"Hardware" is a term used to described the physical components of the computer, any computer part that you can see or touch, such as the computer monitor, keyboard, mouse etc. is hardware. Any accessory or device connected to the computer, such as the Printer is also known as Hardware.
To make these Hardware components work, software is required. "Software" is a set of instructions, provided to the computer to carry out the job required by user.
For example, if you want the computer to print salary slip of an employee, you will require a Computer and a Printer as Hardware and at the same time you will also require a software that will instruct the computer about
To make these Hardware components work, software is required. "Software" is a set of instructions, provided to the computer to carry out the job required by user.
For example, if you want the computer to print salary slip of an employee, you will require a Computer and a Printer as Hardware and at the same time you will also require a software that will instruct the computer about
- From where to get the basic information require to calculate the salary,
- How to calculate the salary and
- How to print the calculated salary slip.
Without Software the computer hardware is a like a dead machine, it will be of no use.
To further understand the hardware, software concept, let us see the hardware and software in the audio system. In the audio system, the cassette player, speakers, microphones etc. are hardware, even the audio cassette is a hardware, because you can see and touch it, but the songs recorded on the audio cassette, without which the complete hardware (audio system) will be of no use, is the software.
By hearing the recorded songs, you can realize that the software is there but, you cannot touch or see it.
In this same manner, when you get some software on a floppy disk or a CD-ROM disc,, the floppy disk or the CD-ROM itself is hardware, but the program, the set of insrtuctions stored on the floppy disk or the CD-ROM is software.
Other than the Hardware and the Software, two more wares are commonly used in the computer field, they are "firmware" and "humanware".
"Firmware" is software permanently stored inside the computer.
"Humanware", "Peopleware" or "Liveware" are the name given to the people who work with the computer, such as the computer programmers, system analyst, computer operators etc.
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