HARDWARE AND

SOFTWARE
Maha Saddal
Introduction to Information & Communication
Technologies
Elements of a Computer System

1. Hardware: Solid visible part of computing.

2. Software: Set of Instructions that tells the computer
hardware what to do.

We use input/output (I/O) devices to communicate with the

computer. Specifically, they allow us to enter data for a
computation(input devices) and to observe the results of that
computation(output devices).

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Hardware

■ Hardware is physical aspect of computers and other

devices
■ It refers to the objects that we can touch.
■ It includes:
– Internal Hardware (CPU, Motherboard, RAM, ROM)
– Input Hardware (keyboard, Mouse, Scanner)
– Output Hardware (Printer, Monitor, Speaker)
– Storage Hardware (Hard Disk, CD Rom)

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Hardware: System unit

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Hardware: CPU with Ports and
connectors

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Hardware: Mother board (System
board )

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Hardware: Memory and its sizes

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Software

■ A set of instructions that tell a computer exactly what to

do
■ Software cannot be executed without hardware
■ Software can not be touched
■ The basic difference between the Hardware and Software
is just the same as that exists between TV and TV studio.
■ Without TV studio (software) from where the programs are
telecast, the TV (Hardware) is a dead machine.

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Types of Software

■ System Software
■ Application Software

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 ■ It refers to any computer
System software which manages
and controls the hardware
Software so that application
software can perform a
task.

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Types of System Software

■ Operating System
■ Translators
■ Utility Programs
■ Device Drivers
Operating System (OS)
■ The software that manages the resources of a computer
system and schedules its operation is called Operating
system.
■ Operating system acts as an interface between the
application programs and the machine hardware.
■ Computer cannot do anything without operating system
■ Examples:
– Windows and DOS
 Responsibilities of Operating System

1. Communicating with the computer user: receiving commands and

carrying them out or rejecting them with an error message.
2. Managing allocation of memory, of processor time, and of other
resources for various tasks.
3. Collecting input from the keyboard, mouse, and other input devices, and
providing this data to the currently running program.
4. Conveying program output to the screen, printer, or other output device.
5. Accessing data from secondary storage.
6. Writing data to secondary storage.
Operating System (Cont.)

■ The User interface provided by the OS can be character

based or graphical.
– CUI -- Character user Interface
– GUI -- Graphical user Interface
■ CUI : It is operated with keyboard only. Ex: MS-DOS, UNIX
■ GUI : The system can be operated with mouse and
keyboard. Ex: Windows 95, Windows XP etc
Types of OS
1. Real-Time OS: Is installed in special purpose embedded systems like robots, cars,
and modems.
2. Single-user and single-task OS: Are installed on single-user devices like
phones.
3. Single-user and multitask OS: Are installed on contemporary personal
computers.
4. Multi-user OS: Is installed in network environments where many users have to
share resources. Server OSs are examples of multi-user operating systems.
5. Network OS: Is used to share resources such as files, printers in a network setup.
6. Internet/Web OS: Is designed to run on the browser that is online.
7. Mobile OS: Is designed to run on mobile phones, tablets and other mobile
devices.
Examples of Operating
Systems
■ Popular OSs for computers are:
– Windows 10
– Mac OS X
– Ubuntu
■ Popular network/server OSs are:
– Ubuntu Server
– Windows Server
– Red Hat Enterprise
■ Popular internet/web OSs are:
– Chrome OS
– Club Linux
– Remix OS
■ Popular mobile OSs are:
– iPhone OS
– Android OS
– Windows Phone OS
Translators
■ A translator is a programming language processor
that translates a high-level language program into a
machine language program that the central
processing unit (CPU) can understand.
■ It also detects errors in the program.
■ Types of Translators:
– Interpreter
– Compiler
– Assembler
Compiler vs Interpreter vs
Assembler
Programming Languages and
Types
■ A program needs to be written in a language
■ There are 3 types of programming languages
Programming language and
translators
How to translate?

