6.1 Hardware and Software Flashcards
What is hardware ?
The Physical components of the computer system.
What does hardware include ?
The internal components and external components
What is Software ?
Name given to program code where sequences of instructions which are executed to perform a task.
What is application software ?
Programs that complete a specific task for the user.
What is system software ?
Operates, controls and maintains the computer and its components
Manages computers system
Provides a platform for other softwares
What does system software include ?
Computer’s OS, utility programs, library programs and translators.
What is the operating system ?
Allows its user to control the
computer with ease by providing a virtual machine.
What does the operating system also do ?
Manages and controls access to
the computer’s resources.(Memory Management , processor scheduling and handling interrupts)
What are utility programs ?
Programs used for completing housekeeping tasks in a computer system
What tasks do utility programs complete ?
Data backup, defragmenting hard drives, data compression and encryption.
What are library programs ?
Contain useful functions that are frequently used by a program
What are Translators ?
Pieces of software which translate between
different types of language
What are the three types of translators ?
compilers, assemblers and interpreters.
