Computer compatibility

A family of computer models is said to be compatible if certain software that runs on one of the models can also be run on all other models of the family. The computer models may differ in performance, reliability or some other characteristic. These differences may affect the outcome of the running of the software.

Software compatibility

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Hardware compatibility

Hardware compatibility can refer to the compatibility of computer hardware components with a particular CPU architecture, bus, motherboard or operating system. Hardware that is compatible may not always run at its highest stated performance, but it can nevertheless work with legacy components. An example is RAM chips, some of which can run at a lower (or sometimes higher) clock rate than rated. Hardware that was designed for one operating system may not work for another, if device or kernel drivers are unavailable. For example, much of the hardware for Mac OS X is proprietary hardware with drivers unavailable for use in operating systems such as Linux.

See also

• Interchangeability
• Forward compatibility
• Backward compatibility
• Cross-platform
• List of computer standards
• Portability
• Plug compatible