High-level program

Compiler / Interpreter

Low-level (machine language) program

Utility Programs
■ Utility software is system software designed to help
analyze, configure, optimize or maintain a computer.
■ These are pre-written programs supplied by the
manufacturer for maintaining day to day activities of
computer system.
■ Example:
– Antivirus, screensavers
Device Drivers

■ A program that is used to operate and control a device attached to

computer
■ Device cannot function properly without device driver
 ■ It enables the users to
accomplish certain specific
task

Application ■ For example Word

Software Processing software,
Photoshop, Dreamweaver,
Database management.
Microsoft Power Point,
Microsoft access

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Categories of Application
Software
■ Business Software
■ Graphics and Multimedia Software
■ Home/ Personal/ Educational Software
■ Communications Software
Business Software
■ Used to improve business activities
■ Example:
– Word Processing Software
 Used for creating and editing documents
 E.g. MS-WORD
– Spread Sheet Software
 Used for calculation
 E.g. MS-EXCEL
– Database Software
 Used to create and maintain records
 E.g. MS-ACCESS
– Accounting Software
 Used to store and report final transaction of
companies
 Graphics and Multimedia
■ UsedSoftware
to develop complex graphics and multimedia
applications.
■ Example:
– Paint/Image Editing Software
■ Used to create and modify graphics
images
■ E.g. Adobe Photoshop
– Video and Audio Editing Software
■ Used to modify video and audio clips
■ E.g. Adobe Premier
Home/ Personal/ Educational
Software
■ Designed for home, personal and educational use
■ Example:
– Microsoft Office
– Entertainment software e.g. games
– Educational software for learning different skills
Communication Software
■ Used for communication

■ Example:
– Email
■ Used for exchanging text, messages and files through
Internet

– Videoconferencing
■ Uses video and computer technology to conduct
meeting between participants at different locations
 Difference between System & Application
System Software Software
Application Software

General – purpose software Specific purpose software

Used to manage computer Used to solve particular problems

resources
Executes all the time in computer Executes as and when required

Number of system software is Number of application software is

less than application software much more than system software

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Summary: Hardware and Software

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Summary (cont…) Hardware Software
Hardware is further divided into Software is further divided into
four main categories: two main categories:
• Input Devices • Application Software
• Output Devices • System Software
• Secondary Storage Devices
• Internal Components
Developed using electronic and Developed writing using
other materials instructions using a
programming language
When damaged, it can be When damaged it can be
replaced with a new component installed once more using a
backup copy
Hardware is physical in nature The software cannot be
and hence one can touch and physically touched but still can
see hardware be used and seen
Hardware cannot be infected by The software can be infected by
Viruses Viruses
Hardware will physically wear Software does not wear out, but
out over time it can be affected by bugs and
glitches
An example of Hardware is hard An example of software is
drives, monitors, CPU, scanners, Windows 10, Adobe Photoshop,
printers etc. Google Chrome etc.
 SOFTWARE
CONSTRUCTION
 Software Construction

Software construction is the central activity in

software development

There are 4 steps of software construction

1. Problem formulation
2. Designing Algorithm and Coding
3. Testing a Program
4. Documentation
1: Problem Formulation

■ Programmer (person who is writing a program) studies the

problem.
■ Decides the best way to solve the problem.
2: Designing Algorithm & Coding

Step by Step procedure to Set of instructions tells a

solve a problem computer what to do

An algorithm A program
(in human language) (in computer language)
Difference between Algorithm, Pseudocode
and Program
■ Algorithm :
– Systematic logical approach which is a well-defined,
– step-by-step procedure that allows a computer to solve a problem.
– Algorithms can be expressed using natural language, flowcharts, etc.
■ Pseudocode :
– It is a simpler version of a programming code in plain English which
uses short phrases to write code for a program before it is
implemented in a specific programming language.
■ Program :
– It is exact code written for problem following all the rules of the
programming language.
Examples

Algorithm

Pseudo Code

Program
3: Testing Program

■ Detection of errors in the software by providing different

values as input and then check the output
■ Expected output and observed output is compared
■ Ensures that problem is solved correctly or not
4: Final Documentation

■ Guide the user how to use program in an efficient way

■ Allows other programmers to modify the code