Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!pitt!cs.pitt.edu!jonathan
From: jonathan@cs.pitt.edu (Jonathan Eunice)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Uses of V.42 (bis?) data compression
Message-ID: <10334@pitt.UUCP>
Date: 6 Apr 91 19:51:40 GMT
Sender: news@cs.pitt.edu
Organization: University of Pittsburgh Computer Science
Lines: 25

A few questions about V.42 data compresssion (or is is V.42bis? I can't
keep track):

1. If one has V.42 compression, with 4:1 compression ratios claimed
   (and, apparently, ratios rivaling compress/LWZ achieved), does it
   still make sense to compress data before sending it over the wire?
   I'd think not--just let the modem h/w do the work.

2. Would it be possible for the modem to hand the system data that is
   still V.42 compressed?  No need to use compress, the program, when
   the h/w already puts it in a suitable form.  Software for online
   V.42 compression/decompression shouldn't be any harder to develop
   than compress, right?  And if there were lots of V.42 modems around,
   which seems to be increasingly the case, V.42 might become a second
   de facto standard in addition to today's compress.

3. If #2 is OK, could the system use a modem as a jury-rigged
   compression/decompression engine?  While perhaps not as good as
   dedicated h/w, most systems don't use their modems 100% of the time,
   so it could be a cheap alternative that wouldn't load the system
   down.  Of course, if the modem were busy when someone wanted to
   compress/decompress, software emulation could be transparently
   substituted.

So, am I in deep left field, or what?