Re: Reminder, blatant ad

dawn wrote:
x wrote:
[snip]
Do you think that CD-ROMs are hardware/software ? 

That is where I don't know how to clearly define the difference.  Is an
mp3 on a CD ROM software?  If we want to split off data from software,
then it is data, but useless without something that translates the data
to music, for example.


I may have 2 eurocents to throw in.

You can kick the CD, so that's hardware.

The layout and depth of the physical tracks
is standardized so strictly that if a CD-ROM
reader/writer doesn't comply your recordings
are completely worthless on other reader/writers. Firmware.

The filesystem is pretty much standardized - slight
incompatabilities do occur, though. Though it can be faked
on other media, the filesystem was designed for CDs.
Firmware, but less firm.

The mp3 format can and does occur on any other type of
filesystem, so pure software.

What of the mp3 is data? Not the algorithm to pull the signal
out of it - that's software.
The interpreted signal (a sequence of relative amplitudes) - however distorted - is data, as are the compression ratio, the duration
of the tracks at normal speed playback and some information
about the recording.

The instructions on how to build a chair are software ? 

When it is in a form suitable for CAM it is.

Not if they are not part of a computer.  Even then, I guess they are
data, but worthless unless someone can use them.


Mathematics is everywhere, in both hardware and software. Cheerss!

Yes. But can you kick it ? :-) 


No.  It is used as a model, a metaphor.  So, what are your precise
definitions for hardware and software -- the ones you gave earlier or
do you want to revise?  --dawn

.

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