"BIOS" (Basic Input/Output System) and "firmware" mean the same thing. However, on PC and PC98 based computers, the word BIOS is more common. On Apple Macintosh and Sun computers, the word "firmware" is more common. The BIOS or firmware program is built into a ROM chip inside your computer, that does memory checks, etc. You can not (easily) change this program. Since BIOSes today are generally compatible with BIOSes in use 20 years ago, these programs tend to have an antiquated design. Features have been added in counter-intuitive ways over the years, leading to overly complicated systems that cause a lot of confusion today.
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