Mr. Morrisett of the Markle Foundation said there is a lack of software tailored to the elderly, like tax preparation programs that deal specifically with pensions.

But the software for its online service, tailored for formats including digital television, cellphones and handheld computers, could evolve into a threat to Microsoft's crown jewel, the Windows operating system, which dominates the personal computer industry.

Understandably, due to a very limited "market" and number of developers, there has not been much software tailored for the SuperCPU to date- however GEOS was supported.

They provide a large number of workstations equipped with instructional software and information resources tailored to course requirements.

Microsoft plans to offer software tailored for the health care industry, a change from its usual strategy of encouraging others to create industry-specific products using its operating system and programming tools.

Hundreds of thousands of computer programmers in some nations have jobs because businesses want the purchased software tailored to the specific needs of the individual businesses.

For more than a year, Oracle has been buying companies to add to its business applications offerings - software that corporations use to manage their human resources, customer relations and finances, often tailored for individual industries.

The big user, meanwhile, ends up with software tailored to its needs, without having to underwrite the whole development process.

But large computers using special software tailored for the user have been facing stiff competition from less expensive machines that use microprocessors, which contain the brains of a computer on a central chip, and that use standard software like the Unix operating system.

Microsoft is also announcing partnerships with Amazon, eBay and PayPal, to provide specialized software, or starter kits, tailored for the Express products.