Consumers and producers of educational software must make decisions about what kind of software to buy and create. Both groups must base these decisions on criteria that consider what it is important to learn in our technological era, what is workable, and what is currently practical and cost-effective. Five criteria that are central to these decisions are met by "tool" software, or software that helps users access, organize, and reorganize information of a particular type, as do word processors, database management systems, music editing systems, and graphic editors. Tools do not specify what users must do but define the activities in which they can engage. Tool software meet these important criteria because they (1) help students acquire and use strategies for managing information; (2) help students learn about important aspects of technology; (3) can be assimilated into existing classroom curricula while providing the possibilities of new classroom activities and learning; (3) are cost-effective for both developers and purchasers; and (5) can be developed for the personal computers currently in use in schools. Creating software that benefits students and teachers will require collaborative efforts among technology specialists, educational practitioners, and researchers. Ten references are listed. (LMM)