Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!marque!yossie From: yossie@marque.mu.edu Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc Subject: Re: 2400 baud modems Message-ID: <9882@marque.mu.edu> Date: 21 Aug 90 15:29:52 GMT References: <81447@aerospace.AERO.ORG> <33015@cup.portal.com> <81579@aerospace.AERO.ORG> Sender: usenet@marque.mu.edu Reply-To: yossie@marque.mu.edu (Yossie Silverman) Organization: Marquette University - Milwaukee, Wisconsin Lines: 65 Approved: usenet@marque.mu.edu I jsut got a Global Village Teleport modem delivered yesterday. My initial impressions are that it is one hell of a product. Performance is as promised, ease of use is as promised. I opened the box, booted from the diskette that came with it and used the installer script on that diskette to install the cdev and other resources that the modem needs. Next I shutdown the mac, connected the modem to it's ADB port and to the wall/phone. Restarting the mac put up a new dialog from Teleport asking me for my name and address and other registration information. I entered it all and the modem dialed an 800 number and registered me right then and there with Global Village. Once this was done, I immediately tried to dial out to a BBS. Instant success. Time from opening of box - 10 minutes or so. The manual tells many useful features that the modem has: 1) if you ordered before Aug15 or pay an extra $60, you get Teleport/fax. You can use it to send Faxes in the background at 4800 group 3 rates. It has all the standard fax software features (cover pages - it will fill in reciepients info etc..; multiple send, timed send, etc..) 2) If you use the comm-tool-box, your modem appears to be a third serial device on the mac. Otherwise the cdev lets you choose which port the modem will appear to be connected to. In some cases you still get a third port. These include: if one of your ports is Appletalk, you can use it as such AND assign it to the modem. Most comm programms will work like this. SoundEdit seems to work with a serial port that is assigned to the modem, in parellel to the modem working. 3) A third product - Teleport/Addressbook is a super dialing program. It costs another $60. If your order it AND fax, you pay $100. When you lift your phone offhook, the DA opens automatically and you can find who you want to call, press dial, and presto - it dials the person, and transfers control to the phone. Further features include the ability to tell mileage between you and the person you are calling, and choose a long distance carrier (it knows about MCI, SPRINT, AT&T at least) that will be cheepest, given the time of the call and the distance involved. It will do this transperently. It's database includes all area codes and exchanges in the US (they claim) and will figure out mileage automatically. 4) Whenever the Teleport modem is in use (I.e. driver opened) it will display a small box in the menu bar that consists of all the LEDs you would normally find on the modem itself. Also it will display the current send/receive rates (CPS) (dynamically updated) and current baudrate/MNP level. Further, since the modlem does not have a speaker - the Teleport will use (at your discression) the Mac speaker to produce the tones of dialing and connection status sounds. These are not the tones sent out on the modem, just an audial verification of the modem actually doing something. 5) It comes with the standard compliment of free software/time on pay networks (America Online, Compuserv, Delphi, DowJones). 6) You get three different mounting mechanisms for it. One to place it on the wall, next to the phone jack. Another to mount it on any surface (with screws). And a set of velcro tabs to do soft mounting, say on your Mac. Included is a short telephone wire with RJ11 jacks on both ends as well. 7) Guerranty is for 5 years on parts and labor. Also a free year of software upgrades. I think it's a very nice product. Well thought out. Price is right. Go for it! - Yossie