A Computer system is divided into two major categories Hardware and Software. Both these components are necessary to run the computer system.
Hardware is the physical and visible components such as monitor, CPU, printer, mouse, keyboard etc. Software is a set of instructions that tells the hardware (CPU) to perform a particular task.
Hardware
Hardware is tangible things that can be seen and felt. The hardware components of a computer includes the processor, memory, hard drive, mouse keyboard, monitor and printer. Without these components, the computer system cannot run and function properly.
Hardware components are of two types; input devices and output devices. Input devices receive data from the users, such as mouse and keyboards.
Output devices display information or the result of processed data. Monitor, Printer etc are output device.
Basic Hardware Components:
- Motherboard: It is a circuit board that contains IC sockets and slots.
- CPU: Full name central processing unit. It is the heart of the computer.
- Math coprocessor: It is an IC (Optional) used for mathematical calculation.
- ROM: Read-only memory used to store information permanently.
- RAM: Random Access memory used to write programs.
- Display card.
- Speaker.
- SMPS.
- UPS.
Software
Software is a set of programs or instructions that tells the computer hardware to perform a particular task.
Software is of two types; Application Software and System Software.
Application software is one with which users can interact. For example; MS Word, Google Chrome Browser, etc.
System software helps to run the application software by communicating with hardware. All operating systems like Windows, MacOS, and Linux are system software.
Two types of software are there;
- System Software (Operating System).
- Application Software (Language processors – Editor, Linker, Translator etc).
Operating System: The operating system is system software which links Computer Hardware and Software.
Example: DOS (Disk operating system), Windows operating system, Unix operating system, etc.
