Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!hybrid!scifi!acheron!larouch!larouch!jparnas
From: jparnas@larouch.uucp (Jacob Parnas)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: V.32bis frozen?
Message-ID: <1991Mar2.230111.29629@larouch.uucp>
Date: 2 Mar 91 23:01:11 GMT
References: <1991Jan19.015521.22170@athena.mit.edu> <15@mich-ns.UUCP>
Sender: news@larouch.uucp (Usenet News Program)
Reply-To: jparnas@larouch.uucp (Jacob Parnas)
Organization: larouch.uucp
Lines: 53

In article <15@mich-ns.UUCP>, tech@mich-ns.UUCP (Mich. Network Sys. TECH SUPPORT) writes:
|> ...
|> Telebit's motto is "We will sell no modem before its time" (I know - its
|> an over-used cliche). When the standard is finalized, Telebit will put
|> the finishing touches on its V.32bis products and only after extensive
|> testing, will it release the product.
|>  
|> John
|> Michigan Network Systems.
|> Telebit/SCO/Digiboard Reseller  BBS: +1 313 343 0800 
|> 1-800-736-5984

I don't mean to pick on you or Telebit personally John, but I'd like to
say that a lot of modem vendors lose my business (and my guess is a lot
of other people's business too) due to this policy.  Our main use of modems
is purely for SLIP from home to our lab.  SLIP is a protocol that requires
all of the speed that it can get.  The difference between 9600 and 14400 base
speed is extremely noticable using stuff like ftp, xmh, and many other programs
over SLIP's TCP/IP link.  Many of our users use work machines from home
machines over SLIP for hours a day.  Thus, having V.32bis months earlier than
other modem vendors is a gigantic plus for vendors that get it early like
US Robotics.

I've found the V.32 bis modem from US Robotics to be very reliable in the
week and half I've been using it.  Their modems have proven to be more reliable
over lines with noise than at least one vendor that uses the motto you
mention in your article (See Data Communication's recent article on high
speed modems).  Further, I'm fairly confident that if there is a change 
in the final V.32 bis standard, they will have an new prom available to fix
it (if they don't, it would really hurt them in the future).  Absolute
worst case is that I have to connect at V.42 bis instead of V.32 bis to 
some other places in the future (which we rarely do).

It seems that for me and other people that really benefit from increased
speed, buying modems from vendors that get high speed protocols implemented
very early is the only smart way to go.

Telebit is a fine company.  I don't mean to insult them.  Their PEP protocol
is really the only way to go over very poor phone lines and is excellent
for UUCP transfers.  I just think wish they and other vendors would understand
that for many people, the speed of the modem as long as it is fairly reliable
is the most important aspect of a modem.  

I'd also like to thank and congratulate vendors that get high speed modems
out really early.  They make my work from home more pleasant and productive.

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| Jacob M. Parnas                    | DISCLAIMER: The above message is from |
| IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Ctr. | me and is not from my employer.  IBM  |
| Arpanet: jparnas@ibm.com           | might completely disagree with me.    |
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