WinModems (Was [NCLUG] IDE RAID For Linux)

[Michael Dwyer]

> With the fast proc's out on the market right now, driving simple
devices is pretty much
> not a problem anymore and so the logical step is that we can make
hardware more cheaply
> if it's "dumb hardware" and if we have that ultra-fast system proc
driving it it could
> end up working faster than "smart hardware" anyway. It's a good idea.

I guess my problem is that such fast hardware processors came
significanly
after the Win-* phenomena.  I recall a blazing fast 300MHz P2 being
brought to its knees when its Winmodem wanted to dial.  That isn't
reasonable to me.  Your modem shouldn't cause your MP3s to skip. Period.

I buy fast processors because I want fast processors.  If I get a faster
processor and run it with a WinModem and a Dumb Inkjet, did I really
make a step forward?

> People have such a problem with winmodems because M$ has so many
anti-competitave
> fingers in that area that it can be a royal pain to find drivers for
the device in anything
> but Windows. If you can find a driver for your winmodem, more power to
you but that
> find is just not likely. :)

To Bryan's credit, that's only halfway true.  The lt-winmodem driver is
actually quite viable right now.  I've used it a couple of times, now,
and it works rather well.  In Linux, at least.

But I can plug my PostScript printer into anything from an Mac II to a
iMac G4.  I can plug it into an AIX RS6000.  I can use it under Windows
or Linux without any thought of the difference.  It isn't going to
leech power from any of those platforms, either.

The same thing with my venerable 2400 baud Zoom modem. (heh.)  I can
plug it into any of those platforms without special drivers or anything.
My USB mouse and keyboard are intelligent -- I can plug them into
any OS that supports USB and they will work.

That's where I'm trying to go with the transparent RAID idea.  Support
for Linux is difficult to find when the drivers are complex.  But if
you make the /hardware/ complex, then the drivers are simple, and
easy to port.

Obviously, this does make the hardware more expensive.  That goes
without saying.  I suspect that the uproar about Winmodems is that
they are sold as real modems, when they clearly are a totally
different beast.  I would have no problems with Windmodems if they
were all clearly labeled as such. (A legal impossibility, since
someone has a (tm) on Winmodem)

Irony:  3Com sells a Real modem as a way to speed up gaming! "Built
in controller means less processor power needed!"  And suddenly
people begin to get what we've been saying all along...

And yeah, I know what John Carmack says about Winmodems.  I think
he's dreaming.  You want less latency in gaming?  *Lose* the modem.
Right now, Winmodems are a draw on processor resources, and the
ONLY benefit of them is cost.

In my humble opinion, of course...
-mdwyer, perfecting the WinEthernet Card and the Controllerless HDD