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	As a consequence of statistical data presenting the number of REPORTED deaths recorded in the last Governorship and State House of Assembly Polls,Please partake in the voting below

	PHENOMENON
	Nigeria should immdediately adopt and implement the use of electronic voting for National Polls VIEW DEATH TOLL HERE
	FOR AGAINST INDIFFERENT

Software - Hardware

On your first encounter with a working computer it looked rather attractive and at the same time
recondite; intimidating. It also looked appealing. What more - it displayed pictorial content and
could be interacted with! In any case, as soon as you spotted this contraption, some of its parts
immediately became obvious-the monitor with a glass screen , a metallic box called the CPU
(Central Processing Unit) , the keyboard , mouse and probably speakers; and perhaps the job
being performed on the computer (also called Personal Computer , PC for short) shown via the
Monitor glass screen!
Well, be consoled. This is not strange- it happened to me too!

Okay, you now wondered how do I attempt to define this machine in few concise statements?
Yeah, yeah, don’t be in a quandary, help is on the way! However, in my own style.
So you wondered what is this thing? Really, answer's not far fetched. It’s called a computer and
could be defined thus:

This is an electric device capable of
1. Performing actions based on special instructions of information called commands fed into it
2. Perform these actions at incredible speeds (up to trillions of time faster than any human activity)
3. Perform these actions with incredible accuracy and efficiency

After going through the definition, you were pretty awed-those superlatives-speed, accuracy,
efficiency! And all in single package!
However, I was on hand to say -Don’t be goofed! It’s known every where that A computer may really be that fast and accurate but that such attributes are solely dependent on the instructions
fed into the computer- It could as well be as fast in doing dumb things!
Okay consider an aircraft. A hypersonic stealth fighter for that matter. This machine may be fast and

accurate but it would not naturally complain if you directed it towards a skyscraper for direct impact unless otherwise instructed by some means through a HUMAN.Therefore, a computer is fundamentally a dumb tool just like your scissors, hammer and biro. The only difference is that you can pre- direct or pre-plan a computer’s action by the use of what we call programs .This way a computer would operate or take decisions of action based on the content of the programs (commands and instructions) you fed into it even when you are not available to supervise its operations.
Albeit be wary of the fact that a computer is at best as good as the instructions and commands that direct and operate it. It naturally has no mind of its own! Those programs -they are its mind! So back to story.

Now, when you saw your first computer in action, you most likely observed predominantly its
physical omponents-those parts of the computer that may be physically seen, felt, touched and
moved around manually.
But, caution! That’s not all to it! Important it is to note that computer parts are
divided into two broad categories as itemized below.

1. The hardware
2. The software
The hardware aspects of a computer comprise (as had been initially said) of components that may be physically seen, felt, touched and moved around manually with/or in physical things. Examples of computer hardware include

1. The system monitor
2. the CPU
3. The keyboard
4. the computer mouse
5. the Speakers
6. the CD-Rom
7. The Floppy disk
Just to name a few. The fact is, the list may be endless.

However the software aspect of a computer appears to be a bit in the abstract and surreal. Computer software is as
describable as your electric current. This happens to be the case in that in itself, an electric current is unperceivable.
Notwithstanding, its actions give it away and may only be observed when administered in certain specific ways.
Software is to the computer as your brain thoughts control your body actions.
Okay, to be a bit more mundane,

computer software can be broadly described as a program or series of arrangements of definite instructions, ordered
in such a way that could instruct computer hardware or other software on what procedures or actions to carry out.

Computer software is the life giver and essence of the computer. Apart from the software, the computer hardware
could be likened to bolts of lightening strikes on a rainy day which may not be harness-able for useful electricity.
Moreso,note that Software are housed or stored in hardware just as your thoughts, which are actually as abstract and abstruse as software, are also stored in your brain cells.
Okay you may also picture it this way: Your Video and Audio cassettes Players can be considered as hard ware .
The cartridges on which the video/audio information are stored are even hardware. Why? Bbecause they can be physically manipulated . But the actual video recordings or information are not seen unless played using a Video Player and displayed on TV. Consequently, just like this example, software (unlike hardware) cannot be physically seen, felt or moved. Another illustration may be like this: You switch on your electric fan, what operates it? Electricity . Software is to computer in this way as well, in that without these instructions (software) the computer is as good as useless.