Method of Teaching: Software and Hardware

Whenever I teach computer or information technology to my students at Agoo Computer College, I want to be sure that they clearly understood the difference between software and hardware including the symbiotic relationship between them.

SOFTWARE is an idea or opinion. It is abstract. It does not have any physical attribute. It cannot be seen. There is no color, no taste, no odor, no texture, and no sound.

In contrast, HARDWARE has physical attributes. You can touch it physically. Some have color, odor, or texture. Others have taste or audible sound.

In order for any SOFTWARE to become useful, you need a medium. This medium is a HARDWARE.

Example 1: An author who has an idea (software) must print it on paper (hardware) to produce a useful product or a book.

Example 2: A musical composition (software) must be perform through an instrument (hardware) to produce music.

Example 3: A programmer who has an idea (software) of doing task must instruct the computer to produce output such as printed materials (hardware) or visual display (hardware). Printed materials have physical attributes. Visual display or computer monitor displays colored text or graphical images.

Finally, the plural form of software is software NOT softwares. The plural for of hardware is hardware NOT hardwares.