different between firmware vs crapware

English

Etymology

From firm +? -ware, coined in a 1967 article as an intermediary term between hardware and software.

Noun

firmware (uncountable)

1. (computing) Something in between hardware and software. Like software, it is created from source code, but it is closely tied to the hardware it runs on.
2. Software intended for such embedded computer applications.

Descendants

• ? Amharic: ????? (färm?wer)
• ? German: Firmware
• ? Spanish: firmware

Translations

Further reading

• firmware on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “firmware”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.

References

Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?fø?m?eø/, [?fø??m?e?ø?]
• IPA^(key): /?førm?er/, [?fø?rm?e?r]
• IPA^(key): /?firm??re/, [?firm??re?]

Noun

firmware

1. (computing) firmware

Declension

The inflection of this word is problematic. Joukahainen puts it in nalle-category, but it would really require Finnicized pronunciation: /?firm???re?/. As most people tend to pronounce the word more or less like in English, it should rather be of risti-type. It's probably advisable to avoid using the inflected forms in writing and use the provided Finnish synonyms instead.

Synonyms

• laiteohjelmisto
• laiteohjelma (program)
• sulautettu ohjelma (program)
• firmis (slang)

Italian

Noun

firmware m (plural firmware)

1. (computing) firmware (software closely tied to the hardware on which it runs)

Further reading

• firmware in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Portuguese

Noun

firmware m (plural firmwares)

1. (computing) firmware (software closely tied to the hardware on which it runs)

Spanish

Noun

firmware m (plural firmwares)

1. firmware

English

Etymology

From crap +? -ware.

Noun

crapware (uncountable)

1. (computing, informal) Unwanted software that comes pre-installed with personal computers or mobile devices.
   • 2008, "Can Apple's Best Topple the PC Competition?", Maximum PC, Future US, Inc. (ISSN 1522-4279), No. 96, page 26

     We suspect that its extra pound of heft is made up entirely of crapware—the Vaio ships with a ludicrous number of useless preinstalled applications. We understand the economic necessities of subsidizing inexpensive PCs with third-party crapware, but there's no excuse for whoring out a notebook of this price.

   • 2009, Eric Griffith, "Make the Most of Your New PC", PC Mag, Ziff Davis Inc. (ISSN 0888-8507), Volume 28, No. 1, page 68

     Big-name system vendors typically install software on their consumer PCs at the factory. These "extras" go by many names: bundleware, begware, bloatware, and my favorite, crapware. That's because a lot of it is just that: useless crap. […] A few vendors, like Sony and Dell, offer some options to avoid crapware, but usually just for small businesses. Boutique manufacturers, like Velocity Micro, do a better job of providing a clean system.

   • 2011, Guy Hart-Davis, The Healthy PC: Preventive Care, Home Remedies, and Green Computing, 2nd Edition, McGraw Hill Professional ?ISBN

     All crapware programs can be useful—but each program is likely to be useful to only a few of the people the PC manufacturer inflicts it on. The PC manufacturers claim they install crapware to provide useful software, but the real reason is that the software companies pay them to include it.

   • 2012, Woody Leonhard, Windows 8 All-in-One For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons ?ISBN

     I hate it when the computer I want comes loaded with all that nice, “free” crapware. I'd seriously consider paying more to get a clean computer. You don't need an antivirus and Internet security program preinstalled on your new PC. lt'll just open and beg for money next month. Windows 8 comes with Windows Defender, and it works great — for free. Browser toolbars? Puh-lease.

Translations