Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cbmvax!grr
From: grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: Where is modem progress?
Message-ID: <6977@cbmvax.UUCP>
Date: 25 May 89 07:17:04 GMT
References: <78700004@p.cs.uiuc.edu>
Reply-To: grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins)
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 34

In article <78700004@p.cs.uiuc.edu> gillies@p.cs.uiuc.edu writes:
> 
> 1.5 years ago cheapo external 2400-baud modems were selling for
> $180-$220.  Now the cheapest 2400-baud modems are selling for about
> $130.
> 
> My question is, when will faster modems replace the 2400-baud
> standard?  It's been a couple of YEARS and the progress does not seem
> great.  I expected that by now, 4800 baud modems would be standard.
> Where are these modems?  How much do they cost?  Why don't they cost
> ~$250 by now?

Huh?  Which planet are you on?  There's lots of activity in the 9600+
range with volume prices down in the 500-800 dollar price range.  It
takes at least a couple of years for "leading edge" technology to become
made-in-taiwan, almost free technology.  You may have not "noticed" how
long "expensive" 2400 baud modems were avilable before the first
"consumer" (Hayes/USR, etc) modems hit the market and started the first
price decrease to the ~500 dollar range.

Implementations are also not particularly cheap at this point.  A lot
of these modems are using DSP chips of one sort or another - all of the
V.32 modems are currently using the same Rockwell DSP chipset, which
being single sourced, isn't immediately subject to price competition.
Also included are random amounts of memory, unneeded in the economy
1200/2400 buad designs.

Hang on for another year or two and maybe you'll see $89.95 9600 baud
modems, but I wouldn't hold your breath...

-- 
George Robbins - now working for,	uucp: {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
but no way officially representing	arpa: cbmvax!grr@uunet.uu.net
Commodore, Engineering Department	fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)