Hardware

1.      Hardware

Hardware is the physical components of the computer which is run by using software. It is also equally important parts of a computer system as well as of Information technology which has definite shape and size and that helps us to perform various operations. Hardware is mainly divided into 3 classes. They are:

i)                    Input device

ii)                  Memory and processing device

iii)                Output device

i)                    Input device

Those physical components which help us to input the data and instructions to the computer are called input devices. Input generating terminals are further divided into 2 classes. They are:

a)      Primary input devices

b)      Secondary input devices

Primary input devices are those devices which can be directly connected to the computer system and they can be controlled by the user. Those devices are: keyboard, mouse, joystick etc.

Secondary input devices are those devices that are directly connected to the computer system but cannot be controlled by the user. Those devices are: network interface card, modem etc.

ii)         Memory and processing devices

In a simple meaning, memory is the data storage capacity of a computer. It is the process of inputting records and executes the already stored data.

There are two classes of memory:

a)      Primary memory

Primary memory includes RAM, ROM and Cache memory.

b)      Secondary memory

It includes hard disk, floppy disk, cd, DVD’s, magnetic memory etc.

                               Processing devices is also called CPU. CPU stands for central processing unit. CPU is called the brain, heart, and soul of the computer system which helps to process the given raw data and controls various components during processing and provides accurate result to the user.

iii)                Output devices

Those devices through which the processed output is displayed in the human understandable format are called output devices.

For e.g.: Monitor, printer, plotter etc.