This modem from Creative Labs is one of the finer modems out there. I say this because this is a HARDWARE modem, not a software one. "What is the difference?", you might ask? Well hardware modems rely on hardware controlling to use the modem's functions, and have no need to rely on software implemented into a certain OS. With software (aka SoftModems, WinModems) modems, you rely on a set of software instructions implemented into Windows 95 and up. These software instructions are also extremely reliant on your CPU, meaning, if you don't have enough computing power, you may not be able to use the software modems, and even then, the performance you gain out of a software modem versus a hardware modem is somewhat laggy. Hardware modems rely on chips on the modem itself, so it does not tax the CPU as much as normal modems do. That's why hardware modems are superior. But this, in turn, makes the hardware modems at least 50% more expensive than their software counterparts. External modems are also hardware modems for your information. And finally, hardware modems will work in alternative OSes like Linux or Be. OK, back to the review...
Installation is a snap, as you only need a free ISA (the big long black slot) slot to install the modem. Windows recognizes the modem easily and you can immediately setup the drivers and any software programs you would like on the disc they provide you. But the main reason I REALLY LIKE this modem is because it is around $20-30 cheaper than other hardware modems, and has a strong brand name behind it. My only gripe is that this is somewhat of an old product and does not come with recent software or drivers (Internet Explorer 4 is on the disc, and old drivers.) Other than that, it s a bargain for modem performance.



Recommended: Yes