Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!hsdndev!husc6!conrad@popvax.harvard.edu From: conrad@popvax.harvard.edu Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems Subject: USR Courier V.32bis questions etc.... Message-ID: <6465@husc6.harvard.edu> Date: 20 Apr 91 04:14:39 GMT Sender: news@husc6.harvard.edu Organization: Health Sciences Computing Facility, Harvard University Lines: 85 Hello there: Ok, it sounds like the new V.32bis modems are pretty slick. I figured it was time to upgrade and set about collecting information from vendors and manu- facturers yesterday. Unfortunately I still have some questions. I know that I can trust this newsgroup for some real answers.... I currently have a USR Courier V.32 and a Telebit T2500 (borrowed). I had bought the V.32 last year when they first came out, on the promise of a free upgrade to V.42 and V.42bis when it became available. I finally received the chips and did the upgrade earlier this fall, many months after I had expected to. The V.32 upgrade for the T2500 was so late in becoming available that I received a free V.42 and V.42bis upgrade with it 8-( 8-) ! So finally the pair of modems is relatively happy. (Actually, I was never able to set up my software with DTE rates of 38,400 bps on both ends. I heard something about T2500s not supporting DTE rates of higher than 19,200 bps. (I don't have the manual here -- I might even have read it there...?) Is this at all true? It is also possibly a software problem....) I called USR and Telebit to find out about upgrade possibilities. (I have not had time to keep up with this group recently....) Telebit claims to have no V.32bis products yet and didn't offer any timetables for modems or upgrades in the works. USR of course has the new Courier V.32bis. It is a new modem altogether and can't be created by upgrading a Courier V.32. What sort of annoyed me was hearing that USR had had a trade-in program, but that it had ended "last month". What?! I'm not that out of it am I? I know I have been too preoccupied with a broken accounting system to keep up with c.d.m, but I have been reading MacWEEK and other such things meanwhile. And I did turn in my bloody registration card for the thing. And it's not as though these V.32bis modems have been around for that long. When could I first have received one? Maybe five weeks ago? Jeez! So one question I have is about this trade-up program. Did it really ex- ist? When and for how long and how did it work? I don't mind the rapid pace of technology, and the tendency of things to become dated quickly, but I hate screwing up and losing money. Before I drop $1,300 for a pair of these new Courier V.32bis modems I want to know how to find out about upgrades and things in an orderly and timely fashion. I don't have the time to read ALL the groups I would need to watch ALL of the time. Has anyone EVER been notified about an upgrade by virtue of their having sent in a registration card? I find I always find out about such things on the net or in the trade rags and then have to be a real pain in the ass to the manufacturers for a _long_ time. I only hear of upgrades to things I DON'T own or care to own by mail.... Sigh. Now the technical questions. First, I was a bit confused about something I read in MacWEEK 03.19.91 V5N11 in an article about V.32bis modems on pages 45 and 46. There seems to be an implication that one CAN NOT use data compression with the new 14,400 bps link rate. I haven't seen anything real to explain this. Is it true? If so why? I HOPE that one can use V.42bis compression on top of the V.32bis 14,400 bps link rate.... If I am right (and the article is either wrong or VERY poorly written), what is the highest throughput that could be hoped for? 14,400 X 4 = 57,600. I know that this would be difficult to sustain on real data, but is it a good number for a top limit? If these modems can theoretically reach throughputs of 57,600 bps, what is the highest DTE rate that they support? I should think 57,600 bps would be necessary. I ask because I was told two different things. The USR people said that the highest DTE rate was 38,400 bps. The dealer I talked to told me that they went "much higher" than 38,400 bps. What is the answer? The dealer told me that USR ditched the Rockwell data pump for their own design and that the new modem should be much more reliable. Does anyone have any thoughts or inside knowledge on how this might affect future upgrades? I am imagining a fax upgrade, I guess, as a possibility.... I know that chips with fax capability are becoming more common, and that, among others, Rockwell has them.... (Another dealer told me yesterday that by virtue of the MC68000 in the T2500, a V.32bis upgrade would be just a matter of software. I am especially skeptical of this as I had to pull and replace chips to make the thing talk V.32 and V.42 and V.42bis.... The truth...?) I am sorry about the length of this, and I hope that all of this hasn't been beaten to death here recently. Is this group archived anywhere? I will try to keep up with this group again for a while, but in case I can't, could people be so kind as to send copies TO ME of any replies they post TO THE NET if their news programs can do it easily? I will summarize anything interesting that gets sent only to me.... I welcome any and all information, including sales pitches from vendors. (Can anyone beat $649 for a USR Courier V.32bis on an educational discount...?) On a similar note, does anyone want to make an offer on a USR Courier V.32 with V.42 and V.42bis? (10.0 MHz clock, 08/02/90 Supervisor -- revision 2.2, 05/17/89 IOP -- revision 1.0, and Rockwell R9696 data pump revision 204c.) Thanks in advance.... +---- C o n r a d C . 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