In Chinese, a computer is popularly known as an " electrical brain", for the working process of a computer is similar to a human brain very much.
In appearance, a microcomputer has three simple and apparent parts: the main frame, the keyboard and the monitor. In other words, if you own these parts, you would exactly have a computer. A computer system is composed of software and hardware in the light of its working mode. If we compare the hardware to a human body, then, the software would be soul.
Just as a driver can't drive a car without driving skills or the car itself, you can't control a computer without controlling techniques or the computer itself. The controlling techniques are called software, while computers themselves and related devices are called hardware.
The work of a computer is just making full use of various resources by software set in the computer, and directing the hardware to realize marvelous omnipotent functions.