COMPUTER HARDWARE

Hardware represents the physical and tangible components of the computer, i.e., the components that can be seen and touched.
Examples of Hardware are following:

• Input devices -- keyboard, mouse, etc.
• Output devices -- printer, monitor, etc.
• Secondary storage devices -- Hard disk, CD, DVD, etc.
• Internal components -- CPU, motherboard, RAM, etc.

Relationship between Hardware and Software

• Mutually dependent. Both of them must work together to make computer produce a useful output.
• Software cannot be utilized without supporting hardware.
• Hardware without 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 softwares can be loaded on a hardware to run different jobs.
• A software acts as an interface between the user and the hardware.
• If hardware is the 'heart' of a computer system, then software is its 'soul'. Both are complimentary to each other.