What constitutes a computer system?

A computer system is defined as a comprehensive combination of hardware and software designed to work together to perform various tasks. Hardware refers to the physical components of a computer, such as the CPU, memory, hard drive, and input/output devices, while software encompasses the programs and applications that instruct the hardware on what tasks to carry out.

This integration allows users to interact with the hardware through intuitive software interfaces, enabling functionality ranging from data processing to complex computations. The interplay between hardware and software is what makes a computer system fully operational; neither alone is sufficient to create a functional system. This emphasizes the critical relationship between the two, highlighting why they must be combined to form an effective computer system.