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a physical component that you can touch

Hardware definition

mouse/ keyboard/ monitor/ screen/ VDU

Hardware example

run on a computer and is instructions that tell the computer what to do

Software definition

operating systems (GUI and CLI), applications (word processing) and utilities

Software examples

allows the user to interact with a computer rather than having to type in a number of commands

GUI main feature

easy to use due to the visual nature of the interface – the user has lots of visual clues as to what to do

GUI advantage

requires a user to type in instructions in order for your computer to complete the basic operations.

CLI main feature

the user is in direct communication with the computer and is not restricted to a number of pre-determined options

CLI advantage

the user has to learn the commands and key them in every time an operation is to be carried out

CLI disadvantage

The working memory of the computer, volatile, erases when the computer turns off, can read write

RAM

boot-up programme – needed to start the computer when it is switched on, non-volatile, permanent memory

ROM

the device that carries out software instructions (the 'brain' of the computer)

CPU

used by large businesses, in government offices or by universities

Mainframe uses

Allows several users, sometimes hundreds, to use it at the same time. Very powerful

Mainframe advantages

They are very large so have to be kept in special, airtight conditioned rooms. Not portable

Mainframe disadvantages

Any data or instructions that are to be processed by the CPU must be placed into main memory

Main Memory/ Primary storage

all of the devices (apart from ROM and RAM) that can store data in a computer system.

Secondary / Backing Storage