15th July 2002

Any modem that relies on Windows to function is dubbed a "Winmodem." Most manufacturers use "Winmodems" because they are cheap and easy to set up on a standard model PC. I don't have any problem with the manufacturer saving money (because living in a capitalistic society, I would hope that the savings would trickle down to ME in one way or another). I do, however, have a problem with the way "Winmodems" function after you add more internal devices to your PC. "Winmodems" rely on Windows to mediate their serial communication (I/O address, COM port, IRQ, etc.) and as you can imagine, the more devices Windows has to manage, the higher the probability of running into a problem. And what if you want to run Linux instead? Will the "Winmodem" function well, if at all, in an operating system other than Windows? Don't bet on it! If you want to make sure you don't have any problems after upgrading your system, you'll want to get yourself a hardware modem. How can you determine this? Checking a modem's system requirements. If the modem says it REQUIRES Windows, then keep looking... you've found yourself a "Winmodem." However, if the system requirements for the modem say that it will work with Linux, then you've found yourself a hardware modem. Yes, it IS that easy.