The best description of hardware is the physical components of a computer. Hardware refers to all the tangible parts of a computer system, including the motherboard, CPU, RAM, hard drives, and peripheral devices like keyboards and mice. These components are essential because they form the foundation on which software operates. Without hardware, software cannot run, as there would be no physical medium to execute the digital commands coded within programs.
While digital programs made of code pertain to the category of software, online data storage services relate to cloud computing and not the physical aspects of computing. Graphical interfaces, on the other hand, are user interfaces that allow users to interact with software visually, which again places them in the realm of software, not hardware. Therefore, identifying hardware solely with its physical aspects provides a clear distinction from other computer-related terms and elements.