Hardware and software – Computer systems – AQA – GCSE Computer Science Revision – AQA – BBC Bitesize
Computer systems consist of hardware and software. Hardware is the physical components of the computer, such as the central processing unit (CPU), hard disk, monitor, keyboard and mouse. Software is the programs that run on a computer.
Hardware is the physical components of a computer. Software is the programs that run on a computer.
A computer system requires both hardware and software to function. Aside from the internal components of a computer, additional hardware allows the user to communicate with the system through inputs and outputs. The table below shows some examples of input and output hardware.
Input device
Output device
Mouse
Screen
Keyboard
Speakers
Camera
Printer
Microphone
LEDs
The software in a computer system enables the hardware to function and the user to perform tasks. Software within a computer system is divided into two main types, system software and application software.
