Hardware
Hardware is the name given to every physical part of a computer or a phone that you can actually touch: the processor, the screen, the memory, the keyboard and the rest.
| In brief | Every physical part of a computer or a phone that you can hold in your hand. |
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| Technical definition | The whole body of physical components on which software runs, such as the processor, memory, storage, motherboard and input-output devices. |
| Everyday example | The processor, RAM and camera specifications you compare when buying a phone are that device's hardware line-up. |
| Why it matters | Hardware draws the limits of a device's speed, capacity and capability; an informed purchase begins with being able to read it. |
| Common misconceptions |
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The side you can touch
The most basic distinction in technology is the one between hardware and software: hardware is the physical parts of a device, while software is the set of instructions telling those parts what to do. The common comparison is an orchestra: hardware is the instruments and software is the score, and neither produces music without the other. The phone screen you touch, the keyboard you type on and every electronic part inside them are hardware.
The main components
Every computer runs on a similar cast of parts. The processor (CPU) is the centre that carries out the calculations; RAM is the temporary space for whatever is being worked on at that moment; storage is the permanent home of files; the graphics card produces the image; the motherboard connects all the parts together. In phones most of these components are combined onto a single chip; the logic is the same, only the scale is smaller.
Reading hardware when choosing a device
A device's specification list is really an introduction to its cast of hardware. Being able to read that list means comparing devices by concrete measures such as the processor, RAM and storage rather than by advertising copy. One more thing is worth knowing: hardware does age, but what usually slows a device down is not ageing hardware so much as the rising demands of updated software. Buying more hardware than you need is not always necessary; what matters is a match with how the device will be used.
Related terms: Software, RAM, Storage, Operating System