DH>> This case grows stronger by the day, as more and more
DH>> outlandish crippling misfeatures appear in putatively
DH>> "improved for Australian conditions" modems - and do NOT
DH>> appear in the original models before the damage is done.

IS> You've been saying that for years, too.  Some evidence, please, apart from 
IS> assuming that -9dB is 'better' than -10dB as a network-loading limit, or 
IS> that the TV keeps telling us that God is an American, and who are we to 
IS> argue?

The Hayes "Your dial tone detection is too good, you're not allowed to
use it" nobble.

The USR send level set to -begin- scaling downward from -17dbm when the
spec is -10?  (A USR sending at -28dbm is a horror - and it happened. 
Regularly. Was intended to happen, IMNSHO.  Was deliberately installed in a
fully functional and compliant release, that began negotiating down from
-11.)

The saga of the ZyXel, where the "best modem in the world"
(according to Tom Jennings, and I suspect he had good reason for the
claim.) was kept out of Australia, while being accepted in NZ (to much more
stringent requirements) within a very short time.

The setup of the Microcom, where British standard guard tone was demanded,
and forced on by ROM - even though it's forbidden in this country, AND
causes problems.

The minor fact that fax transmission is setup to be adjusted to within one
db, with such transmission level adjustment known and specified to be
required as normal operation of the equipment to make it function.  Now
make it a fax modem, and accept several db of handicap, plus the mandatory
requirement that NO line characteristics may be dealt with, ever, for any
reason.  Sweet.

(Does the fact that the major offender in wining and dining Austel
committee members is _not_ involved in the manufacture of fax machines ring
a bell?)

Matter of fact - I'm not aware of a single Austel approval that hasn't
chosen to do at least one bit of pesudo-random harm.  And I've looked for
such.

Just how much evidence did you want Ian?  There -aren't- many more modems
in the world to nobble - they've all been done.  Like dinners - along with
us. :-(

IS> (Ok, I've got some buttons, too :)

'Evbody does...  Mine's my wallet...:-)

Regards,
Dave Hatch.

--- Msgedsq 3.20