My friend asked me what 'customize' in sofware means?

Answer 1

When you install new programs you have the option of doing a "typical" or a "customized" install. Typical means exactly that and is usually the required files to run it. Customize means that you are going to install only certain files for it to run to your needs. Not all programs need the typical install. Sometimes space is a factor and you only need limited access to it.

Answer 2

Customize can mean different things in different contexts. When purchasing software, you can either buy a generic software product such as Microsoft Word, or you can get a software development firm to build something over Microsoft Word so it only displays a minimal interface that does what you want it to do.

You can also change the appearance (such as changing the desktop wallpaper or screensaver) or functionality (switching between the different calendar views, adding email signatures etc) and that's customizing from an end-user perspective.

Answer 3

Some software has, written into it, the ability to remember differences in the way you like things done.

For example, a program which displays a list of files, may be able to sort the list in descending order by date or in ascending order by name.

The program "doesn't care". You "customize" the program by telling it, "For me, sort them by name." Your grandma "customizes" the program by telling it, "For me, sort them by date" (on her userid or computer). The program stores and remembers the "customization" as a favor to you two, and obeys in the future, to save you some typing, and to fit the program to your "customary" habit of usage.