Computer hardware, software, technology solutions insight. The motherboard is made up of even more parts that power and control the computer. Glossary of computer system software development terminology. Top terms include output device, input device, device driver, and thousands more. Hardware includes the electrical, mechanical, data storage and magnetic components among other parts. Computers, adapter cards and ethernet cables are examples. Removing, repairing and replacing faulty ram, hard disk or videographic card. If the hardware is the heart of a computer system, then the software is its soul. List of words about computers simple english wikipedia. The new ieee standard dictionary of electrical and electronics terms, ieee std. The device drivers may come already installed in the os, or you may have to install or update a driver when you add a new peripheral device. The computer is a two part system consisting of a body that is the hardware and a mind that is the software. Insight is a leading provider of computer hardware, software, cloud solutions and it services to business, government, education and healthcare clients. May 21, 2019 software is a program that enables a computer to perform a specific task, as opposed to the physical components of the system hardware.
Computer an electronic machine that can store and process data. The part which activates the physical components cs alled software. Software pdf spreadsheet excel file resmon tab device driver word processor notepad. A material defect exists if the delivered computer hardware andor software does not. Computer hardware definition of computer hardware by the. Any hardware device or software program designed to protect a computer from viruses, trojans, malware, etc. From data storage to output devices, our hardware dictionary offers a glossary of terms you need to know. A material defect exists if the delivered computer hardware and or software does not. Software this is all the instructions for the computer or a program designed to do different things. Browse the list of 572 computer hardware abbreviations with their meanings and definitions. Software is a set of instructions that the computer follows. Hardware refers to the physical pieces of a computer while software refers to the programs stored within it.
Computer a collection of electronic parts that allow software programs to run that. Software is a program that enables a computer to perform a specific task, as opposed to the physical components of the system hardware. Dictionary of hardware terms the tech terms computer. A computer without software is like a book full of blank pages you need software to make the computer useful just as you need words to make a book meaningful. Hardware troubleshooting is generally done on hardware equipment installed within a computer, server, laptop or related device. Some processes within hardware troubleshooting include. List of all most popular abbreviated computer hardware terms defined. Most activities can be described in terms of the inputprocessoutput ipo cycle. Putting two or more in a single package makes your computer faster only if your software knows. Computer hardware refers to the physical parts that make up the entirety of a computer. What are the differences between hardware and software. Software is a general term for the various kinds of program s used to operate computer s and related devices. Hardware refers to the tangible and physical components of the computer.
Hardware includes the electrical, mechanical, data storage and magnetic. Software simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. If youre looking for a word that generally indicates the entire sphere of hardware, firmware, and software technology, i think youre better off listing them out like that. Oct 31, 2008 21 computer hardware terms you should know.
A computer therefore, is a collection of electronic parts body with a set of instructions controlling it mind. Before compact discs cds or development of the internet age, software was used on various computer data storage media tools like. By contrast, software is instructions that can be stored and run by hardware. Dictionary term of the day articles subjects businessdictionary business dictionary dictionary toggle navigation. Hardware refers the physical parts of the computer, and software refers to the code that runs on the. Basic computer terms hardware the physical parts of a computer cpu. The term hardware describes the physical aspects of computers and related devices.
This may include obvious things like the keyboard and mouse. A peripheral device that reads andor writes information on a disk. Computer repair is a broad field encompassing many tools, techniques and procedures used to repair computer hardware, software or networkinternet. Putting two or more in a single package makes your computer faster only if your software knows how to go faster by performing multiple operations at. Computer hardware is the collection of all the parts you can physically touch. Software is a broad term for the programs running on hardware. Internet terms hardware terms software terms technical terms file formats bits and bytes tech acronyms. Computer repair is the process of identifying, troubleshooting and resolving problems and issues in a faulty computer. Different software applications can be loaded on a hardware to run different jobs.
File allocation table disambiguation from fat or fat. Mar 31, 2020 a computer system isnt complete unless theres also software, which is different than hardware. This glossary of computer hardware terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts related to computer hardware, i. For example, the computer monitor used to view this text, or the mouse used to navigate a website are considered computer hardware. Interested in learning some computer terms for children. Codec a codec is software or hardware that encodes and decodes data. The physical components of a computer are the hardware, and the digital programs running on the hardware are the software. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The pages and the ink are the hardware, while the words, sentences, paragraphs, and the overall meaning are the software. Putting two or more in a single package makes your computer faster only if your software knows how to go faster by. This section will introduce major parts and themes of how computer hardware works.
