Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ncrlnk!ncrcce!anderson From: anderson@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM (Joel Peter Anderson) Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm Subject: Re: Quantum Link - telecommunication at it's poorest Message-ID: <923@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM> Date: 13 Dec 88 20:34:22 GMT References: Reply-To: anderson@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM (Joel Peter Anderson) Organization: NCR Comten, Inc. Lines: 50 In article prindle@NADC.ARPA (Frank Prindle) writes: >I recently signed up with the Quantum Link on-line telecommunications service. >My impressions over the past two weeks have little to do with the quality of >the services offered online because it has been very difficult to get the >telecommunication link to operate reliably enough for me to explore the >services (though what I have seen is pretty mediocre compared with GEnie for >example). > [Much discussion of wretched response time, service,etc.] Welll..... "Quantum Link - telecommunication at it's poorest" may be overstating it..... I started using QLINK and have continued using it - despite experiencing a good deal of Franks complaints. Loren Lovhaug had a recent RUN article where he evaluated QLink - also faulting the interface/terminal that you deal with. As a long time CBM user and telecommunications user (and software engineer to boot) the best thing to say about Qlink communications software is it is Novice oriented software. There are unfortunately no fast short cuts to use once you get the hang of the system - essentially you are completely captive to the menus and peculiar system Qlink uses.... On the other hand - I have found that avoiding the peak times gets pretty decent response/download times. And the libraries are pretty extensive - and only Commodore. I initially signed on because of the Geos libraries and BSW official support - and have stayed because 1) extensive libraries 2) large online user community. 3) Groliers Encyclopedia online (no charge over $10/month for that). I dunno... I periodically get fed up (after a long download or one that hung in the middle...) But then I start browsing some library or discover a new release of kermit, or a Lisp system for the 64.... I guess if you already have an online system you like you may not like QLink (and will find that services only duplicate ones you have elsewhere) on the other hand a complete novice (nobody reading this, I trust) would be quite happy with the 100% menudriven system of Qlink. Since there is no Baud rate based fee it is a good system to use 1200 baud on - or in other words - don't use 300 Baud since you are essentially paying 4 times as much (unless all you ever use are the few free services like the encyclopedia). ------------------------------------------------------------------------- "We know only the strong will survive, But the meek will inherit. So if you've got a coat of arms, oh friend, I suggest we wear it." John Mellencamp. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- anderson@c10sd3.StPaul.NCR.COM |UUCP: {rosevax, crash}!orbit!pnet51!jpa Joel Peter Anderson |ARPA: crash!orbit!pnet51!jpa@nosc.mil NCR Comten / Software engineer |INET: jpa@pnet51.cts.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------