Hardware
Definition
The physical parts of a computer that you can touch. Like the engine, wheels, and body of a car - the actual components that make it work.
Use Cases
- Google: Running large-scale search and web services on custom server hardware — Google designs and operates its own data center hardware (servers, networking, and accelerators) to run services like Search and YouTube at global scale, using standardized server fleets and tightly managed data center operations. (High efficiency and reliability at massive scale, enabling consistent performance and cost-effective operation of global consumer services.)
- Netflix: Delivering video streams using specialized edge hardware (CDN appliances) — Netflix uses its Open Connect program, deploying purpose-built caching servers (Open Connect Appliances) at internet service providers and exchange points to store and serve popular content closer to viewers. (Reduced latency and buffering for viewers and lower transit costs by serving a large portion of traffic from local caches.)
- Amazon Web Services (AWS): Operating global cloud infrastructure built on data center hardware — AWS runs fleets of physical servers, storage systems, and networking equipment in data centers worldwide, then exposes them through services like virtual machines, managed databases, and object storage so customers don’t manage the underlying hardware. (Customers can scale quickly without buying servers, while AWS achieves economies of scale through centralized hardware procurement and operations.)
Frequently Asked Questions
- What's the difference between hardware and software?
- Hardware is the physical equipment you can touch (CPU, RAM, disks, network cards, servers). Software is the instructions and programs that run on hardware (operating systems, applications, databases). Hardware provides the resources; software uses those resources to do work.
- When should I use my own hardware instead of cloud services?
- Consider your own hardware when you must keep systems on-premises for strict regulatory or data residency reasons, when you have predictable long-term workloads that can be cheaper on owned equipment, or when you need specialized devices on-site (for example, factory equipment integration). For most new or variable workloads, cloud services are often simpler because you avoid buying, maintaining, and replacing physical equipment.
- How much does hardware cost?
- Costs vary by type and scale. For on-premises, you typically pay upfront for servers, storage, networking, racks, and power/cooling, plus ongoing costs for maintenance, warranties, staff time, and replacements every few years. In the cloud, hardware costs are bundled into service pricing (for example, per hour for compute or per GB-month for storage), so you pay for usage rather than purchasing equipment directly.
Category: hardware
Difficulty: basic
Related Terms
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