Neither. An operating system is typically a piece of software.
This software is called firmware.
Yes, a micro-controller is hardware. It is the hardware that the firmware and/or software.
Firmware is a collection of software that manages computer hardware resources and provides common services for computer programs.
Firmware is the name given to the set of programs that are an integral part of the operation of a computer's hardware. They enable to hardware to function properly and allow software to run on the hardware. It is called firmware because it's not software not hardware as well
my understanding of the term firmware is that it is software that runs the hardware of a system
Firmware is the software that is used either inside of certain hardware things (e.g. MP3 players) or to connect between a hardware thing and a computer.
Short notes on Hardware, Software, Binary and Utilities
A device driver is software that allows the operating system to communicate with hardware devices. While drivers can be stored in firmware, they are often installed on the operating system itself and can be updated independently. Firmware typically refers to low-level software programmed into hardware components, while device drivers serve as a bridge between the OS and the hardware. Therefore, not all device drivers are embedded in firmware, but some can be part of it.
Drivers. Drivers is like a middle-ground between software and hardware. It takes input from software and translates them into instructions the hardware can understand. Firmware is the software that the hardware is already programmed. Firmware is what allows hardware to "think" for itself.
No. Firmware is a special piece of software on a device that controls it. The modem is considered only a hardware device.
firmware...
Perhaps you're thinking of a BIOS or something like it? This is instruction written onto special chips that give directions on settings and variables to the OS.