Is a computer a collection of hardware that exists to run software?
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Written by admin on July 23, 2008 – 6:15 pm
Okay, here’s a metaphysical question: Is a computer a collection of hardware that exists to run software, or is software a set of instructions that is created to make use of the hardware?
And does it really matter?
The second question is the easy one. When it comes down to it, it’s the software that gives your computer its personality and the tools you use to do your work. The hardware is very important, but it is just apparatus. Let me put it another way: If you’re buying a new , you should determine what kinds of programs you intend to run on it and then go out and buy hardware that works well with that software. The software in your :
- The System BIOS: I’ve no sooner switched the subject from hardware to software before I must take a half-step back. The System BIOS is specialized software that exists in your machine’s hardware; its initial purpose is to bring the inanimate chips and circuits and other doodads to life when you press the On button. That is called booting the machine, as in “lifting yourself up by your own bootstraps.” Its second purpose is to operate the lowest level of the interface between hardware and software: interpreting keystrokes on a keyboard, receiving and moving along clicks from a mouse, and that sort of thing.
- The operating system: This is the all-encompassing personality of the machine, determining the look and response of programs and the way they interact with each other. The most common operating system is one of another version of Microsoft’s Windows; as this book goes to press the latest and generally acknowledged as greatest version for most users is Windows XP Home or Windows XP Professional.
Nipping away a far distant second is the Linux operating system; Linux has a small piece of the server market, a smaller chunk of the desktop pie, and just a few crumbs of cake. (On Apple Macintosh machines, the official operating system is Apple’s own Mac OX.)
- The applications: Here’s where the work gets done. The most popular programs for users include the basic office functions of word processing, spreadsheets, and databases, plus an Internet browser. If you’re going to be making presentations, Microsoft PowerPoint is the tool of choice.
- The utilities: Problems happen. Your hard disk can become fragmented or corrupted. Your machine can catch a virus from a nasty e-mail or an infected piece of software. An unfriendly web site can send a spy to your machine. Windows can become clouded by broken pieces. There’s nothing like having the right tool for a repair job, and nothing nearly as annoying as its lack.
Types and Models of s
All s are essentially the same:
- On the outside, a screen, a keyboard, and a pointing device
- On the inside, a processor, a set of memory chips, and storage (hard drive, CD, DVD, and the like)
- In between, a set of ways to get information in and out of the box The design and the particular combination of very-nice-but-not-always-essential bells and whistles distinguishes one from another. If you’re looking for an analogy - and who isn’t in these troubled days - consider cars. All automobiles have the same basic components: a set of wheels, brakes, steering mechanism, a couple of seats, and an engine to push the box along the road. I just checked product listings and reviews on a web site.
You can buy a brandnew Kia Rio, with a 104 horsepower four-cylinder engine and space for five close and not-very-demanding friends for about $10,000 and get about 25 to 30 miles per gallon on the road. Or you can splurge for a Porsche Carrera GT with a 605 horsepower ten-cylinder light alloy engine and space for you and a guest for a mere $450,000 and burn gasoline at the rate 10 miles per gallon. Both cars will get you through heavy traffic to the supermarket in exactly the same amount of time. And both cars can drive on a race track, although one will top out at about 85 miles per hour while the other (guess which?) can reach and sustain 205 miles per hour.
Okay, enough about cars. Back to s. For basic jobs like word processing, browsing the Internet, and playing solitaire, any current machine will do just fine, from a $600 bargain special to a $3,000 luxury model. If you’re planning on doing a moderate amount of basic graphics or audio editing, or if you need to prepare and then deliver complex PowerPoint presentations, then you need a machine with a bit more horsepower (in the form of a faster processor and more memory).
And if you’ve got to do some very demanding work and have special needs like an extra-large screen or some extraordinary multimedia assignments you may need to buy a Carrera . . . I mean a top-of-the-line luxury model . No industry standards consistently divide models into classes, so I’ve come up with some of my own. Feel free to modify them to meet your particular needs, update them as changes occur in the industry, and use them to make your own decisions on purchasing, upgrading, or holding on to your .
The prices and configurations I am using are common in 2006. Throughout the history of personal computers, the trend has always been this: Prices go down and you get more and more for your money over time. But there will always be a price and performance difference between the latest and greatest, and the relatively oldest and least. Be careful out there.
