[100046] in RedHat Linux List
Re: "Winmodems" (Support in Linux)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Dave Ihnat)
Wed Nov 18 09:28:18 1998
From: ignatz@homebru.chi.il.us (Dave Ihnat)
To: redhat-list@redhat.com
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 07:58:34 -0600 (CST)
In-Reply-To: <365185C9.68A691DB@twopoint.com> from "Michael Jinks" at Nov 17, 98 02:18:49 pm
Resent-From: redhat-list@redhat.com
Reply-To: redhat-list@redhat.com
Gentlefolk,
I think one thing that's not been mentioned, but probably underlies the
reluctance of most developers to spend time on a Winmodem driver, is the
percieved payback and problems relative to the effort.
Simply put, those Winmodems that don't work have replaced part of a traditional
modem with software processing, using your CPU. This allows the manufacturer
to reduce the unit cost, presumably thereby increasing volume sales. Yes,
this degrades your machine's performance. If you're on Windows, you're usually
not really making use of multi-tasking and don't care. On a multi-user, real
multi-tasking system like Linux/Unix, you most probably aren't going to be
too thrilled by the performance hit you take to make this thing run. Plus,
it's really likely to be one of those drivers-from-hell that, while evolving,
scrag the system on a regular basis.
Now, how much is the hardware difference in cost? Today, about $20 on
the street. That's it--you saved $20 to buy the Winmodem. And I've never
had a friend, when they returned it and insisted on a "real" modem, not be
able to get the vendor/reseller/VAR/whatever to swap.
So, we have a _lot_ of things that aren't yet complete or even started that
are needed to keep bringing Linux into the mainstream. Is one of the ones
that's important a driver for a piece of equipment that was deliberately
crippled to help the manufacturer increase market share; and that, once
completed, will spawn a new raft of complaints about bugs/performance/etc.?
Maybe not stated just this way, but I'm pretty sure that's the tradeoff in
many developers' minds when considering if they should tackle a Winmodem
driver.
$0.02, YMMV, DTCFS.
Cheers,
--
Dave Ihnat
ignatz@homebru.dminet.com
312/315.1075 [home office]
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