According to my ICT textbook, BIOS checks if the hardware is working properly and is necessary for loading up the Operating System; System software is programs that allow the hardware to work properly and allow the user to communicate with the computer. Firmware is software hard-coded on a hardware device. Then does it mean that BIOS is a type of firmware and firmware is a type of system software? or is BIOS just one of them, either firmware or system software?

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According to Wikipedia BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is firmware used to perform hardware initialization during the booting process (power-on startup), and to provide runtime services for operating systems and programs. The BIOS firmware comes pre-installed on a personal computer's system board, and it is the first software to run when powered on.

The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) that replaces the legacy BIOS firmware on recently manufactured PC motherboards is also firmware.