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Hardware is so-termed because it is hard or rigid with respect to changes, whereas software is soft because it is easy to change. Hardware is typically directed by the software to execute any command or instruction. A combination of hardware and software forms a usable computing system, although other systems exist with only hardware.
An operating system ( OS) is system software that manages computer hardware and software resources, and provides common services for computer programs . Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also include accounting software for cost allocation of processor time, mass storage, peripherals, and ...
In computer science and computer engineering, computer architecture is a description of the structure of a computer system made from component parts. [ 1] It can sometimes be a high-level description that ignores details of the implementation. [ 2] At a more detailed level, the description may include the instruction set architecture design ...
Kernel (operating system) The kernel is a computer program at the core of a computer 's operating system and generally has complete control over everything in the system. The kernel is also responsible for preventing and mitigating conflicts between different processes. [1] It is the portion of the operating system code that is always resident ...
A computer is a machine that can be programmed to automatically carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations ( computation ). Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as programs. These programs enable computers to perform a wide range of tasks. The term computer system may refer to a nominally ...
Input/output. v. t. e. In the context of an operating system, a device driver is a computer program that operates or controls a particular type of device that is attached to a computer or automaton. [ 1] A driver provides a software interface to hardware devices, enabling operating systems and other computer programs to access hardware ...
A hardware abstraction layer (HAL) is an abstraction layer, implemented in software, between the physical hardware of a computer and the software that runs on that computer. . Its function is to hide differences in hardware from most of the operating system kernel, so that most of the kernel-mode code does not need to be changed to run on systems with different hardwa
A system architecture primarily concentrates on the internal interfaces among the system's components or subsystems, and on the interface (s) between the system and its external environment, especially the user. (In the specific case of computer systems, this latter, special, interface is known as the computer human interface, AKA human ...