Question :
What is the difference between hardware and software – Utopper
Solution :
There are two parts to a computer system: hardware and software. Hardware refers to the parts of a computer that you can see and touch, like the monitor, CPU, keyboard, and mouse. On the other hand, software is a collection of instructions that tell the hardware how to do a certain set of tasks. For the software to work, it has to be installed on the hardware, and the hardware has to be there for the tasks to be done. Both of them depend on each other, but they are also different.
| S. No. | Parameters | Hardware | Software |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Basic Definition | Hardware is a physical part of the computer that causes the processing of data. | Software is a set of instructions that tells a computer exactly what to do. |
| 2. | Development | It is manufactured. | It is developed and engineered. |
| 3. | Dependency | Hardware cannot perform any task without software. | The software can not be executed without hardware. |
| 4. | Process of creating | Electronic and other materials are used to create hardware. | Created by utilizing a computer language to write instructions. |
| 5. | Tangible | Hardware is tangible as hardware is a physical electronic device, that can be touched. | Software is intangible as we can see and also use the software but can’t touch them. |
| 6. | Durability | Hardware typically wears out over time. | The software does not wear out with time. However, it may contain flaws and glitches. |
| 7. | Types | It has four main categories: input devices, output devices, storage, and internal components. | It is mainly divided into System software and Application software. |
| 8. | Virus effect | Hardware is not affected by computer viruses. | Software is affected by computer viruses. |
| 9. | Transfer | It cannot be transferred from one place to another electrically through the network. | It can be transferred via a network means. |
| 10. | Machine-Level language | Only machine-level language is known to be understood by hardware. | The program accepts human-readable input, interprets it in machine-level language, and sends it to hardware for additional processing. |
| 11. | Replacement | If hardware is damaged, it is replaced with a new one. | If the software is damaged, its backup copy can be reinstalled. |
| 12. | Failures | Dust, overheating, dust, and other factors are commonly responsible for hardware failures. | Overloading, systematic error, major-minor version error, and other factors are commonly responsible for software failures. |
| 13. | Examples | Ex: Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor, Printer, CPU, Hard disk, RAM, ROM, etc. | Ex: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Photoshop, MySQL, etc. |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is an example of Software?
Software is the set of programmes and routines that make a computer work or the set of instructions that make an electronic device work. Excel, Windows, and iTunes are all kinds of software. Software includes things like word processors and browsers for the Internet.
2. What is an example of hardware?
The physical parts of a computer are called its “hardware.” Also called the computer’s machinery or its equipment. The keyboard, monitor, mouse, and processing unit are all examples of hardware in a computer. But most of a computer’s hardware is hidden inside the case and can’t be seen.
3. What is the effect of viruses on Hardware and Software?
Hardware is not affected by computer viruses whereas Software gets majorly impacted by the viruses.
4. How many types of hardware are there?
Hardware is mainly classified into four main categories that are input devices, output devices, storage, and internal components.
5. What are the different types of software?
System software and Application software are the two main types.
