DT> Is there a problem with the USR Couriers? or is there just a problem with 
DT> one or two users of these modems?

There are HEAPS of problems with the modem.  Why anyone would
pay a $200 premium for a modem that is WORSE than others, is
beyond me (actually I do know the reason - ignorance, I came
damn close to doing it myself, and would have, if it hadn't
been for a loaner).  You will find most USR Courier owners
denying all bugs with vehemence.  Wouldn't you, if you'd just
paid a $200 premium for a lemming?  

I've seen it before with the Spirit modem.  No-one (except me) 
seems to be happy to admit that they got sucked in right 
royal and bought a crappy modem for twice the price of a 
normal modem.  Some of the bugs are easily
reproducible on any Courier, if you wish to verify them for
yourself.  I've been through it all before with the Spirit modem,
when no-one had seen the Spirit's double-send problem, despite 
the fact that ALL the Spirits have the problem.  Not even that 
manufacturers had seen it though, they just don't use their modems 
in as wide an environment as I do.  

Crikey, and I don't even TRY!  I only call one person regularly, 
and only get called by about 10-20 different people regularly.
I do the same thing with C compilers.  FREQ "MYST*.*" from 3:711/934
for a list of (mostly) bugs that I actually spent the time to
document.  There are plenty that I didn't document too.  C compiler
bugs are a lot easier to reproduce too, for independent verification.

Anyway, if you're thinking of buying a modem, wait until you see my
report after a couple of weeks of buying a Netcomm M34F.  I have
had excellent recommendations of the modem from an ISP, who tested
out heaps of modems, including the USR.  But I've heard it all
before, so wait until the REAL test to see how it fares.  BTW, I
also had a Spirit Viper for about 2 days, but it was too short a
time to test properly, and the of the 2 (I think) problems I had,
one was actually a problem with Binkley, not the modem.  I wonder
if I can find the details of that test.  I'll see.

BFN.  Paul.

P.S. See next message for the Spirit info.
@EOT:

---