Hardware

Physical components of a computer, which can be touched & seen.

1. Input Device: Keyboard and mouse
2. Output Device: Monitor and printer
3. Secondary Storage Device: Hard disk, CD and DVD
4. Internal Storage Device: CPU, motherboard and RAM

Hardware & Software Relationship

• Hardware and software are mutually dependent on each other. Both of them must work together to make a computer produce a useful output.
• Software cannot be utilized without supporting hardware.
• Hardware without a set of programs to operate upon cannot be utilized and is useless.
• To get a particular job done on the computer, relevant software should be loaded into the hardware.
• Hardware is a one-time expense.
• Software development is very expensive and is a continuing expense.
• Different software applications can be loaded on a hardware to run different jobs.
• A software acts as an interface between the user and the hardware.
• If the hardware is the ‘heart’ of a computer system, then the software is its ‘soul’. Both are complementary to each other.