Firmware Vs Software
Understand the difference between firmware and software.
We have commonly heard about the term while purchasing various technical still the term i.e. Software and Firmware. We know that any physical device is a combination of software hardware and some program which is embedded inside the hardware. So any inquisitive mind will try to understand the difference between software and firmware i.e. their definition, where and what is used when. Without wasting any time let us start exploring them.
Firmware
Firmwares are nothing but types of programs that are embedded into any hardware to make it function. These programs are generally stored in flash memory, pprom. Hardware that supports the firmware is generally of no use if it does not have firmware installed into it.
Firmware is generally written into assembly-level languages also known as low-level languages. End-user does not interact with firmware, moreover, they are internal programs.
Updating firmware is a bit challenging task as many times the wrong updates can crash the entire system. We need to be a bit more cautious while making any firmware update. Microsoft bios update comes under one such update.
Software
Software on other hand is the application or set of programs which help in the easy functioning of the program. Any application with which the end-user interact can be defined as software.
The agenda of creating software is to make the user interface easy, and give end-user additional functionality that we otherwise aren't able to provide. Software is generally written into high-level languages like Java, Javascript etc.
Any application which we install on our system, laptop etc can be easily called a software. The software doesn't have to be typically a system changing thing. It is just that application is called application software and typical system software is called system software.
Software is easier to update, and we also have the access to the hard drive on which the software is installed. Also, we can clearly say that software can never be a firmware, but the software runs over the firmware.
About The Author
Apoorv Tomar is a Software developer and part of Mindroast. You can connect with him on Twitter, Linkedin, Telegram and Instagram. Subscribe to the newsletter for the latest curated content. Don’t hesitate to say ‘Hi’ on any platform, just stating a reference of where did you find my profile.