Posted on 03/08/2005 12:06:04 PM PST by r5boston
Nearly a decade ago, just a few months after Microsoft shipped Windows 95, I asked Bill Gates if it was a conscious decision in the development of that product to give Windows more of a Mac look and feel. Of course I knew he'd say it wasn't, but I couldn't resist asking. "There was no goal even to compete with Macintosh," Gates proclaimed. "We don't even think of Macintosh as a competitor."
That was a crock, so I pressed the issue a little. I asked him how he accounted for the widespread perception that Windows 95 looked a lot like Mac 88, and whether the similarity was just a coincidence. I didn't expect a sobbing confession of mimicry, but I thought it would be cool to see how he'd respond. Surprisingly enough, Gates shifted gears and became more forthcoming.
(Excerpt) Read more at macworld.com ...
Who said you could?
Question: Is a PROM, Read-Only Memory(ROM)?
Answer: Yes
Question: Is an EPROM Read-Only Memory(ROM)?
Answer: Yes
Question: Is an EPROM Programmable Read-Only Memory(PROM)?
Answer: Yes
For your position to be correct, you must answer "no" to all of those questions. Are you ready to take it to that level - complete absurdity.
Cut the crap. Nobody is buying your act.
Changing the property "WhatDoICallIt" does not change the fundamental nature of the Taxi object, which is an object of class "Taxi," which is derived from the Vehicle class, and is therefore by its nature a Vehicle.
That was my point and since we are comparing the nature of something - it is quite an important point.
HINT: Taxi is not derived from Vehicle, it is a Vehicle. Very little in the real world follows the object oriented design model.
The only thing I can think of in the "real world" that is similar to object oriented design is the concept of archetypes (see Plato's Allegory of the Cave. Jung was also big into archetypes) but these are philosophical concepts and not real-world realities.
However, notice we did change the "WhatDoICallIt" property from "Vehicle" to "Taxi."
It does not really matter - it is arbitrary.
We also added the property "TaxiNumber" and the method "ReceivePayment."
It is still a vehicle - just a vehicle with a "TaxiNumber". If I install fuzzy dice on my rear-view mirror - my car is still a vehicle, now a vehicle with fuzzy dice. If I put a stuffed Bear's head on the hood of my car it does not become a Bear - it is a vehicle with a Bear's head stuck on it. I can put a line of CanCan dancers from the Crazy Horse in Paris on the hood of my car but it will not change the nature of my car - it is still a vehicle, now with fuzzy dice, a Bear's head glued on front, and a line of CanCan dancers performing on the hood. It is still a vehicle. My Car=Vehicle.
Firmware is software that is stored in Read-Only memory or EEPROM's (using all definitions). By nature firmware is always software. You can add new attributes like my fuzzy dice and CanCan dancers - in this case we add "resides in read-only memory" - that does not change its nature - it is still software, just software stored in read-only memory
My DVD writer manufacturer has software downloads, this is cool to install in my computer to write DVDs. It also has firmware downloads to flash the DVD writer. Note they didn't call it software, they called it firmware. They're not denying it's software, but they properly call it firmwar
They are differentiating between where the software is stored/used. Since firmware is software - it would be redundant to say firmware software. Software most likely means software drivers or programs to write DVD's and firmware is the software stored inside the drive - two very different purposes but still software by nature.
Firmware=software and software=firmware are the same statement. The order of the terms is irrelevant. One cannot equal the other without the other equaling the one.
If firmware is not software, what is it?
antirepublicrat: PROMs and EPROMs are completely different things.
Last Visible Dog: That is what I said - although they are not completely different things.
Good Lord. LOL
What heck are you laughing about? I said they were different - just not completely different (because they have similarities). What about that do you find funny? Or are you laughing because you really don't understand what we are talking about.
Answer the question laughing person: if firmware is not software, what is it?
The word "completely" apparently has no meaning for you. They're completely different yet not completely different?
You're like a Monty Python sketch gone horribly wrong.
I did not say firmware is not software, I said firmware does not equal software. They are not equal, there is some software that is not firmware.
Is English your second language?
Completely is a modifier for the noun different. I agree with the noun but not with the modifier.
English grammar apparently has no meaning for you.
Different is not a noun, it is an adjective.
I figured you were playing that game - I just wanted to get you to state it.
This is your position
Firmware is software
but
Firmware = software is false
Firmware is software but firmware does not equal software.
Like you say often: LOL!
They are not equal. Some software is not firmware, therefore, software=firmware is false, as is firmware=software.
Petronski: Different is not a noun, it is an adjective.
Where is the "LOL"? That was something you could actually laugh about.
Some laughs out loud are too obvious to need a label.
Now that we have you nailed down to a position, lets evaluate it.
You claim "firmware is software" is true
You also claim "firmware = software" is false.
Please explain the differences between the following statements:
1. firmware is software
2. firmware = software
How can one be true and the other be false?
Point out where I said #1.
By the way, who is "we?"
OK. Back to the topic at hand.
Completely is a modifier for the adjective different. I agree with the adjective but not with the modifier.
What is funny about that?
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