Computer hardware is any physical device used in or with your machine, whereas software is a collection of code installed onto your computer's hard drive. For example, the computer monitor you are using to read this text and the mouse you are using to navigate this web page is computer hardware.
Essentially, computer software controls computer hardware. These two components are complementary and cannot act independently of one another. In order for a computer to effectively manipulate data and produce useful output, its hardware and software must work together.
