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. 

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

BG> The whole point of V.34 is that it's pretty much automatic and
BG> should continually adjust itself for the best possible throughput,

Yes, and the whole point of a decent status display is to allow
you to conveniently monitor if thats actually happening, particularly
on calls which dont appear to be behaving as they should. There is
nothing worse than having to fumble around in the dark with a lack of
hard information on just whats going on, and if there are significant
speed changes happening thru the session, its very handy to be able
to SEE that stuff happening when its happening.

Its just that sort of decent status display that allowed me to quickly
see why the V32terbo enabled Courier calls were falling over. Without
that it would have instead just been a decent percentage of dud calls
with fuck all information about why the failed ones did fair. No thanks.

BG> so I can't see any real need to be monitoring the connect at all,

Yeah, well, *I* do. The problem aint the ones where things
work as they should, the problem is with WHEN things aint
going as they should and you are trying to work out why not.

BG> not like with say V.32bis or V.FC.

Thats mad Bill. The whole POINT of V34 is to wring the absolute
maximum out of a particular call thruput wise. That will inevitably
mean that stuff like the line speed and symbol rate may very well
change during the session, and we in fact know that the USRs tend
to connect at a lower rate and quickly hike that. I want to be able
to SEE that stuff, particularly when it doesnt appear to be doing
as well as it should with say a particular modem at the other end.

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

RS> I cant get within a bulls roar of justifying a V34 on the
RS> saving on phone call costs. And a Courier would buy a 2GB
RS> hard drive too with plenty left over for a CDROM as well.

BG> Who needs to justify it?

Thats what the modem is for Bill, getting mail. What matters is how
much it costs to do that. There isnt any point in keeping up with the
Jones at the obscene ripoff prices USR chooses to charge for Couriers.
Even sillier for those who get their mail at local call charges.

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

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

BG> In fact, you're the one who generally goes on about
BG> other people's mediaeval hardware, aren't you?

Nope, not when the less that the very latest isnt has not impact
on your computing. In fact you can make a good case for NOT buying
at the bleeding edge, buying one level back from that so that the
warts are excised by the time you buy it and the obscene gouging
on price thats so endemic with people like USR and Intel on the
stuff thats the bleeding edge has gone.

Corse its another matter entirely to be trying to run Win
on a 286 and be bitching and moaning about the performance.

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

I wouldnt suggest anyone buy a 2400 modem today, tho there
may well be a case for a solid cheap 14400, particularly
if you get your mail for the cost of a local call.

Corse if suckers like yourself want to keep up with the Jones and pay
huge wank factor premiums to pay for USRs R&D costs, thats fine be me
too. The more there are like you, the cheaper it is for me to buy later.

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) ?

Well, rom upgrades arent necessarily included in the
warrantee. They often deliberately play silly buggers
pretending to have a new modem when its actually shafting
the buyers of the fuckup they did the first time around.

RS> They can play silly buggers proclaiming that you have
RS> to buy an upgrade to the new model far too much for my
RS> taste tho. Fuck them, I am a great believer in punishing
RS> obscene business practice by withdrawing my cash.

BG> Exactly.  I'll sure as hell never buy another NetComm.

True, I certainly wouldnt buy one or an Interlink either.

The Yumchas are more complicated, the name usually means sweet
fuck all and if its possible to get one on a no questions asked
return if it doesnt perform, and its cheap enough to bin after
a few years of service, it may well make sense to go that route,
even if they have had some duds in the past.

RS> I expect to see Netcon go down the tubes any
RS> day because I wont buy one of their V34 modems |-)

BG> Don't worry, people lke Paul will probably keep them afloat...

And USR too. Its partly the shithouse local support and availability
that still sees quite a few buy Netcon instead of USR, particularly
if the particular modem like the M34F is a reasonable performer.

BG> It's only Paul's rabid insistence upon using only Austel approved
BG> modems which is why the Courier would cost him $200 more than the M34F.

RS> Nope.

BG> Yep.

Nope.

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

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

BG> I presume that like me, when the time comes you will be buying from
BG> the US anyway.  At US$249 for my Courier, I'm expecting to pay no more
BG> than A$450-odd, freight and sales tax paid, delivered to my front door.

RS> Oh come on Bill, these figures are completely bogus. Thats the
RS> tradin price, and they havent even delivered after a full year

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