stored locally on your computer. Download files can be made up of anything that can be stored in a computer file, which is a wide range of information. What's in the download file isn't relevant to downloading, since downloading just has to do with moving the file from one place to another.
When do downloads occur?
Downloading occurs fairly often in day-to-day computing activity. It happens any time you save an attached file from an email, anytime you update a software program, and anytime you visit a webpage and “download” the images and text from a webpage to your computer. In case you didn't know it, when you visit any website, you are downloading a webpage file from the Internet to your computer, and the browser software program installed on your computer displays the file (called an htm or html file).
To download a file is simply to 'load' something 'down' from the internet to your computer. It's similar to making a photocopy of a document or a page from a book that you can only find in a library. By copying a page, you are creating a second copy that you can hold on to and use when you leave the library. You have "downloaded" a physical copy of the information, and your copy is available for you to take with you and use.
Paid downloads
Not all downloads are free. Some websites (like the Apple App Store, Amazon, and Google Play Store) sell software or electronic documents that they sell for a fee. These types of downloads are products, they just don't exist physically, but you buy access to the document, song, video, or program just the same, and move a copy to your computer.
Risks with downloads
Some downloads are hazardous and include malware, which is often included in spam email attachments. A good virus protection software will help, but don't open the downloaded file if you don't know the source. Even with malware and anti0virus protection, it's best to only download files from sites you trust or official websites from trustworthy companies.
Making the most of downloads
Downloading is one of the primary, most useful functions of the Internet. It has made the Internet the best source for many things that we used to have to go to the store and purchase. There are many forms a download can take, and many reasons you may want to download those files.
Some downloads enable you to install new apps and programs; other downloads can take the form of pictures or music files. For example, you might go to your library's website to download music or electronic books. You might visit the public radio website to download the radio show to your computer or phone for listening later. If someone you know posts a good picture of you, your friends or family on the internet, you might download it so that you can print copies. If you want a new program to write or paint with, you would go to that program's web page to download it. You can even download games.
With billions of computers, smartphones, and tablets, along with faster Internet speeds for home, office, WiFi, and cellular, downloading has become one of our most common daily activities. The fact that downloading happens so often and so easily has given people access to a new world of information and content.
Not a subscriber? Don't miss a single issue: