What Is Computer Software & Hardware?
Computer hardware refers to the actual physical components of a computer system. Computer software, on the other hand, is the digitally encoded instructions that tell the hardware what to do. The broad categories of "hardware" and "software" can be further subdivided into distinct types. Knowing the differences will help you understand your computer better.
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System Software
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System software, often called the operating system, is the master controlling program that directs the work of all other software programs and hardware devices in a computer system. A software subsystem called the application programming interface provides communication between application software and the operating system. A set of individual programs called device drivers is usually included within the operating system software to allow the operating system to work with most standard, generic hardware.
Application Software
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Individual programs written to perform specific tasks, such as word processors for creating and editing documents, spreadsheets for analyzing numeric data, and web browsers for accessing the Internet, are called application software.
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Data
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Data is very much like application software, except that it is the information used by an application rather than the actual instructions that run the application. For example, a spreadsheet program is an application. The information you enter into a spreadsheet is data.
System Hardware
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System hardware includes all the physical, mechanical components of your computer, including circuit boards, power supplies, and cooling fans.
Storage Devices
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A storage device is a hardware component where system software, application software, and/or data are written and stored in digital form. These devices include hard disk drives, flash drives and writable CDs.
Peripherals
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"Peripherals" specifically refers to a hardware device that is attached to your computer with a cable or wireless connection. A peripheral is usually a device for inputting or displaying data, such as a video monitor, keyboard, mouse or printer. Most peripheral hardware comes with its own specially written device driver software, which must be installed on your computer before the operating system can work with the new device.
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References
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