In modern world, computers have become an important part of our daily life, especially for students. But many of the peoples still get confused between hardware and software. Hardware and Software are two main parts of computer system, and one part cannot work properly without the other part. Hardware is manufactured while the Software is developed.
What is Hardware?
Hardware is the physical parts of a computer that we can see and touch. These are the components that cause processing the data of the computer system. It can perform their tasks without any ask to the software.
Common examples of hardware include:
- Keyboard
- Mouse
- Monitor
- CPU
- Printer
Without hardware, a computer cannot exist physically, and it can repair in the case of problem.
What is Software?
Software is a set of programs or instructions which is executed by CPU, and it also tell the computer exactly what to do. Software cannot be touched like hardware and cannot be executed without hardware. It can be used and seen on the screen.
Examples of software are:
- Windows operating system
- MS Word
- Google Chrome
Software helps hardware to perform different tasks, and it is fixed in the case of problem.
Main Difference Between Hardware and Software
The main differences between hardware and software are:
- Hardware is physical, while software is non-physical
- Hardware can wear out over time while the software does not wear out
- Hardware is manufactured whereas software is developed
- Hardware needs software to work, and software needs hardware to work.
- Hardware is tangible but the software is intangible.
Both the components can depend on each other to work properly and smoothly to perform their tasks.
Relationship Between Hardware and Software
Both the hardware and software work together as a team. When a student types on a keyboard (hardware), the action is processed using software like MS Word, it is most common example of these components that can work smoothly with each other. If one is missing, then the other part of computer cannot perform any task. They are interdependent components of computer system.
This relationship can make the computers useful, powerful and more reliable.
Why Important for Students to Understand the Difference Between them
To understand the difference between hardware and software students can improve their learning skills and it is also very useful for them.
- Understand basic computer concepts
- Use computers more confidently
It also builds a strong foundation for future studies in information technology.
Conclusion
In short, we can say that hardware and software are the two main components of a computer system that can work together. Hardware provides the physical structure, while software provides instructions to make the system work. Understand the difference between these components is most important for students and beginners and it is first step toward the learning computers properly.