Computers exist to make our lives more efficient. Well, originally they did, anyway. Now days we use computers, and the software they run, for a number of problems. But at the end of the day, the majority of them are still about making things more efficient.

Think about the software you use. Then think about how you solved the same problem before you used that software.

There are only two exceptions I’ve been able to think of.

• Entertainment software

  Games are the obvious exception to the rule that software is about efficiency. To varying degrees, we can also consider social media, streaming platforms, etc, in this category.

• Remote control of devices used in hazardous places

  The Mars rover doesn’t really make life more efficient for anyone. Unless maybe you consider the alternative of manned Mars exploration.

What other exceptions can you think of? What software can you think of that does not solve an efficiency problem?