[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-665510-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":80,"doc-detail-665510-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":73,"head_meta":75,"extra_data":77,"updated_unix":79},105,"en","hardware-vs-software-primary-difference-and-examples","Hardware vs. Software - Primary Difference and Examples","","Hardware vs. Software explains the core distinction between physical computer components and program-based instructions. Hardware is described as tangible parts inside or connected to a computer, while software is presented as a collection of computer programs containing data and commands that guide the computer’s actions. The material lists example hardware devices such as monitor, motherboard, CPU, RAM, and storage drives, then provides representative software types including games, text editors, photo editors, operating systems, and media playback.",{"@graph":14,"@context":72},[15,34,55],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/technology/","Technology",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/hardware-vs-software-primary-difference-and-examples/665510/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/hardware-vs-software-primary-difference-and-examples/665510.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Anna Hans","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-10-29",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":22},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",{"@type":56,"mainEntity":57},"FAQPage",[58,64,68],{"name":59,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":61},"What is the primary difference between hardware and software?","Question",{"text":62,"@type":63},"Hardware is physical and can be inside or connected to the computer, while software is a collection of programs that provides instructions for how the computer should act.","Answer",{"name":65,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":66},"What are some examples of hardware mentioned in the document?",{"text":67,"@type":63},"The document lists monitor, motherboard, CPU, RAM, expansion cards, power supply, optical disk drive, hard disk drive, keyboard, and mouse.",{"name":69,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":70},"What kinds of software examples does the document provide?",{"text":71,"@type":63},"It gives examples such as computer games, text editing software, photo editing software, operating systems, and media storage or players.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":74,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":76,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":78,"site_id":7},665510,1793304602,{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":82},"success",[83,87,91,95,100,104,109,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":84,"show_sort_weight":85,"slug":86},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":88,"show_sort_weight":89,"slug":90},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":92,"show_sort_weight":93,"slug":94},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":96,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},6,50,"technology",{"id":105,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":110,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":131},{"doc_id":78,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":101,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":22,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":30,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":79,"read_time":110},5909892332657,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_994ba38a5ba835b3df7d355c54d3ed8d","Hardware vs. Software  \nThe primary difference between hardware and software is that hardware is something that is a physical substance of the computer (something that is physically inside the computer or connects to the computer) whereas software is a collection of computer programs that contain instructions for the computer. Below we have listed some examples of each. We also have added some diagrams.  \nHardware  \n1. Monitor: A monitor is an electronic visual display device for the computer. This is what you are using to read this description.  \n2. Motherboard: A motherboard holds the main components of the computer, such as the memory.  \n3. CPU: The CPU (central processing unit) is what executes the commands of the computer.  \n4. RAM: RAM (Random-access memory) is memory that can be accessed quickly from the computer. It doesn’t store permanent memory.  \n5. Expansion card: An expansion card improves different parts of the computer. These can be video cards, graphic cards, etc.  \n6. Power Supply: Converts AC power from a power supply to low voltage DC power that can supply all the necessary parts of the computer.  \n7. Optical Disk Drive: A disk drive that users lasers to obtain information off of optical disks, such as CD’s, DVD’s , and Blu-Rays.  \n8. Hard Disk Drive: A device that can store data and retrieve data when needed. Uses quick rotating disks and magnets to store information.  \n9. Keyboard: a typewriter like device that is used to enter keystrokes into the computer  \n10. Mouse: a pointing device that allows you to point at and select different objects on the computer screen  \nSoftware  \nComputer software is a collection of computer programs. It has data and instructions that tell the computer how to act. Computer software is always stored in the memory of either the computer or an external memory device. Software is the brains behind the hardware, and tells the hardware what functions to do. The difference with software, instead of hardware is that software cannot be touched. The memory that the software is stored on can be touched, but the actual software itself cannot be touched. Some examples of software:  \n􀁸 Computer Games (Roller Coaster Tycoon or the Sims)  \n􀁸 Text Editing Software (Microsoft Word)  \n􀁸 Photo Editing Software (Adobe Photoshop)  \n􀁸 Operating Systems (Mac OS, Windows, and Linux)  \n􀁸 Media Storage (iTunes or Windows Media Player)  \n􀁸 and many more….","cbCaid6tncLCMqpF","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaid6tncLCMqpF","pdf",187531,"English","# Hardware vs. Software\n## Hardware\n## Software","[{\"question\":\"What is the primary difference between hardware and software?\",\"answer\":\"Hardware is physical and can be inside or connected to the computer, while software is a collection of programs that provides instructions for how the computer should act.\"},{\"question\":\"What are some examples of hardware mentioned in the document?\",\"answer\":\"The document lists monitor, motherboard, CPU, RAM, expansion cards, power supply, optical disk drive, hard disk drive, keyboard, and mouse.\"},{\"question\":\"What kinds of software examples does the document provide?\",\"answer\":\"It gives examples such as computer games, text editing software, photo editing software, operating systems, and media storage or players.\"}]","Hardware vs. Software - Primary Difference and Examples | PDF"]