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From: chip@osh3.OSHA.GOV (Chip Yamasaki)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: Which is better to have?
Message-ID: <1991Apr24.033612.17075@osh3.OSHA.GOV>
Date: 24 Apr 91 03:36:12 GMT
References: <91106.183103MCARR@auvm.auvm.edu> <1368@gagme.chi.il.us>
Organization: U.S. D.O.L - Occupational Safety & Health Admin.
Lines: 42

In <1368@gagme.chi.il.us> greg@gagme.chi.il.us (Gregory Gulik) writes:

>MCARR@auvm.auvm.edu (mike carr) writes:
>> Which is better to have and why?  An interior modem or external modem?

>Three good reasons off the top of my head:

>1) Modems are a pain to set up, and if you screw up, you can flick it
>   off and on to reset it.  This is especially true of the newer
>   high speed modems (Telebit, USR, etc...)

Furthermore, if you occasionally move your phone line from modem to phone
to fax (I know, tacky) the back of your computer may not be a convenient
place to reach.

>2) I like the lights to see what's going on.

Indispensible for debugging.

>3) You can still use it if you change computers.  I've used the same
>   2400 baud modem since I bought my Apple //e years ago.  Since then
>   I used it on a Zenith PC, and now it's on one of the dial-up lines
>   on my 3B2.  Can't do that with an internal!!!!!

Not only changing computers, but also to drive a terminal or printer. 
If you have a single Laser printer to serve several computers one option
might be programmable autodial modems and an external modem on the
computer.  SCO Unix is supposed to be able to handle this.

One important point that Greg left out was that some people REFUSE to
use internal modems (or other devices that can be external) because they
restrict the air-flow and create more heat in the PC case.   This way
the modem can fry your other boards (including motherboard) while it
bakes itsself.
-- 
--
Charles "Chip" Yamasaki
chip@oshcomm.osha.gov
-- 
--
Charles "Chip" Yamasaki
chip@oshcomm.osha.gov