Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!plaid!chuq
From: chuq@plaid.Sun.COM (Chuq Von Rospach)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Shiva Netserial
Message-ID: <76700@sun.uucp>
Date: 9 Nov 88 05:15:41 GMT
Sender: news@sun.uucp
Lines: 34

A few weeks ago, I asked for comments on the Shiva Netserial. Responses were
generally positive, so I finally went out and got one. The price was $289
(plus $3 overnight shipping) from MacConnection (note: the price has been
lowered since the ads they've placed in macworld -- I was thrilled to hear
they didn't want as much as I wanted to pay!). 

Installation was clean and simple, taking less than 10 minutes for hardware
and about 5 for software per machine. It came up first time, and has worked
wonderfully. You basically can't tell that it's there, either from
CompuSesrve Navigator or Red Ryder. I did some test downloads at both 1200
and 2400 baud under typical loads, and the speed difference during
downloading was less than 1%. Can't complain there.

I have noticed one glitch. Every so often, I either get an occasional key
dropped or my system goes into key-repeat mode when it shouldn't. This seems
related to other traffic on Appletalk AND the fact that I'm (1) a very fast
typist and (2) have key-repeat and key-delay set to their fasted values. And
I see it very occasionally on top of all of that, so I don't even rate it an
inconveniences.

One thing to be aware of: NetSerial does NOT come with cables. So you may
need a modem cable, and you probably will need an Appletalk connection.
Those ran me $20 and $50, respectively. Keep those in mind in your budgets,
unless you know you have them around. 

Other than that, NetSerial has met my expectations and has done everything
I've asked it to. Being able to use the modem from either of my machines is
really a nice thing -- we on't need to argue about who gets which computer
now, so we aren't interrupting work as often to switch around. 


Chuq Von Rospach	Editor/Publisher, OtherRealms		chuq@sun.COM

It's not justice you want, Roderick! It's blood!