-> JK> I'm looking at ordering a SupraFAX modem for my BBS, but now
-> JK> 56K deal is coming along, should I wait on buying this modem?
->
-> No.  The 56k stuff requires some sort of fancy hardware on the ISP's
-> side to  work properly..
JK> I believe it just said the ISP needed a direct, digital connect,
JK> while the end user just needs a phone line (POTS).
 It is a bit fuzzy with all the bits and pieces floating through!
JK> Back in the days of the 2400 bps modem, naysayers said a 9600 bps
JK> modem was "impossible", yet it happened, then 14,400 [etc]..
 Naysayers should be taken for what they are, and nothing more.  
 There's a big difference between bps and band width.  I believe what
 knowledgeable technicians said was, the band width of current phone
 lines was then limited to 2400 baud (by the technical definition of
 band width signals).  That's the size of the playing field, not what
 players can do on it!
 Confusion arose later when those who chose to equate their product
 to baud rates arrived at the barrier for a single signal.  People do
 not always conform to a technical definition.  Ad writers and sales
 promoters, in fact, are prone to stretch things beyond truth with
 little regard for accuracy.  Only by their misnomer is modem baud
 rate equivalent to band width.  It isn't, so don't be misled.
 The manner in which speeds were effectively increased was to utilize
 multiple 2400 baud signals rather than one signal, which had been an
 accepted practice, up to that time.  Phone lines can carry numerous
 signals simultaneously on voice without interfering with each other.
 That was adapted to use in splitting modem signals and descrambling
 them on reception, adding the data, to comprise greater volume as if
 it were sent at a higher rate, which was in fact still at 2400 baud,
 by signal width.  That's all the phone company requires, so that's
 all we get on common voice lines.
 Granted, the above is a generalization subject to technical error by
 over simplification, but should convey the idea.
 In conversations, we all know what we mean by a modem rated at 2400
 or 56K baud.  That's fine, if we leave it at that.  
JK> they said anything higher without a digital (ie. ISDN) line wasn't
JK> possible....and low & behold 28,800 bps....and then 33.6K....and
JK> then...
 This disregards the "current technology" factor.  All those things
 were true limits, at the time.  It's simply incorrect to think that
 everyone considered them to be the ultimate possible.  If that were
 the case, computers would not have incorporated potential to go up
 to 150K in days when most modems in the hands of individual owners
 were 300 baud, or a really FAST 1200!  Those who know what they are
 talking about never said, much less believed, that development was
 at it limits at any of those stages, Jim.  
JK> Never say never with computer stuff, it changes too quickly.
JK> Where there's a will (to make money) there's a way. ;-)
 You're on solid ground, there!  It not only continues, it seems to
 be developing more rapidly than before as time goes on, too.
JK> I'd like to hear a Supra Rep. (in one exists in this echo)
JK> to give their position on the 56K issue.  Question is, will
JK> it be made available from Supra?  And if so, will the current
JK> modems be upgradable via software or hardware upgrade or will
JK> it require a whole new modem?  What is the Supra timetable on this?
 Many of us share your curiosity, Jim.  ;^)
 I'm not a rep of any kind, so this is not to answer you, per se.
 As discussion, I'd expect to see, respectively: Yes, Supra will be
 in the market; not likely that software will outreach hardware; and
 yes, more than likely Supra will offer upgrades if design expected
 need, else a new model will be issued.  Just guesses derived from
 prior experience.  It'll be interesting to see what the guru's say!
 I wouldn't even stab at calendar dates.  We know very little in the
 industry stays a true secret for long, so they've probably been on
 56K projects for some time already.  The larger problem as I see it
 would be compatibility.  With about three supposed to be near market
 what happens if they don't "talk" to each other at that rate?
... Objects under T-Shirt often smaller than they appear.
 * Q-Blue 1.0 *
--- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 
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