A computer only becomes useful when it includes both software and hardware. Without hardware, a software system is an abstraction—simply a representation of some human knowledge and ideas. Without software, a hardware system is a set of inert electronic devices. However, if you put them together to form a computer system, you create a machine that can carry out complex computations and deliver the results of these computations to its environment.
This illustrates one of the fundamental characteristics of a system: It is more than the sum of its parts. Systems have properties that only become apparent when their components are integrated and operate together. Furthermore, systems are developed to support human activities—work, entertainment, ...
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