Re: SEUL: more on hardware

[Paul Anderson <paul@geeky1.ebtech.net>]

On Sun, 18 Jan 1998, Mike Scott wrote:

> FTP if user has internet, or (maybe) a very quick direct dial to a
> BBS dedicated to that purpose... am I thinking too far ahead?
> 
I can see it all now... "Why the ____ do I have this $300 long distance
phone bill?!"

> The trend for PC makers to use corrupt non-standard hardware ("Win-modems")
> I find very alarming.  I _hope_ that it doesn't get worse than it already
> is... another way M$ is trying to screw everyone out of their free choice.
> 
I tend to think we're beginning to hear the last of the software modem...
See, standard hayes-compatible has an on-board microcontroller(usually an
80186 or a Z80) programmed with the compression protocal.  Software modems
have the compression done by a memory-loaded software driver.  This
delivers a massive performance hit, and basically is responsible for
making these modems pure crap.  If you really wanted you could hack
together a driver for Linux, but it'd be a LOT of work.  Heh, at last
year's COMDEX in Toronto I actually badgered a USR salesdolt down from
"It's a fine modem" to "Yes, it's pitiful, but we had to do something to
deal with manufacturers like Supra and cardinal."  TTYL!


                            ---
                        Paul Anderson
		   paul @ geeky1.ebtech.net
    Author of Star Spek(a tongue in cheek pun on Star trek)
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I hear it's hilarious.               Maintainer of the Tips-HOWTO.
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