A computer without software is like a book full of blank pages you need software to make the computer useful just as. Hardware is a physical device, something that one is able to touch and see. Occurs when a user points the mouse at an icon or folder, presses the button and without releasing the button, moves the icon or folder to another place on the computer where the button is released. Computer hardware comes under two sections, these are internal hardware and external hardware. Hardware is the term used for all parts of the computer that you can physically touch. The term arose as a way to distinguish the box and the electronic circuitry and components of a computer from the program you put in it to make it do things. Your computer hardware will consist of the devices within the case of the computer itself, and any peripheral devices that are connected to the computer such as the mouse and keyboard. A video card is hardware, and a computer game is software.
A computer has hardware, which is the machine itself, and software, which is a set of instructions. An operating system, or os, is software that communicates with the hardware and allows other programs to run. A part of a program that usually causes the computer to malfunction. A computers hardware is comprised of many different parts, but perhaps the most important of these is the motherboard. Ultimately, computer software is the systems logic computer users. It is comprised of system software, or the fundamental files your computer needs to boot up and function. For computers, hardware refers to the physical property that makes up a system. Software program that controls a piece of hardware or a peripheral. In contrast to software, hardware is a physical entity.
Software is a program, such as an operating system or a web browser, that is able to instruct a computers hardware to perform a specific task. In other words, hardware is something you can hold in your hand, whereas. Software consists of carefullyorganized instructions and code written by programmers in any of various special computer languages. Every desktop computer, tablet, and smartphone includes an operating system that provides basic functionality for the device. Computer hardware consists of interconnected electronic devices that we can use to. Hardware and software are interconnected, without software, the hardware of a computer would have no function. Text is available under creative commons attributionsharealike 3. Normally there are two associated with a computer system, hardware and software. Computer hardware terms and related words and jargon relating to computer hardware. Pc glossary definitions of computer and internet terms. This article will help explain the terms usually used in networking such as driver, firmware, hardware, software and utility. However, most of a computers hardware cannot be seen.
Such software is called a device driver, and it controls io to the peripheral. Hardware and software are interconnected, without software, the hardware of a computer. End user license agreement redirect from eula ext2 filesystem type. Computer terminology hardware university of new mexico. System software also includes the software needed to access a peripheral device connected to the computer. Software is divided commonly into two main categories. A general term used to describe computer programs such as applications and operating systems.
Hardware vs software difference and comparison diffen. Hardware gets its name due to the fact that its strict when it comes to modifications, whereas software is more. Defining the terms driver, firmware, hardware, software. Computer hardware includes the physical, tangible parts or components of a computer, such as the case, central processing unit cpu, monitor, keyboard, computer data storage, graphics card, sound card, speakers and motherboard. Software development is very expensive and is a continuing expense. Cleaning dusts from ram and video carts slotports and from cooling fan. Software is defined as the virtual programs that run on your computer. The components of a computer system, such as the keyboard, hard drive, and printer. In information technology, hardware is the physical aspect of computers, telecommunications, and other devices. A device usually within the computer case that reads and writes information, including the. The software is data thats stored electronically, like an operating system or a video editing tool, which runs on the hardware. A computer bus which moves information between the internal hardware of a computer system including the cpu and ram and peripheral devices. A software acts as an interface between the user and the hardware.
Defining the terms driver, firmware, hardware, software, and. Every computer is composed of two basic components. Although a computer can function only when both hardware and software are working together, the speed of a system will largely rely on the hardware used. A computer system isnt complete unless theres also software, which is different than hardware. In other words, hardware is something you can hold in your hand, whereas software cannot be held in your hand. Ieee the protection of computer hardware and software from accidental or malicious access, use, modification, destruction, or disclosure. Software is a program, such as an operating system or a web browser, that is able to instruct a computer s hardware to perform a specific. The term hardware refers to mechanical device that makes up computer. The word software was first used in the late 1960s to emphasize on its difference from computer hardware, which can be physically observed by the user.
Computer hardware is any physical device used in or with your machine, whereas software is a collection of programming code installed on your computers hard drive. Abandonware abiword abort, ignore, retry, fail about box absolute coordinates accelerator active activesync addon adobe after effects adobe air. Everything you need to know about computer hardware. The term hardware refers to the physical components of the computer system as opposed to the software. Transferring data from another computer to your computer. The main difference between hardware and software is that the hardware refers to physical components of a computer while the software refers to a set of instructions given to a computer to perform a certain task the components of a computer are mainly divided into two sections. The computer is an amazingly useful generalpurpose technology, to the point that now cameras, phones, thermostats, and more are all now little computers. A computer s hardware is comprised of many different parts, but perhaps the most important of these is the motherboard. Virus software that was written to do bad stuff to. Dictionary of software terms the tech terms computer dictionary.
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