Hardware and Software

• Hardware represents the physical and tangible components of a computer, i.e. the components that can be seen and touched.
• Input devices − keyboard, mouse, etc.
• Output devices − printer, monitor, etc.
• Secondary storage devices − Hard disk, CD, DVD, etc.
• Internal components − CPU, motherboard, RAM, etc.
• Hardware and software are mutually dependent on each other. Both of them must work together to make a computer produce a useful output.
• Software cannot be utilized without supporting hardware.
• Hardware without a set of programs to operate upon cannot be utilized and is useless.
• To get a particular job done on the computer, relevant software should be loaded into the hardware.
• Hardware is a one-time expense.
• Software development is very expensive and is a continuing expense.
• Different software applications can be loaded on a hardware to run different jobs.
• A software acts as an interface between the user and the hardware.
• If the hardware is the 'heart' of a computer system, then the software is its 'soul'. Both are complementary to each other.
• 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.
• There are two types of software −

  • System Software
  • Application Software
• The system software is a collection of programs designed to operate, control, and extend the processing capabilities of the computer itself.
• System software is generally prepared by the computer manufacturers.
• System software serves as the interface between the hardware and the end users.
• System Software

  
• Some examples of system software are Operating System, Compilers, Interpreter, Assemblers, etc.
• Here is a list of some of the most prominent features of a system software −

  • Close to the system
  • Fast in speed
  • Difficult to design
  • Difficult to understand
  • Less interactive
  • Smaller in size
  • Difficult to manipulate
  • Generally written in low-level language
• 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 software may consist of a single program, such as Microsoft's notepad for writing and editing a simple text.
• Application software may also consist of a collection of programs, often called a software package, which work together to accomplish a task, such as a spreadsheet package.
• Examples of Application software are the 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
• Application Software

  
• Features of application software are as follows −

  • Close to the user
  • Easy to design
  • More interactive
  • Slow in speed
  • Generally written in high-level language
  • Easy to understand
  • Easy to manipulate and use
  • Bigger in size and requires large storage space