ALSA stands for Advanced Linux Sound Architecture. It provides sound and MIDI functionality to linux. It supports all types of different sound interfaces, has a safe design and it supports OSS (Open Sound System). Its free and open source so programmers all around have the ability to tinker with it and have fun (so to speak). FIREWIRE is kind of like an ethernet cable or a USB cable. However it has different goals it wants to achieve such as: fast data transfer, ability to handle multiple devices, easy use, plug and play, low cost and hot pluggable ability. It was first established by apple and later standardized by many. It is used mainly for the transfer of audio and media.

• http://computer.howstuffworks.com/firewire1.htm

SPARC

SPARC is a scalable Processor Architecture RISC instruction set. This is a micro processor that is widely used in sun micro systems hardware.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPARC