There are many who would disagree with them, Tony. One characteristic common to all definitions I've run into in firmware is that it's FIELD-Programmable. Another is that it's non-volatile, i.e. persists between power cycles. Richard, you seem to be forgetting all those adverts from the 70s and 80s that boasted "Firmware in ROM!". Also a quick look at a dictionary reveals ... 8^)= --------------------------------------------- firm?ware Pronunciation Key (f?rm w?r ) n. Computer programming instructions that are stored in a read-only memory unit rather than being implemented through software. Source: The American Heritage? Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright ? 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. --------------------------------------------- firmware n : (computer science) coded instructions that are stored permanently in read-only memory. Source: WordNet ? 1.6, ? 1997 Princeton University --------------------------------------------- firmware Software stored in read-only memory (ROM) or programmable ROM (PROM). Easier to change than hardware but harder than software stored on disk. Firmware is often responsible for the behaviour of a system when it is first switched on. A typical example would be a "monitor" program in a microcomputer which loads the full operating system from disk or from a network and then passes control to it. Source: The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, ? 1993-2001 Denis Howe --------------------------------------------- Lee. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- This email is intended only for the above named addressee(s). The information contained in this email may contain information which is confidential. The views expressed in this email are personal to the sender and do not in any way reflect the views of the company. If you have received this email and you are not a named addressee please delete it from your system and contact Merlin Communications International IT Department on +44 20 7344 5888. ________________________________________________________________________ This e-mail has been scanned for all viruses by Star Internet. The service is powered by MessageLabs. For more information on a proactive anti-virus service working around the clock, around the globe, visit: http://www.star.net.uk ________________________________________________________________________