Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!uunet!hayes!tnixon
From: tnixon@hayes.uucp
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: Hayes announces Ultra 144 and V.32bis upgrade
Message-ID: <4037.286731d3@hayes.uucp>
Date: 25 Jun 91 12:06:43 GMT
References: <4033.2865eaac@hayes.uucp> <1991Jun25.025544.6882@shaman.com>
Organization: Hayes Microcomputer Products, Norcross, GA
Lines: 38

In article <1991Jun25.025544.6882@shaman.com>, jiro@shaman.com (Jiro
Nakamura) writes: 

>     Well, for all those people who were flaming Telebit for having an
> "expensive" upgrade to v32bis with their T1600's, seems like Hayes has
> approximately the same pricing with their upgrade.

Yes, and I seem to recall that USRobotics charged about the same 
thing for their upgrade, when it was available (I don't think it is, 
anymore).  USR's upgrade involved replacing the entire modem circuit 
board, and I believe Hayes' will be the same.  Chances are, the cost 
of Telebit's upgrade is for the same reason.  All of these modems 
may have been originally designed with upgradability at low cost in 
mind, but when it comes down to actually doing it, you sometimes 
find that a number of parts must be upgraded to faster parts, and it 
just makes more sense to replace the board with a brand new 
factory-built circuit board than try to literally upgrade the board 
by manually replacing individual components.

>    Actually I think $250~ for an upgrade to double the speed isn't too
> bad. What I had hoped for both Hayes and Telebit was that they would offer
> everyone who had bought a v32 only modem in the last x months a free upgrade
> to v32bis.

Hayes is doing that now, more or less.  Consider that the list price 
of Ultra 96 is $999, and the list price for Ultra 144 will be $1199. 
That's a $200 difference, which will probably continue to be 
reflected in "street prices" even after dealer discounting.  From 
June 17 to August 18, however, Hayes is offering a $150 cash rebate 
on Ultra 96.  This makes the total differential $350.  After paying 
the $275 upgrade cost, you're still $75 ahead compared to waiting 
until Ultra 144 ships and buying one then.

-- 
Toby Nixon, Principal Engineer    | Voice   +1-404-840-9200  Telex 151243420
Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc. | Fax     +1-404-447-0178  CIS   70271,404
P.O. Box 105203                   | UUCP uunet!hayes!tnixon  AT&T    !tnixon
Atlanta, Georgia  30348  USA      | Internet       tnixon%hayes@uunet.uu.net