Hardware is the physical components of a computer system.
Hardware is the physical components of a computer system.
This includes the screen, CPU, keyboard and mouse, RAM, and speakers.
Software refers to the programs or instructions that control a computer's hardware.
There are two types of software.
Application software means programs which perform end-user tasks.
This includes a browser, Microsoft Word, and the Calculator.
System software means programs which are needed for the computer to function.
This includes the Operating System, utility software, and programming language translators.
There are two types of computer system.
A general purpose system is a computer system which can perform many tasks and has replaceable software.
For example, the device that you're viewing this page on (or any other phone, tablet, laptop or desktop).
An embedded system is a computer system which is built into another device to perform a specific task.
There are embedded systems in washing machines, dishwashers and microwaves. Embedded systems have their software (called "firmware") hard-coded onto their chip, so their instructions cannot be changed.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of embedded systems?
Tap/click to reveal Embedded systems are very reliable, cheap to mass produce, and energy efficient. However, they are difficult to update if a bug is discovered.