Hardware
Names and abbreviations on this page
NIST — National Institute of Standards and Technology. A United States agency developing measurement science, standards and technology guidance.
Technology terms & practical skills
What it means
Hardware is the physical equipment in a computing system: the phone, processor, screen, keyboard, storage drive and other components. Software supplies instructions; hardware carries them out. A slow device can have several causes, so buying a replacement is not automatically the first step.
Related skills
Identify componentsSeparate the device, charger, cables and accessories when describing a problem.
Read specificationsDistinguish storage capacity from working memory and compare the requirements of the task.
Troubleshoot carefullyCheck power, connections and available storage before changing settings.
An everyday example
A phone cannot save a document. First check its available storage and whether the document is being saved locally or to an online service. Write down any error message before deleting files.
What to check
Keep a recoverable copy before clearing storage. Do not open powered electrical equipment or attempt repairs beyond your training.