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Computer Systems and Architecture
Quick questions on Hardware and software explained: O-Level Computing
7short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is hardware?Show answer
Hardware is the physical parts of a computer, the components you can touch. It includes the parts inside the case (the processor, memory, storage) and the devices attached to it (keyboard, screen, printer).
What is software?Show answer
Software is the set of programs and instructions that tell the hardware what to do. It has no physical form: you cannot touch a program, only the disk it is stored on. Hardware without software does nothing useful; software needs hardware to run on.
What is system software?Show answer
System software manages and runs the computer itself, providing the platform on which other programs work. The most important piece is the operating system (OS).
What is application software?Show answer
Application software is a program that helps the user carry out a specific task. Examples include a word processor, a web browser, a spreadsheet, a game and a photo editor. Applications run on top of the operating system.
What is q1?Show answer
Classify a printer and a spreadsheet program as hardware or software. [2 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
State two tasks performed by an operating system. [2 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
Explain the difference between system software and application software. [2 marks]
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