David, at 09:54 on May 26 1996, you wrote to Bill Grimsley...

BG> Ah, that probably explains their M5s and M7s then...

db> Certainly the M7F modems, but he joined after the M5 modems; 

Seems that NetComm aren't to fussy when it comes to their employees then.

db> it was annoying at the time because the M5 used to detect dial tone on my 
db> exchange, but the M7F didn't do it properly.  At least I got a leaked 
db> "test" ROM for the M7F out of him that fixed a fax bug the
M7F had (they 
db> were reusing a variable between both modes and not properly clearing it, 
db> apparently)...

Strange, that's what I felt when Paul's Viper fucked up too...

BG> I doubt he'll last too long though, as I know all about pissing into the
BG> wind, which is why I left Chandlers.  Twice.

db> Twice, eh?  ;-)

Yeah, 3 years the first time, then a 2 year break, but when I heard about
the bonus scheme, I went back (and promptly made an extra $2000 per month
on top of my normal wage).  Pity it was all taxable, but it still allowed
me to pay off this house in just under 5 years.  Then I left again.  :)

db> What if all the top programmers left USR, and management hired drop-kicks 
db> from, oh, I dunno .. MBE, say.  Would you *still* want a USR modem?

BG> Yep...

db> No need to call NetComm owners crazy, then.  :-)

A bad USR still has to be better than the best NetComm...  :)

BG> Even worse, they finally acknowledged that they had a problem, yet still
BG> had the nerve to charge around $400 for the board replacement which fixed
BG> it (turned it into a Series 4, in fact).

db> I never bothered .. from my ol' Series 3 M7F with the leaked ROM, I went 
db> straight to a Series 5 M34F early-to-mid last year (buying it brand new, 
db> for less than it cost for the M5 to M7F upgrade!  Puke..).

Just be thankful the you weren't one of the poor bastards who forked out
$2199 for the short-lived TPEP WorldBlazer then.

BG> Doesn't matter, common usage should have made it the accepted practice.
BG> Just like baud and bps (ask Paul).  :)

db> That's going to come back and haunt Paul, in oh so many ways...  :-)

There are none so blind...

BG> Funny, the ONLY problem with my Courier is that it doesn't like Paul's
BG> NetComm (nor even his Viper, for that matter).  It works fine with
BG> everybody else's NetComm, so what's different at Wollstonecraft, I
BG> wonder?

db> *shrug*

Thanks Dave, that was a great help.  :)

Regards, Bill
@EOT:

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