3rd Class Computers Science Introduction to Hardware and Software

Introduction to Hardware and Software

Introduction

Let us understand the difference between hardware and software with the help of our body. Our body is hard and we can touch it, move it but what about our feelings? We cannot touch our feelings. Computers are also made in the same way. It consists of two parts, one is hardware and another is software. One without the other is of no use. To run a computer both hardware and software are necessary. Hardware is the part that you can see and touch, parts which cannot be touched are called Software.

Physical parts of Computer (Hardware)

Hardware refers to the physical components of the computer that run the software such as the hard drive, motherboard, video and sound cards, monitor, printer, keyboard and mouse.

Logical parts of Computer (Software)        

Software is a collection of code and instructions that tell a computer and/or hardware how to operate. Software is a set of programs that you install on your computer to help us to do different kinds of work including Games, Word Processing programs, WordPad, Notepad etc.

Relationship Between Hardware and Software

There is a close relationship between computer hardware and software. If hardware is the body, then software is just like the soul in a body. Just as the body cannot live without the soul, the computer cannot perform without software.

Software is code and instructions that tell a computer and/or hardware how to operate. This code can be viewed and executed using a computer or other hardware device.

Software requirement for Hardware of Computer

There are many hardware connected with the computer such as, hard drive, CD drive, RAM, etc. Every connected hardware of a computer requires software to run that is called driver software.

For example: When we connect Printer with the computer, it requires driver software for proper function of the Printer. The user uses computer resource with the help of operating system. Operating system contains system software and some application software also.

Look at the following picture of different types of Operating system: