HARDWARE and SOFTWARE

What is a Hardware?
Abbreviated as HW, hardware is best described as any physical component of a computer system that contains a circuit board, ICs, or other
electronics. A perfect example of hardware is the screen on which you are viewing this page. Whether it be a monitor, tablet, or smartphone,
it is hardware. Without any hardware, your computer would not exist, and software could not be used.

External hardware examples

Below is a list of external hardware or hardware found outside a computer.
 Monitor - Functions as a visual display unit for images, text, graphics or video generated by the computer. There are two kinds of
monitors; the modern, flat panel liquid crystal display (LCD) which occupy less space and use less power and the older and bulkier
cathode ray tube (CRT) models but are less expensive that LCD.

 Gamepad - Gamepad or control pad functions as handheld game controller for today’s computer games. It has buttons
corresponding to some of the fingers which give one better control of the characters being played in a computer game.

 Joystick – used as control devices that pivot around so that you could move the cursor in any direction in the monitor. It is usually
used in video games involving flight control for airplanes and other aircraft. Joystick has also found use in controlling cranes,
unmanned submarines, and trucks and in some medical surgical operations.

There are two types of joystick: the absolute and the isometric. In Absolute joystick, movement is the important characteristic, since
the position of the joystick in the base corresponds to the position of the cursor on the screen. On the other hand, isometric joystick
corresponds to the velocity of the cursor, and when released, the stick returns to its usual upright centered position. This type of
joysticks also called the velocity-controlled joystick.

 Keyboard - A computer input device modelled from the keys of a typewriter. It is an arrangement of keys or button where characters
are printed. The keyboard allows one to input numbers, special characters and other functions into the computer.

 Microphone - A voice and sound input into the computer. Allows the user to speak and the computer will accept and record your
voice or music into the computer. The computer can the process your voice.
 Mouse - acts as the pointing device that can be used to choose programs and files to open. Functions to activate, to determine a
typing or r drawing starting point, selection and to scroll pages up or down.

 Printer - An output device that produces a permanent or hard printed copy, human readable text and/or graphic of documents
stored in the computer.

There are four kinds of printer:

Dot Matrix Printer - A printer that prints by hammering or striking an ink-soaked cloth ribbon against a paper. It functions just like
the typewriter, and the advantage of this type of printer is that it can easily create carbon copies because of the impact action of the
printing process and the cost per page of printing is relatively cheap.

Inkjet Printer - Common for the general use at home or at the office. The price of this kind of printer significantly eased and now
allows you print high and posters quality output both in color and in black and white.

Laser Jet Printer - Produces high quality prints of text or graphics. Faster speed than do matrix and ink jet printers. Laser technology
is based on xerographic printing process which is a combination of photography and electrostatic printing.

Plotter - Operates by moving a pen over a paper surface. Most used in printing computer-aided designs of houses and buildings.
Plotters are replaced by large format ink jet printers that are not only capable of printing CAD drawings on paper but also used for
vinyl plastic printing for billboards.

 Projector - Commonly called LCD Projector that displays computer information on a big screen so that many will be able to see the
show or presentation. Used for classrooms instructions and business presentations. Today, Television set also used as projectors.

 Scanner – - A computer input device that capture and copies images, objects, texts, handwriting and converts them into digital
forms. Printed pictures especially those from the pre-computer home era can now be scanned, modified, saved and printed. Two
 types of scanners include Flatbed Scanner: In this type of scanner, the object to be scanned is placed face down on a glass window,
which is illuminated with a bright light. Handheld Scanner: It is a manual device, which is dragged over the surface of the image to be
scanned.

 Speakers and Headphones - Audio output for music, video and computer alerts. Speakers may have the simple two piece-systems or
the three, four or five pieces’ system with sub-woofer and surround system.

Headphone are small speaker with a way to hold them close to the ears of the user. Allows you to listen to music and sounds all
alone. Ideal when you do not want to disturb other people around you with the sound generated by the computer.

 USB thumb drive - A USB flash drive (also called a thumb drive) is a data storage device that includes flash memory with an
integrated USB interface.

Internal hardware examples

Below is a list of internal hardware or hardware found inside a computer.
 CPU (central processing unit).
 Drive (e.g., Blu-ray, CD-ROM, DVD, floppy drive, hard drive, and SSD).
 Fan (heat sink)
 Modem
 Motherboard
 Network card
 Power supply
 RAM
 Sound card
 Video card

What is the most common hardware included with a computer?

Below is a list of the most common hardware you'd likely find inside a computer or connected to a computer today (desktop computer or
laptop).
 Processor (CPU)
 One or more fans and heat sink
 Motherboard that most likely has an integrated video card, sound card, and network card.
 For most desktop computers (especially gaming computers), a separate video card is used.
 RAM
 Hard drive
 Power supply
 Cables that connect internal components and external peripherals.
 Keyboard
 Mouse or touchpad with a laptop.
 Flat-panel, monitor, or TV for desktop computers and LCD as part of a laptop.

What are hardware upgrades?

A hardware upgrade is any new hardware better than that which it replaced or additional hardware that improves performance. An example
of a common hardware upgrade is a RAM upgrade, where the user increases the computer's total memory. Another example is a video card
upgrade, which is the act of removing an old video card and replacing it with a newer, more powerful model.

Where can I buy computer hardware?

There many locations to buy computer hardware today. Many local computer retail stores and repair shops have hardware available in stock
that can be purchased immediately. However, for more options and lower prices in most cases, it is generally better to buy hardware online.
What is a Software?
Sometimes abbreviated as SW and S/W, software is a collection of instructions that enable the user to interact with a computer, its hardware,
or perform tasks. Without software, most computers would be useless. For example, without your Internet browser software, you could not
surf the Internet or read this page. Without an operating system, the browser could not run on your computer. The picture shows a Microsoft
Excel box, an example of a spreadsheet software program.

There are Two types of Software's

1. Application Software- is a program or group of programs designed for end users.
2. System Software- is a type of computer program that is designed to run a computer's hardware and application programs.

Difference between application software & System software.

System software- Manages and operates computer hardware thereby providing a platform for other application software.
Application software- It gives power to user, to perform either single or multiple task.

Examples and types of software

Below is a list of the different kinds of software a computer may have installed with examples of related programs. Click any of the links
below for additional information.

Although application software is thought of as a program, it can be anything that runs on a computer. The table below also includes a
program column to clarify any software that is not a program.

Software Examples Program?

Antivirus AVG, Housecall, McAfee, and Norton. Yes
Audio / Music program iTunes and WinAmp. Yes
Communication Discord, Skype, and Ventrilo Yes
Database Access, MySQL, and SQL. Yes
Device drivers Computer drivers. No
E-mail Outlook and Thunderbird. Yes
Game Madden NFL football, Quake, and World of Warcraft. Yes
Internet browser Firefox, Google Chrome, and Internet Explorer. Yes
Movie player VLC and Windows Media Player. Yes
Operating system Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows. No
Photo / Graphics program Adobe Photoshop and CorelDRAW. Yes
Presentation PowerPoint Yes
Programming language C++, HTML, Java, Perl, PHP, Python, and Visual Basic. Yes
Simulation Flight simulator and SimCity. Yes
Spreadsheet Excel Yes
Utility Compression, Disk Cleanup, encryption, registry cleaner, and screen saver. No
Word processor Microsoft Word Yes

How do you get software?

Software can be purchased at a retail computer store or online and come in a box containing all the disks (floppy diskette, CD, DVD, or Blu-
ray), manuals, warranty, and other documentation.

Software can also be downloaded to a computer over the Internet. Once downloaded, setup files are run to start the installation process on
your computer.

Free software
There are also a lot of free software programs available that are separated into different categories.

 Shareware or trial software is software that gives you a few days to try the software before you have to buy the program. After the
trial time expires, you'll be asked to enter a code or register the product before you can continue to use it.
 Freeware is completely free software that never requires payment, as long as it is not modified.
 Open source software is similar to freeware. Not only is the program free, but the source code is also available to everyone.

How do you use computer software?

Once the software is installed on the computer hard drive, the program can be used at any time. On a Windows computer, a program icon is
added to the Start menu or Start screen, depending on your version of Windows.

How to maintain software

After the software is installed on your computer, it may need to be updated to fix any found errors. Updating a program can be done using
software patches. Once updates are installed, any problems that may have been experienced in the program will no longer occur.

How is software created and how does it work?

A computer programmer (or several computer programmers) write the instructions using a programming language, defining how the
software should operate on structured data. The program may then be interpreted, or compiled into machine code.

When I save a document, is that file also considered software?

When you create or edit a file using software, a Microsoft Word document, for instance, or a Photoshop image that file is considered a
software "resource" or "asset." However, the file itself is not considered "software" even though it is an essential part of what your software
is doing.
Device driver
More commonly known as a driver, a device driver or hardware driver is a group of files that enable one or more hardware devices to
communicate with the computer's operating system. Without drivers, the computer would not be able to send and receive data correctly to
hardware devices, such as a printer.

What devices need drivers?

Hardware devices that are unknown by the operating system or that have features that are unknown by the operating system all require
drivers. Below is a list of hardware devices and peripherals that require drivers.

 Card reader - Alternatively known as a media card reader, a card reader is a hardware device for reading and writing data on a
memory card such as a multimedia card. Some card readers only have one card slot, and some have multiple card slots for different
cards and media.

 Controller - A controller may refer to any of the following:

1. With gaming, a controller is a term used to describe the input device used to control a computer game or simulation.
Common examples of controllers include a mouse, keyboard, and gamepad.
2. An expansion card or IC (integrated circuit) on the computer motherboard that enables communication between the
computer and another hardware device. Below are examples of the types of controllers you may find in a computer.
 Modem - A modem or broadband modem is a hardware device that connects a computer or router to a broadband network. For
example, a cable modem and DSL modem are two examples of these types of Modems.

or, Short for modulator/demodulator, a modem is a hardware device that allows a computer to send and receive information over
telephone lines. When sending a signal, the device converts ("modulates") digital data to an analog audio signal, and transmits it
over a telephone line. Similarly, when an analog signal is received, the modem converts it back ("demodulates" it) to a digital signal.

 Motherboard chipset - A chipset is a set of electronic components on an integrated circuit that manages the transfer of data
between the CPU, RAM, storage, and I/O devices.

 Network card - Short for network interface card, the NIC is also referred to as an Ethernet card and network adapter. A NIC is a
computer expansion card for connecting to a network (e.g., home network or Internet) using an Ethernet cable with an RJ-45
connector. Due to the popularity and low cost of the Ethernet standard, nearly all new computers have a network interface build
directly into the motherboard.
 Printer - A printer is an external hardware output device that takes the electronic data stored on a computer or other device and
generates a hard copy.
 Scanner - When referring to hardware, a scanner, image scanner, or optical scanner is a hardware input device that optically "reads"
an image and converts it to a digital signal. For example, a scanner may be used to convert a printed picture, drawing, or document
(hard copy) to a digital file that can be edited on a computer.
 Sound card - Alternatively referred to as an audio output device, sound board, or audio card. A sound card is an expansion card or IC
for producing sound on a computer that can be heard through speakers or headphones. Although the computer doesn't need a
sound card, it's included on every machine as either in an expansion slot (shown below) or built into the motherboard (onboard).

 Tape drive - A tape is a magnetically thin coated piece of plastic wrapped around wheels capable of storing data. Tape is less
expensive than other storage mediums, but also much slower because it is sequential access and is often used for backing up large
amounts of data.

Today, tape has mostly been abandoned for faster and more reliable solutions like disc drives, hard drives, and flash drives that are
all direct access and cloud storage. The image is an example of magnetic tape taken by KENPEI and shared under the creative
commons.

 USB devices - Short for universal serial bus, USB (pronounced yoo-es-bee) is a plug and play interface that allows a computer to
communicate with peripheral and other devices. USB-connected devices cover a broad range; anything from keyboards and mice to
music players and flash drives. For more information on these devices, see our USB devices section.

USB may also send power to certain devices, such as powering smartphones and tablets and charging their batteries. The first
commercial release of the Universal Serial Bus (version 1.0) was in January 1996. This industry-standard was then quickly adopted by
Intel, Compaq, Microsoft, and other companies.

 Video card – Alternatively known as a display adapter, graphics card, video adapter, video board, or video controller, a video card is
an expansion card that connects to a computer motherboard. It is used to create a picture on a display; without a video card, you
would not be able to see this page. More plainly, it's a piece of hardware inside your computer that processes images and video,
some of the tasks normally handled by the CPU. Video cards are used by gamers in place of integrated graphics due to their extra
processing power and video ram.
What devices may not need drivers
Today's operating systems have a lot of generic drivers that allow hardware to work at a basic level without needing drivers or software.
However, if that device has features unknown to the operating system, it will not work without drivers. For example, you could plug any
keyboard into a computer and expect it to work. However, if that keyboard has any special keys or features, they will not work until the
drivers are installed.

 CPU
 Disc drive - Alternatively referred to as a disc drive, optical media, optical storage, and Optical disc drive, an optical disc is any media
read using a laser assembly. The most common types of optical media are Blu-ray, CDs, and DVDs.
 Fan - A fan is a hardware device that keeps the overall computer or a computer device cool by circulating air to or from the
computer or component. The picture is an example of a fan on a heat sink.

The speed of a fan is measured in revolutions per minute or RPM, and the higher the RPM rating, the faster the fan spins. However,
in many cases, the higher the RPM rating, the louder a fan.

Types of fans found in a computer

Below is a listing of the different types of fans inside a computer, and the computer hardware components that require fans to
function correctly.
1. Case fan - a fan on the side of a computer case, inside the case. It helps circulate air in the computer case and blow hotter
air out of the case.
2. CPU fan - a fan on top of a computer processor. It helps pull and blow hot air off the processor, helping keep it cooler.
3. Power supply fan - a fan located inside a power supply. The power supply fan blows hotter air out of the power supply and
out of the computer.
4. Video card fan - a fan on a video card. It helps keep more powerful video cards from overheating, especially when playing
video games, editing videos, and other GPU or graphic-intensive tasks.
 Hard drive - A hard disk drive (sometimes abbreviated as a hard drive, HD, or HDD) is a non-volatile data storage device. It is usually
installed internally in a computer, attached directly to the disk controller of the computer's motherboard. It contains one or more
platters, housed inside of an air-sealed casing. Data is written to the platters using a magnetic head, which moves rapidly over them
as they spin.

 Heat sink - A heat sink is a device that incorporates a fan or another mechanism to reduce the temperature of a hardware
component
 Joystick - A joystick is an input device that control a character or machine in a computer program, such as a plane in a flight
simulator. They look similar to the control device you would find on an arcade game, but nearly always include extra buttons for
additional functionality.
 Keyboard
 Mouse
 Monitor
 Power supply
 RAM
 Speakers
 Thumb drive
 UPS

Note:
The operating systems generic driver may not be updated as often as the drivers from a hardware manufacturer or computer manufacturer.

What happens if a driver is not installed?

If the appropriate driver is not installed, the device may not function properly, if at all. With some devices, the device may work, but all of its
features may not work. For example, a computer mouse usually works without drivers, but if it has more buttons than the traditional mouse,
those extra buttons will not work until the drivers are installed.
For Microsoft Windows users, missing drivers may cause a driver conflict or an error that is shown in the Device Manager. If problems or
conflicts are encountered with drivers, the computer manufacturer or hardware manufacturer releases a driver update to fix the problems. If
updated drivers are available, those drivers need to be installed to replace the existing driver code.

Can a driver make my computer do more?

Installing a driver only makes the hardware installed in the computer function properly. If the correct driver is not installed, installing the
latest driver for the hardware can take full advantage of the device. However, you cannot install a driver for hardware not installed in the
computer and expect it to make your computer faster or more capable. In other words, installing video card drivers for a video card that's not
installed in the computer does not give your computer all the capabilities of that video card. In this example, you'd need the video card
hardware as well as the video card drivers to be installed.
Operating system
An operating system or OS is a software installed on a computer's hard drive that enables the computer hardware to communicate and
operate with the computer software. Without a computer operating system, a computer and software programs would be useless.

When computers were first introduced, the user interacted with them using a command line interface, which required commands. Today,
almost every computer is using a GUI (Graphical User Interface) operating system that's easy to use and operate.
Some people may refer to an OS as "operating software." Although this is a valid term, it is more appropriate to refer to this software as an
"operating system."

Examples of computer operating systems

Below is a list of examples of different computer operating systems over the evolution of computers.

 Microsoft Windows - Microsoft Windows is the most common and used operating system on computers today, with Microsoft
Windows 10 being the most recently released version of Windows. The operating system is used PC and IBM compatible computers.
 Apple macOS - With Apple computers, macOS is the primary operating system used with Apple desktop and laptop computers.
 Android - Android in an operating system used with smartphones and tablets. Today, Android is the most popular operating system
worldwide because of how many smartphones use a variant of the Android operating system.
 Apple iOS - The Apple iOS operating system used is the operating system used with the Apple iPhone and iPads.
 Linux - Linux is a free and open source operating system used with PC and IBM compatible computers. Because the operating system
is open source, it is used to create many variants of Linux, including Ubuntu, Debian, Red Hat, and Slackware. See our Linux page for
a full listing of variants listed on our site with further information about the operating system.
 Chromium / Chrome OS - Chrome OS is an operating system used with Google Chromebooks.

Where is the operating system stored on a computer?

With most computers, the operating system is stored on the primary hard drive inside the computer. Computers operating systems can also
be installed and loaded from an external hard drive, disc drive, or flash drive.

Functions of Operating System

An Operating System acts as a communication bridge (interface) between the user and computer hardware. The purpose of an operating
system is to provide a platform on which a user can execute programs in a convenient and efficient manner.

An operating system is a piece of software that manages the allocation of computer hardware. The coordination of the hardware must be
appropriate to ensure the correct working of the computer system and to prevent user programs from interfering with the proper working of
the system.

Example: Just like a boss gives order to his employee, in the similar way we request or pass our orders to the Operating System. The main
goal of the Operating System is to thus make the computer environment more convenient to use and the secondary goal is to use the
resources in the most efficient manner.

Important functions of an operating System:

Security –
1. The operating system uses password protection to protect user data and similar other techniques. it also prevents unauthorized
access to programs and user data.
2. Control over system performance – Monitors overall system health to help improve performance. records the response time
between service requests and system response to have a complete view of the system health. This can help improve performance by
providing important information needed to troubleshoot problems.
3. Job accounting – Operating system Keeps track of time and resources used by various tasks and users, this information can be used
to track resource usage for a particular user or group of user.
4. Error detecting aids – Operating system constantly monitors the system to detect errors and avoid the malfunctioning of computer
system.
5. Coordination between other software and users – Operating systems also coordinate and assign interpreters, compilers, assemblers
and other software to the various users of the computer systems.
6. Memory Management – The operating system manages the Primary Memory or Main Memory. Main memory is made up of a large
array of bytes or words where each byte or word is assigned a certain address. Main memory is a fast storage and it can be accessed
directly by the CPU. For a program to be executed, it should be first loaded in the main memory. An Operating System performs the
following activities for memory management:
It keeps tracks of primary memory, i.e., which bytes of memory are used by which user program. The memory addresses that have
already been allocated and the memory addresses of the memory that has not yet been used. In multi programming, the OS decides
the order in which process are granted access to memory, and for how long. It Allocates the memory to a process when the process
requests it and deallocates the memory when the process has terminated or is performing an I/O operation.
7. Processor Management – In a multi programming environment, the OS decides the order in which processes have access to the
processor, and how much processing time each process has. This function of OS is called process scheduling. An Operating System
performs the following activities for processor management.
Keeps tracks of the status of processes. The program which perform this task is known as traffic controller. Allocates the CPU that is
processor to a process. De-allocates processor when a process is no more required.
8. Device Management – An OS manages device communication via their respective drivers. It performs the following activities for
device management. Keeps tracks of all devices connected to system. designates a program responsible for every device known as
the Input/output controller. Decides which process gets access to a certain device and for how long. Allocates devices in an effective
and efficient way. Deallocates devices when they are no longer required.
9. File Management – A file system is organized into directories for efficient or easy navigation and usage. These directories may
contain other directories and other files. An Operating System carries out the following file management activities. It keeps track of
 where information is stored, user access settings and status of every file and more… These facilities are collectively known as the file
system.

Moreover, Operating System also provides certain services to the computer system in one form or the other.
The Operating System provides certain services to the users which can be listed in the following manner:

1. Program Execution: The Operating System is responsible for execution of all types of programs whether it be user programs or
system programs. The Operating System utilizes various resources available for the efficient running of all types of functionalities.
2. Handling Input/Output Operations: The Operating System is responsible for handling all sort of inputs, i.e, from keyboard, mouse,
desktop, etc. The Operating System does all interfacing in the most appropriate manner regrading all kind of Inputs and Outputs.
For example, there is difference in nature of all types of peripheral devices such as mouse or keyboard, then Operating System is
responsible for handling data between them.
3. Manipulation of File System: The Operating System is responsible for making of decisions regarding the storage of all types of data or
files, i.e, floppy disk/hard disk/pen drive, etc. The Operating System decides as how should the data should be manipulated and
stored.
4. Error Detection and Handling: The Operating System is responsible for detection of any types of error or bugs that can occur while
any task. The well secured OS sometimes also acts as countermeasure for preventing any sort of breach to the Computer System
from any external source and probably handling them.
5. Resource Allocation: The Operating System ensures the proper use of all the resources available by deciding which resource to be
used by whom for how much time. All the decisions are taken by the Operating System.
6. Accounting: The Operating System tracks an account of all the functionalities taking place in the computer system at a time. All the
details such as the types of errors occurred are recorded by the Operating System.
7. Information and Resource Protection: The Operating System is responsible for using all the information and resources available on
the machine in the most protected way. The Operating System must foil an attempt from any external resource to hamper any sort
of data or information.