Re: (PM) lucent LT modem

Dick St.Peters (stpeters@NetHeaven.com)
Tue, 20 Apr 1999 17:38:00 -0400

> > Why call it firmware? It's basically a .VXD file that windoze uses.
>
> well, it's not hardware and it's a sub-set of software which is only to
> drive hardware, thus 'firm'ware. I guess you could call it a driver. In
> all, unless there is some consensus and the term that should be used, I
> believe that describing it as firmware is best, as though off-loaded for
> processing by the main CPU, it's the same functionality as if it were
> loaded onto the modem itself.... ;)

Calling it firmware is a mis-use of the term. [Soft,firm,hard]ware
refer to the ease of change. Firmware is changed by reprogramming a
PROM or programming a new ROM ... easier than rebuilding hardware but
not as trivial as modifying software.

Drivers are software. At the rate they change these days, one might
even call them squishyware ...

--
Dick St.Peters, stpeters@NetHeaven.com 
Gatekeeper, NetHeaven, Saratoga Springs, NY, 1-800-910-6671 (voice)
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