Which of the following is NOT considered hardware?

An operating system is considered system software rather than hardware. Hardware refers to the physical components of a computer system that you can touch and see, such as the scanner, hard drive, and keyboard, which all serve specific physical functions in processing and storing data. The operating system, on the other hand, is a collection of software that manages the hardware and software resources on a computer, enabling users to interact with the system and run applications effectively. This distinction is essential in understanding the basic categories of computer components.