Motorola plans to demonstrate the first software-based modem on a PC motherboard at the Intel Developer's Forum in Palm Springs, Calif., next week, officials at the software products division of Motorola said yesterday. The motherboard-based modem includes a small hardware circuit for converting analog signals to digital signals but is otherwise software-based.
This approach replaces external hardware-based modem cards and could be especially valuable as PCs change in size for various consumer applications. The PC-based modems will ship in machines by year's end and will be available for laptops for corporate road warriors starting early next year, Motorola officials said.