BG> so unless you specifically wanted to buy a Rockwell-based
BG> V.34, there's no real reason to hang off any longer IMO.

RS> Cant agree with that either. Yes, the current Courier is useable
RS> enough. BUT its still obscenely overpriced, and I really would
RS> like to have a decent external continuous status display too,
RS> particularly with modern V34 modems which may well be changing
RS> their speed and stuff on the fly in most real live sessions.

BG> Not everybody sits with their eyes glued to their modems though Rod.

RS> No one suggested they did Bill, thats why I said 'I would like' etc.

BG> Fine, then buy a $900 Microcom.  They're even dearer than the Courier.

They may well be. They aint the only one with a decent status display tho.
And I was commenting on your 'there is no reason to hang off any longer'

RS> You just cant bring yourself to concede that there
RS> is the slightest thing that the Courier could have done
RS> better. Or the Sportster either on the lack of a flashrom.

BG> I'll ignore the Sportster, as it's designed as a low-end modem.

Thats not the point, I was making the point that it may well be
CHEAPER for USR to have it flashrom when calculated properly,
and that would be much more convenient for the owner too.

BG> If you want stuff like flash-ROM, there's nothing preventing you
BG> from buying the Courier if you think it's worth the extra $$$.

Or I can point out that USR has made a dud choice with the Sportster.

BG> And sure, I suppose that even the Courier could be better,

The most obvious deficiency IMO is the lack of a decent status display on the
external. And since its obscenely overpriced, I would want one if I bought one.

BG> but as it stands right now, it's still has more
BG> features than any other currently available V.34 modem.

Yes, but we were actually discussing your claim at the top that
there is no reason not to buy right now. In fact there are plenty.

BG> I thought people bought the latest hardware these
BG> days simply because it IS, and for no other reason.

RS> Some people certainly do, I do not. Particularly with
RS> the obscene prices that USR wants for the Courier.

BG> Neither do I, just quietly.  And I've NEVER paid anywhere near full price
BG> for any of my USRs either.  Nor would I, at those outrageous prices.

True, I think its the main thing against it today. I might well
put up with the lack of a decent status display if it was say $200,
particularly if it was a choice between a decent status display and a
modem with all the code in flashrom and I couldnt find both in one modem.

RS> If someone wasnt a solid decent machine today, a 486/100 may well
RS> be a viable proposition rather than a hot Pentium for example.

BG> Couldn't agree more, although I'm likely to be
BG> in a position to upgrade my DX4/100 to a DX5/133
BG> at almost no outlay, so I'd be pretty mad not to.

Oh sure, no argument at all when the cost is low.

I'd likely even swap the Supra for a Courier if the cost was trivial,
just for the convenience of the much better status dump to disk file.
Corse it would be even better if it had a decent status display as well.

I basically prefer the status display on the V34 Supra, but its got
much worse stats to the file, and the flashrom doesnt do the datapump.

RS> My problem with Netcon is more their obscene ripoff charges for
RS> fixes outside warrantee and they have FAR too any new models as well.

BG> Don't they have 4 years warranty now though (or is it 5) ?

RS> Well, rom upgrades arent necessarily included in the warrantee.

BG> They certainly used to be, but I don't know what their current policy is.

I meant more that they wont fix the design fuckups like that, just play
silly buggers and pretend its a whole new modem and you can fuck yourself.

BG> He could just as easily have bought a US/Canada
BG> Courier on their sysop deal for US$249 if he wanted.

RS> I'm not convinced. My reading of the USR stuff is
RS> that they wouldnt do a non austel sysop deal for him.

BG> If you call their BBS and DL sysop.txt, you'll see that they
BG> do indeed supply modems to anybody in the world, provided that
BG> they qualify as a sysop with at least 6 months standing.

I'm not convinced that they would do a non austel. Bet you
cant name anyone here that has managed to get one like that.

BG> I didn't, which is why I'm going the trade-in route.

Sure. My main problem with that theoretical cheap route is that
I wouldnt be a bit surprised if the delay was obscene. Which
would have been a hell of a problem with Paul and a dead modem.
@EOT:

---