If you are a free software supporter I think it is more black and white than
you realize at the moment. It sounds me like are just haven't transitioned to
a completely free system yet. Nothing wrong with that. It takes time and
money. You shouldn't accept new non-free software and you aren't. Just don't
go making out like it is OK to use non-free firmware even if you are using
it. It isn't OK and it seems like you generally accept that.
That said you really should discontinue use of the hardware/software in the
meantime though until you can get something that is free software compatible.
It is a lot harder than transitioning of course... but in an ideal world that
is what you would do.
The boundary is where manufacturers / developers put in artificial
restrictions in order to prevent you from taking full control over your
hardware. Non-free firmware on a read-only chip can't be changed. There are
no artificial restrictions here. A BIOS without source under a free license
on a read-only chip would be OK. You can't make changes to these pieces. If
you swap it out with a flashable chip then it needs to be under a free
software license though.
Most devices and computers are not free software compatible. Most computers
use a combination of free and non-free chipsets (ATI graphics would be
non-free although the Realtek 10/100 nic is free). The freest you can
currently get have a non-free BIOS.
Most USB wifi chipsets are not free software compatible so most USB wifi
cards are not free in any way, shape, or form. There are Three USB wifi
chipsets that are free software compatible so there are some USB wifi cards
that are free software compatible. Maybe 40% of printers are free software
compatible. Maybe 1/3 of all PCI wireless cards are free software compatible.
All or just about all 10/100 nics on a PCI port or built-in are free software
compatible. Some 10/100/1000 nics are non-free though.
While you can't separate hardware and software today you can make your
chipsets/cards/computer free software compatible.
