Hardware vs Software Definition

Computer hardware refers to the physical components of a computer system that you can touch. Software includes the programs, operating systems, and applications that run on the hardware.

Analyzing Computer Terms

Let's examine each term to see if it relates to computer hardware:

• Bus: A bus is a communication system that transfers data between components inside a computer or between computers. This is a hardware component.
• Switch: In networking, a network switch is hardware that connects devices together on a computer network by using frame information to send data only to the appropriate device. This is a hardware component.
• Mouse: A computer mouse is a hand-held pointing device that detects two-dimensional motion relative to a surface. This is a hardware input device.
• Windows: Windows is a family of operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. Operating systems are software, not hardware.

Conclusion on Hardware Terms

Based on the analysis, Windows is the term that is NOT related to computer hardware. It is a software product (an operating system).