21 What about Winmodems?

Refer to the previous section. Note, however, that Winmodems are even more Windows-dependent than RPI modems, as they rely on the Windows drivers not only for error correction and data compression, but for all of their modem functions. Thus they are totally useless outside of Windows 3.1 or Windows 95, and even under those operating systems, they can be used only by native Windows applications, and not by DOS applications -- not even when they are running in a Windows window. To quote from a posting to comp.dcom.modems from August 7, 1996:

"While the Winmodem does have some advantages over modems, this device and others like it are generally inferior to a real and true modem. The Winmodem isn't really a modem, it's just a DSP and a few other componants on a card. It doesn't become a modem until you load up the Windows drivers for it. First off this means that you're totally and completely stuck with Windows software. No support for DOS in any way (not even through a DOS session in Windows), OS/2, Linux, or even WinNT. Furthermore it uses your computer CPU for some tasks normally handled by a processor in the modem. This drains some CPU power and memory from your computer, which can slow applications down (although just how much it'll slow things down depends on a number of factors)."

Thus you can not use MS-DOS Kermit or any other DOS communications software with a Winmodem. Nor can you use a Winmodem in Linux, SCO, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, or any other form of PC-based UNIX. You can, however, use Kermit 95 in Windows 95 or 98 (not Windows NT) with a Winmodem, since Kermit 95 is a native 32-bit Windows application with access to the Windows drivers.

BUT... Even when we only want to use our Winmodem in Windows 95/98, and are willing to live with the performance degradations, we still might have some unpleasant surprises:

• When you install a new software package, the modem stops working. The error might be something like "Failure to load DSP". The new software package destroyed or renamed some unknown Windows Registry entry or file on your disk, which is a criticial part of the modem. Real modems are self-contained and are therefore immune to this phenomenon. You'll need to reinstall the "modem" or Windows itself to recover.
• You can't use your sound card when you are using your modem, because the modem uses the sound card for analog/digital conversion.
• Modem calls will often fail for mysterious reasons related to your sound card or who knows what else. Often, you will need to reboot, perhaps more than once, to clear the problem.