Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!lsuc!dave From: dave@lsuc.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems Subject: Re: 9600 bps dialups Message-ID: <1840@lsuc.UUCP> Date: Fri, 5-Jun-87 02:48:17 EDT Article-I.D.: lsuc.1840 Posted: Fri Jun 5 02:48:17 1987 Date-Received: Fri, 5-Jun-87 04:37:55 EDT References: Reply-To: dave@lsuc.UUCP (David Sherman) Organization: Law Society of Upper Canada, Toronto Lines: 43 Summary: Racal-Vadic 9600VP -- worth it if you need it Following a review from someone on the net about 4 months ago, I ordered a couple of Racal-Vadic 9600VP's to test. We're now renting them and will likely purchase them shortly (most of the rental goes against the purchase price if we do). I'm using them right now. From the descriptions I've read of the others on the market, none are perfect in terms of turnaround time, which is crucial if you need echo from your UNIX system (I do; I could run the modems in half-duplex but I use too many applications which turn off echoing and do their own for various reasons). The Racal-Vadics aren't tremendous, but they're passable in this respect. From what I understand, the R-V 9600VP, when it gets a character, waits a bit to see if it's part of a fast stream. If it is, it waits a bit more, then packets up and/or compresses the lot, and then gives you a burst, which will continue if the stream keeps coming. So "cat file", for a long file, results in a delay of a second or two followed by real 9600-baud output without significant subsequent delays. Typing with UNIX echo is a bit like using a system which is thrashing due to some kernel problem. Your character echo is a step behind you. It takes a little adjusting to. Where the modem is a big win is when you need to scan a lot of material. Reading netnews is a classic example -- I can scan articles FAR faster, though there's a delay before each article comes up in rn. Reading email is also much more comfortable. And editing (I use qed, an advanced line editor based on ed) is painful in some ways but much better when it comes to filling the screen or skimming back and forth in the material. Conclusion: if your time is at enough of a premium and you are willing to put up with echoing sluggishness (or run half-duplex), the Racal-Vadic 9600VP is worth looking at. It sells for C$2000 here (before educational discount). Each. David Sherman The Law Society of Upper Canada Toronto -- { seismo!mnetor cbosgd!utgpu watmath decvax!utcsri ihnp4!utzoo } !lsuc!dave