What is Hardware?
Hardware refers to the physical components of a computer system or electronic device. These are the tangible parts you can touch and see. It encompasses everything from the internal components that make up the device to the external peripherals used to interact with it.
Benefits:
- Functionality: Hardware provides the foundation for all computing operations.
- Performance: The quality and speed of hardware components directly impact system performance.
- Expansion: Hardware can be upgraded or added to enhance capabilities.
Use Cases:
Hardware is essential for:
- Computing: Processors, memory, storage, input/output devices.
- Networking: Routers, switches, modems, network cards.
- Data storage: Hard drives, SSDs, external storage devices.
- Peripheral devices: Printers, scanners, monitors, keyboards, mice.
- IoT devices: Sensors, actuators, microcontrollers.
Key Components:
Hardware can be broadly categorised into:
- Input devices: Keyboard, mouse, scanner, microphone.
- Output devices: Monitor, printer, speakers.
- Processing units: Central Processing Unit (CPU), Graphics Processing Unit (GPU).
- Storage devices: Hard Disk Drive (HDD), Solid State Drive (SSD), RAM.
- Networking hardware: Routers, switches, modems, network adapters.
- Other components: Power supply, motherboard, cooling systems.
