Software and Hardware

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Understand what is meant by the terms software and hardware
  • Recognise different types of software and hardware
    • Identify the purpose of each type of software and hardware piece

Computer Hardware

Hardware refers to the physical components of a computer. Computer Hardware is any part of the computer that we can touch. These are the primary electronic devices used to build up the computer. Examples of hardware in a computer are the Processor, Memory Devices, Monitor, Printer, Keyboard, Mouse, and the Central Processing Unit.

Computer Software

Software is a collection of instructions and procedures that performs different tasks on a computer system. we can also say that Computer Software is code executed on a computer processor. Examples of software are: Ms Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Chrome, Photoshop, MySQL, etc…

Hardware is the physical components of a computer. Software is the programs that run on a computer.

In a computer

A computer system requires both hardware and software to function. Aside from the internal components of a computer, additional hardware allows the user to communicate with the system through inputs and outputs. The software in a computer system enables the hardware to function and the user to perform tasks. Software within a computer system is divided into two main types, system software and application software.

System software

System software is any software that assists with the running or management of the computer system. This can include operating systems, security software and file management software.

Application software

Application software is any software added to the system that enables the user to perform a task. For example, a word processor allows the user to type a document and a browser allows the user to view web pages.

Application software enables the user to perform a task. System software helps the user manage the computer system.