Hardware/ software / or what??

So, the biggest difference between hardware and software is the difference in the ability to hold the item (* needed). If you can physically hold it or break it, it is hardware, but if you can only scream at it, it is software. But this line blurs when it comes to low-level firmware some of which include bios or UEFI’s.


An excellent example of this is given in this article and is as follows:


In spite of the fact that software is sometimes distributed on CDs and DVDs or some other physical medium, the medium is only used to store program code. The disc is not the actual software.


Basically, all software utilizes hardware, without software the hardware just exists; you can test this yourself at home by booting up a computer with no OS installed; it will turn on but give an error. Hardware relies on software for instructions, and without hardware, software is useless.


It is possible for a computer to run without software in most situations. However, if an operating system or interpreter is not found, it either generates an error or fails to display information. As mentioned above a computer needs an operating system that allows both the user and software to interact with the computer hardware. Would software work without a computer, however? In that article, there is a question similar to this.





I was left wondering why to ask a dumb question like that. However, it hit me that not everyone can understand this stuff, so in a nutshell, a computer can't work without storage, memory, a motherboard, a power source, and a processor. You would still need a keyboard or some other way of entering commands to the device, as well as a video card ( or built-in onboard graphics) and a display in order to see what you are doing. Almost everything else that is hardware that works with a computer is considered a peripheral and is not technically required, but it's nice to have.


Now getting that out of the way as shared above at the onset, the lines are blurred when it comes to firmware as the firmware is built into the PCBs on Motherboards or within the chips (bios chips) and this is also the case with things like Raid controller drives, GPUs, and other devices that can contain low-level firmware. These provide the basic initials laid out so that the device can work with other devices. These from time to time can or need to be updated as well or issues can arise. This can be done via the Manufacturer’s websites.






In conclusion, hardware is physical, and software is virtual. The exception is when it comes to firmware on a computer, since that is a physical thing that you can hold, but you still cannot hold the software, Haha. Make sense?






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Resources



Computer Hope. (2020, June 9). What are the differences between hardware and software? Computer Hope's Free Computer Help. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000039.htm