What is the difference about software and hardware? Where do we draw the line?
I've been thinking about this and there is a good distinction in my opinion.
Hardware is everything that is physical in a computer, but wait, software is physical too! Bits are physical things! So whats the difference?
Software is just a subset of hardware, but it is hardware that can easily be changed, in short, it's hardware information in form of bits that can easily be changed using the computer own hardware.
Firmware in the other hand is like software, it's hardware information in form of bits but it can't be easily changed using the computers own hardware, it need third party tools.
Firmware and software are both subset of hardware.
Is there a way to run a hardware without software? No, because all *digital* computers need information, bits, to run.
But computers are far more than just digital computers, it's everything that can compute, in that way a mechanical machine that can compute but doesn't hold information in form of bits is a example of a computer without software!
Is there any problems with my way of thinking /sci?
what do you think about my distinction of hardware and software?
Justin Davis
Hardware is stuff like my weiner. Software is in your pants
Thomas Allen
i do not understand, stop baiting please.
Cameron Turner
Everything that can drop on your feet is Hardware
Jordan Nelson
I agree with you statements that the distinction is somewhat arbitrary
William Lee
Software is agnostic to its medium That means that it doesn't matter where the 1 's and 0' s are. They're just information, and they remain just information regardless of Wether its on paper, morse code or on an ssd.
a hard drive platter on the other hand operates quite differently in a refrigerator instead of a hard drive case.
Hardware is kinda stuck to itself
Samuel Foster
I know where you are right now in terms of thinking. You're on the right track, but you aren't done yet. Read this book and it'll answer most or all of your questions:
Correction: I misread your whole "software is a subset of hardware". You're not on the right track at all. Still read the book, because it'll sort you out properly.
Benjamin Smith
>That means that it doesn't matter where the 1 's and 0' s are. They're just information, and they remain just information regardless of Wether its on paper, morse code or on an ssd.
But the 1s and 0s are part of the hardware itself, they are physical things, my opinion is that the part of the hardware that is easily changed and holds binary information is the software.
David Myers
thanks, i already did read the book! In page 232 the author gives a similar explanation to mine!
Question: how old are you? What are you studying? Because the way you're talking screams "high school student trying to be deep/innovative in things that don't need it"
If I recall, the author does not classify software as a subset of hardware. Those are two different categories.
Jack Gray
English is not my native language, so that's might be the reason my writing isn't good, i'm not trying to be innovative, i'm just curious and i like clear definitions, that's it.
Jonathan Peterson
well, he doesn't clearly define it like i'm trying to do here, the line between software and hardware is somehow not really clear.
Jaxon Rivera
My mistake. In that case: no. Your definitions are incorrect. Software is not a subset of hardware, it is abstract information which may be written into or operated on by hardware. The two interact, but are distinct from one another. Firmware is a subset of software which is more coupled to the hardware, but still distinct.
Jacob Collins
>it is abstract information which may be written into or operated on by hardware Thanks, in this case, it is impossible to have a working hardware without a software, right?
Nathaniel James
Your teakettle is hardware.
Your decision to use it to cook sausages, that is software.
Mason Powell
Yes. Although if you wanted to get really philosophical about it (to keep your definitions strict), you could say that the logic flow of hardware is a form of software set up by the computer engineer designing the system
Logan Hill
>software is physical then you're gonna tell me soul is stored inside people's head, satan
Caleb Carter
CS is really just modern philosophy of boring garbage desu.
