[ale] Winmodem useless or usable?

[Nomad the Wanderer]

  I can't just replace it.  It's a built in to my laptop.  That's why I was
hoping it could be used.  Since I can change it's com port in the bios I
was hoping that would make a difference.  Oh well.


Thus spake Byron A Jeff (byron at cc.gatech.edu):

> > 
> >   I just got a new laptop.  I was just told it's built in modem is a
> > winmodem.  Can I just count that out or can I actually use it?  Anyone
> > got any docs, etc?  I've heard winmodems are bad news in Linux. 
> 
> Forget about it and go buy a nice PCMCIA modem.
> 
> It's not a technological issue, it's a political/business issue. Simply put
> no Winmodem manufacturers are releasing information on how to program the
> device. Essentially a Winmodem is complete only when coupled with its
> Windows software driver, which has neither public source nor specifications.
> So there's no easy way to develop a Linux driver for the hardware.
> 
> As long as there are alternatives, no one is going to fight to get Winmodems
> working. Since someone will continue to build and sell external modems and
> PCMCIA modems, the fight to get Winmodems working will probably wait another
> day.
> 
> It's not fair, but until Linux gets a solid 20 to 25 percent share, it
> doesn't make sense for the manufacturers to expose themselves to all kinds 
> of support issues by making their specs public.
> 
> BAJ

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert L. Harris                |    Windows is to Unix 
Senior System Administrator II  |      what 'hooked on phonics'
  at Great West Life.           \_       is to Shakespeare


http://www.orci.com/~nomad

DISCLAIMER:
      These are MY OPINIONS ALONE.  I speak for no-one else.

FYI:
 perl -e 'print $i=pack(c5,(41*2),sqrt(7056),(unpack(c,H)-2),oct(115),10);'