What Is the Difference Between Computer Software & Hardware?
Computer jargon can be difficult to follow, but two terms that come up relatively often in computer-related discussions are "software" and "hardware". These terms reference the two most fundamental aspects of computer systems. Both computer software and hardware are required to use a computer, and they are largely dependent on each other.
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Definitions
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Computer hardware refers to the physical components of a computer system. This includes any tangible computer parts, such as the motherboard, central processing unit (CPU), keyboards and mice, audio and video cards, hard drives, and disc drives. Conversely, computer software refers to the code that ultimately provides instructions for hardware components to follow. Examples of computer software include operating systems, word processors and media players.
Purpose
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Hardware is generally multi-purpose in the sense that a variety of different tasks can be performed on the same piece of hardware. For example, a computer monitor can display not only images, but also videos, text and widgets. Conversely, most software is designed to perform only one task, or a few similar tasks. Thus, a media player like Windows Media Player only plays media and cannot be used to edit documents or browse the internet. One possible exception to this rule is an operating system, which is a piece of software that provides a user interface for accessing files and other software installed on a computer.
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Development
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Both computer hardware and software are constantly in development. Hardware development is generally focused on using the latest technology to create faster and often more compact computer components. Software developers constantly strive to keep up with hardware advancements by providing more comprehensive, better looking and smoother running software. As a result, end users are generally required to periodically update their hardware components in order to run the latest software.
System Requirements
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All software has a set of system requirements that are necessary for it to function properly. These system requirements usually include a minimum processor speed and type, hard disk requirements, random access memory (RAM) requirements, and the supported operating systems. Sometimes there are additional requirements, depending on the type of software. When purchasing software, the system requirements are usually printed on the back of the packaging, or somewhere on the website from which it is downloaded.
Bit Rate
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A recent issue with computer software and hardware is the transition from 32-bit operating systems to 64-bit operating systems. The difference between the two is essentially that 64-bit systems can process larger chunks of data and can access more RAM than 32-bit systems. However, in order to run 64-bit software, a 64-bit CPU and compatible motherboard is required. Since not all computers have the necessary hardware to run 64-bit software, it is common for software to be released in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.
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References
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