2.2 THE STRUCTURE OF COMPUTERS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE Do you know other words with the suffix -ware? What does it mean? This architecture is a theoretical design for a general-purpose stored program computer that serves as the basis for almost all modern computers. It was created in 1945 by John von Neumann, who based his work on the studies of Alan Turing. Give examples of application software. ONLINE RESOURCES The motherboard to carry out: svolgere motherboard: scheda madre payroll: buste paghe to run: gestire spreadsheet: foglio di calcolo 58 Computer systems consist of both hardware and software . Hardware refers to the physical components that make up a computer, while software is the programs, instructions and data that make it possible for a computer to operate and carry out a task. What is the relationship between hardware and software? Hardware is useless without software and vice versa. They need each other. Software makes hardware useable by giving it the instructions that it needs in order to operate. motherboard, the video and sound cards, and the internal hard disk drive. Hardware is responsible for performing four basic functions: input, processing, output and storage. The basic relationship of these different hardware components in a simple computer system, also called Von Neumann architecture , can be represented in this way: input CPU output memory Hardware Hardware consists of both external and internal parts. The external parts, also called peripherals, perform the basic functions of input, i.e. providing data to the computer, and output, i.e. producing outcome after the processing of the input. External hardware also includes storage devices such as external hard disks or memory sticks. Internal hardware, also called components, on the other hand, refers to parts built into or inside the computer case and which are: the central processing unit (CPU), the memory chips, the THE BODY OF COMPUTERS Software Software can be classified depending on its function. System software is used to run and maintain the computer and it includes: the operating system (e.g. Windows); drivers (e.g. printer drivers to connect a printer to the computer); utility software (e.g. a file manager to save or delete files); Application software , or an application program, is used to carry out tasks on a computer. Some software, such as word processors, spreadsheets and desktop publishers, is called general purpose software because it can be used to carry out different tasks with the same application; other software is called special purpose software because it is used to perform only one specific task as in the case of a flight simulator or payroll software.