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drives and disk drives. A magnetic tape drive is like a tape recorder. A disk drive is a cross between a compact disk player and a tape recorder. It uses a thin disk made out of magnetic material. A read/write head (similar to the record/playback head in a tape recorder) travels across the spinning disk, retrieving or recording data. |
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Together, all of these physical components are known as hardware. The programs that allow the hardware to operate are called software. Hardware usually is fixed in design; software is easily changed. In fact, the ease with which software can be manipulated is what makes the computer such a versatile, powerful tool. |
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