ok lets have a dictionary meaning:--------
Main Entry: hard·ware
Pronunciation: 'härd-"war, -"wer
Function: noun
1 : ware (as fittings, cutlery, tools, utensils, or parts of machines) made of metal
2 : major items of equipment or their components used for a particular purpose <educational hardware>: as a : military equipment b : the physical components (as electronic and electrical devices) of a vehicle (as a spacecraft) or an apparatus (as a computer)