Microsoft takes control

Microsoft and Intel are apparently discussing a new PC architecture: PC 2000 or Legacy-free PC. This should, in a way, not surprise us: in the era of the low-cost PC, rarely used features are a target for cost-cutting. WinModems are a case in point, since the microcontroller that parses the AT command set can be eliminated by a Windows Driver. What is interesting is the radical way in which even respected APIs like Soundblaster will be eliminated. By making it more expensive to support legacy features, Microsoft and Intel will probably get their way. The concern for free software, is that old hardware at least is documented and standard, whereas cutting-edge hardware often requires NDAs and many new drivers.