Structure of a computer

Hardware:

The term hardware refers to the physical parts of the computer or includes anything in the computer that we can be touch and seen.

It consists of inter-connected electronic device that control everything in the computer.

Hardware can be divided into four major categories. They are

1. Input Devices

2. Output Devices

3. Processing Devices

4. Storage Devices

Software:

Software brings life into the computer. It is nothing but instructions (or a program) required to run the computer.

It guides the hardware on how to do its job. Software consist of electronic instructions.

A specific set of instructions that drive a computer to perform a specific task is called a program.

Software can be classified mainly into two categories:

1. System Software

2. Application Software

System Software

One main type of system software is the operating system that is required by the computer to function.

System Software integrates (join together) the computer hardware components (parts), and also provides the tools to use the software components in the desired manner.

It provides platform to the user (human ware) to perform any task.

Application software

It is the software, which turns the computer into a tool for doing some specific tasks.

These are the programs, which cater (provide) to various needs of the users. Application software is written for every type of task, i.e.

word processing to collecting information on the worldwide web.

Application software can further be classified into:

Special purpose Application Software

General Purpose Application Software

Special Purpose Application Software

They are used to perform a specific task, say for a single profession, e.g. nuclear energy scientists use special programs for exploding the nuclear bombs.

If a person has no knowledge about the subject, he won’t find it useful or interesting to learn.

General Purpose Application Software

These are the other type of application software used by millions of people for doing various tasks. Commonly used general purpose softwares are:

1. Word processing

2. Desktop Processing

3. Spreadsheet

4. Database Management systems (DBMS)

5. Graphics, Multimedia and Presentation Application

6. Education and Entertainment Software

User / Humanware:

Humanware is also known as liveware or brainware. People who operate the computers are called user or end user.

Programmers are one kind of computer professional who create computer programs. They are the ones who do all the software-development work.

Hardware engineers area also a part of computer professions, and they look after the maintenance and hardware related problems of computer.