Winmodem

A Winmodem is a modem designed to work with the Microsoft Windows operating system. A traditional modem uses hardware to perform its tasks, but Winmodems perform their key tasks with software. This makes them cheaper, but also means that they cannot be easily used on other operating systems. In addition, they take up some of the CPU cycles on the computer to which they are attached, which can slow down application software. They are sometimes referred to as a "port-on-a-stick".