Windows is it's firmware
For a PC I'd rather call it the software, or the OS, and call the BIOS it's firmware. Which can usually be updated for free.
Re:New Electric Skateboard Models
by mschuster91 on Saturday November 22, 2014 @07:59AM
(#8645461)
A PC with just a BIOS is unusable, though.
A skateboard without wheels is unusable too, and wheels are not firmware either.
Re:New Electric Skateboard Models
by clamprecht on Saturday November 22, 2014 @10:07AM
(#8645664)
A PC with a BIOS can run free operating systems such as Linux. In contrast, I assume this skateboard can only run their own software/firmware.
The difference is a PC is an open and well documented platform that anyone can write software for. This board and other embedded devices typically don't provide the details needed to implement alternative firmwares. That is the difference between windows on a PC and firmware on an embedded device.
Or take some cars which are different models, with different power/torque ratings, but mechanically they are the same - the only difference is made in the MCU software. Or cars with their maximum speed locked and only unlocked after paying a nice sum of money (iirc it was the VW Golf GTI).