- Hardware consists of the components that can be physically handled. The functions of these components can be typically divided into three main categories: input, output, and storage. Components in these categories connect to microprocessors, specifically, the computer’s central processing unit (CPU), the electronic circuitry that provides the computational ability and control of the computer, via wires or circuitry called a bus.
Three kinds of hardware are explained as follows:
- Input Hardware consists of external devices; components outside of the computer’s CPU providing information and instructions to the computer. These include light pen, mouse joystick, keyboard, Touch-screen displays, optical scanner, microphone, modem, network interface card, etc.
- Output Hardware consists of internal and external devices that transfer information from the computer’s CPU to the computer user. These include Display units likes a video screen with a cathode-ray tube (CRT) or a video screen with a liquid crystal display (LCD), Printers, speakers or headphones, projectors, etc.
- Storage Hardware provides permanent storage of information and programs for retrieval by the computer. The two main types of storage devices are disk drives and memory.
- There are several types of disk drives: hard, floppy, magneto-optical, magnetic tape, Compact disc drives (CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVDs, DVD-R, and DVD-RW), etc.
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