Hello Jonathan!
08 Jun 95 19:22, Jonathan Hutchins wrote to Joseph Emmanuel:
 JH> * In a msg of Thursday June 08 1995 to Jonathan Hutchins, Joseph
 JH> Emmanuel wrote:
 JE>> I do not understand why they did that for you since I had a
 JE>> ZyXEL modem (19200 E+) and it was hit by lightening and they
 JE>> said I have to pay $150 to repair it.
 JH> Yours may have been damaged worse than mine was.
 JE>> I bought a brand new USR for $250.
 JH> I can't blame you.  A v.32 modem, even with some of the fancy
 JH> features and dogged reliability of the ZyXEL, is not worth a lot
 JH> more than $150 in a v.34 world.
 JH> I would _love_ to see something as good as the ZyXEL, with a
 JH> similar FAX capability and Caller ID but not the rest of the
 JH> bells and whistles, that would do 28.8 and was reasonably priced.
 JH> This mini-computer they're pushing now sounds unrealistic.  Next
 JH> they'll build in a full US wide phone book or some other useless
 JH> "feature".  IDSN lines here cost $500 to install and some
 JH> similarly rediculous amount to maintain.  I doubt anyone I know
 JH> would call my single-line BBS on one, and I know of no FIDO feed
 JH> that would be a local ISDN call.
In Europe there are thousands of nodes that have ISDN lines operating in 
fido. It is only in North America that ISDN has not caught on. And as you 
said the cost is main reason.
I personally look forward to having my new 28.8 with ISDN.
The costs for ISDN are not prohibitive if you live in a major centre.
More next time on what the costs for ISDN are in Vancouver  British Columbia 
Canada.
Live Long and Prosper,
Derek
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