Hardware & Software

Hardware & Software

 Hardware

Abbreviated as HW, Hardware is best described as any physical component of a computer system containing a circuit board, ICs, or other electronics. A perfect example of hardware is the screen on which you are viewing this page. Whether it is a monitor, tablet, or Smartphone, it is hardware.

Without any hardware, your computer would not exist, and software could not be used. The picture is a Logitech webcam, an example of an external hardware peripheral. This hardware device allows users to take videos or pictures, and transmit them over the Internet.

External hardware examples

Below is a list of external hardware or hardware found outside a computer.

•          Flat-panel, monitor, and LCD

•          Gamepad

•          Joystick

•          Keyboard

•          Microphone

•          Mouse

•          Printer

•          Projector

•          Scanner

•          Speakers

•          USB thumb drive

Internal hardware examples

Below is a list of internal hardware or hardware found inside a computer.

•          CPU (central processing unit).

•          Drive (e.g., Blu-ray, CD-ROM, DVD, floppy drive, hard drive, and SSD).

•          Fan (heat sink)

•          Modem

•          Motherboard

•          Network card

•          Power supply

•          RAM

•          Sound card

•          Video card

 

Software

Software is a set of programs, which is designed to perform a well-defined function. A program is a sequence of instructions written to solve a particular problem.

 Software is a set of electronic instructions consisting of complex codes (also known as programs) that make the computer perform tasks.

 Software is basically a program and runs on the Computer. Software is any instructions are called software.

 There are mainly two types of software

·        System Software

·        Application Software

 System Software

The system software is a collection of programs designed to operate, control, and extend the processing capabilities of the computer itself. The system software is generally prepared by computer manufactures. These software products comprise programs written in low-level languages which interact with the hardware at a very basic level. System software serves as the interface between hardware and the end-users some examples of system software are Operating systems, Compilers, Interpreters, Assemblers and etc.

Features of System, Software are as follows

·        Close to system

·        Fast in speed

·        Difficult to design

·        Difficult to understand

·        Less interactive

·        Smaller in size

·        Difficult to manipulate

·        Generally written in a low-level language

 Application Software

 Application Software products are designed to satisfy a particular need of a particular environment. All software applications prepared in the computer lab can come under the category of Application software.

 Application of the software may consist of a single program, such as Microsoft's notepad for writing and editing simple text. It may also consist of a collection of programs, often called a software package, which works together to accomplish a task, such as a spreadsheet package.

 Examples of Applications, software are following

·        Payroll Software

·        Student Record Software

·        Inventory Management Software

·        Income Tax Software

·        Railways Reservation Software

·        Microsoft Office Suite Software

·        Microsoft Word

·        Microsoft Excel

·        Microsoft PowerPoint

 

Features of application software are as follows

·        Close to user

·        Easy to design

·        More interactive

·        Slow in speed

·        Generally written in a high-level language

·        Easy to understand

·        Easy to manipulate and use