What would NOT be considered hardware?

The operating system is considered software, which distinguishes it from hardware. Hardware refers to the physical components of a computer system that you can touch and interact with. Examples of hardware include input devices like a mouse, storage components such as RAM, and output devices like a monitor.

An operating system, on the other hand, is the collection of software that manages computer hardware and provides services for computer programs. It acts as an intermediary between users and the computer hardware, enabling the user to perform tasks such as running applications and managing files. Understanding this distinction helps clarify the role of various components in a computer system, where hardware is the tangible part and software is the set of instructions that tell the hardware how to function.