A cartridge may be one method of running different software programs within a general purpose computer. This system was popularised by early home computers such as the Commodore 64, where a special bus port was provided for the insertion of cartridges containing software in ROM. This system was pioneered on earlier home TV game systems, and remains a popular approach with modern games consoles. The advantage of cartridges over other approaches such as loading software from other media is that the software is instantly available, with no loading time, and it is held in a very robust and hence damage-resistant form.

One early form of automatic washing machine used cartridges to program different wash cycles. This system, called the Keynetic, used plastic cartridges with key-like slots and ridges around the edges. The cartridge was inserted into a slot on the machine and a mechanical reader operated the machine accordingly. The system did not really take off, since it offered no real advantage over the more conventional program dial, and the cartridges were prone to getting lost. In hindsight it can be seen as a marketing gimmick rather than offering any really useful functionality.

The 8-track audio system is often referred to as the 8-track cartridge. Here, a cartridge contains audio tape, thus providing different content using the same player. The cartridge containing the tape permits ease of handling of the fragile tape, making it far more convenient and robust than having loose tape.

Replacement of consumables is an important use for cartridges. They are typically used in printers to hold the ink in the case of inkjet printers, or toner for laser printers.