Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!indri!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!leah!rpi!crdgw1!ge-dab!ge-rtp!edison!rja
From: rja@edison.GE.COM (rja)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Microcom's misleading modem ad
Summary: misleading ad
Keywords: microcom, modem, MNP Class 9
Message-ID: <1937@edison.GE.COM>
Date: 3 May 89 01:35:07 GMT
References: <28111@cci632.UUCP>
Organization: GE-Fanuc North America
Lines: 40

In article <28111@cci632.UUCP>, sz@cci632.UUCP (Stephen Zehl) writes:
> -
> 	I'm holding an advertisement from Microcom for their new V.32 modem
> that they claim runs at 38,400 bps in MNP Class 9.

Actually it only transports data at a raw speed of 9600 bps.  The difference
is totally accounted for by their compression.  Telebit's modems transport
at a raw speed of between 14K and 18K depending on telephone line quality.

> 	What's the story here?? 

The 38.4K only applies to uncompressed data.  The Telebit speed of
18K applies to data that has already been compressed, the Microcom
speed does not.

> 	Is this the END for TELEBIT TRAILBLAZERS ?

Hardly.

Most UUCP traffic has already been compressed so Microcom would move
it at only 9600 bps, while Telebit moves the same data at more or
less 18K.  The Telebit is still the better choice for UUCP sites.

Moreover, you would need _two_ Microcom modems (one on each end)
to use their compression or a V.32 if you were sending already
compressed data.  The V.32 modems will become more common than at
present, but Telebit's T2500 handles V.32 if you need it and besides
there are more UUCP sites that already have Telebit modems and so the
Microcom wouldn't be able to talk high-speed (9600) to very many other
sites (few V.32 sites yet either).

I'll be the first to advocate buying a better modem than a Telebit for
UUCP/Internet links, but there isn't one out there yet.

GE-Fanuc does own several Telebit modems,
but these aren't necessarily my employer's views.
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