ward@hao.UUCP (Mike Ward) (04/09/85)
[] For the past few days I have been using the new Hayes Terminal emulator called 'Smartcom II'. So far, my reaction to it has been an unrestrained "WOW!" (reverberations from my hippy days) It is a VT102/VT52 emulator, and it does, as far as I can see, a perfect emulation. It handles reverse video, big characters, very big characters, funny graphics....and they stay correct even after they've scrolled off the screen and been brought back. It even has programmable answerback and smooth scroll. One thing: it has no keypad - and the deskpad desk accessory does not seem to work with it - (and since I have no hardware keypad, I don't how that works), but all keypad functions are supported by means of command and option keys. One thing that lets you know right away that you are not using a VT102: it works at 9600 baud. It goes forever to the screen at that speed, and it downloads small files to disk. I haven't tried it on huge files, so I don't know it it will eventually overrun its buffer. It even works right in vi and the rand editor at 9600 baud with XON/XOFF set on. For file transfer, it allows error correcting protocols and straight ASCII. Error correcting protocols are: Hayes verification, and XMODEM. Both protocols have a Macintosh and a 'normal' version. The macintosh XMODEM is the Macterminal version, though it can neither send nor receive a file without user action. ASCII transfer can be sent by line or by character. You can delay between characters or wait for an echo. You can delay between lines or wait for a prompt (Holy Cow, I can use it on GBBS!!). You can even just shove characters out the port and wait for nothing. ASCII characters can be saved to a disk file like any reasonable terminal program (e.g. not Macterminal) does it. It has a fairly good macro command language. You can dial and logon to systems, and fetch files and the like. You can do any of the commands at any time of the day. Can't set a date to do something, but you can stack "do this at 11:00 PM" commands to do something days later. You can initiate file transfer or print functions and do almost anything that you can do interactively. The only thing it does not have is an "IF" function. Sometimes my Unix system comes up 1200 baud, sometimes it don't. I haven't figured how to make the logon macro handle that. There is one phone number and one set of communication/file transfer parameters per file. You can, however, use the macro facility to switch files, and it does it fast. Lines are saved off the top into a memory buffer. I don't know how big the buffer is, but I have not yet lost any lines (maybe I should do a -d on net.politics or net.religion). If you are reading up beyond the top, it will not automatically flip back to the bottom when characters arrive through the com port or the keyboard. I haven't decided whether this is something I like or not. This application is very macish. The macro commands are set up using icons. Phone calls, file transfers, printer function, and help are all called by icon. The pull-down menus are done as you would expect them in a good Mac program. There are large icons that remain on the bottom of the screen all the time. These take some getting some used to. Even though it is being marketed by a modem maker, it works on at least some Hayes compatibles. I have been using it on a Prometheus modem. It claims to be ready to handle 2400 baud modems that use the CCITT protocol. I assume they mean V.22 bis (since that is what Hayes will be using if they ever get their 2400 baud modem out), though they didn't say. I really tried hard to find something I didn't like about this program, and found two: it doesn't do the escape key in the Macterm- inal/Versaterm way. As far as I know, the only way to produce an escape is ^[ - a real disadvantage if you use vi; and it is HUGE (206K) - uses up the whole disk. The price (~$150) seems a bit high, until you consider that it is at least twice as good as Macterminal. The usual mealy-mouth stuff: I have no connection with Hayes, personal or financial (I don't even have one of their modems). I am posting this for the sole purpose of encouraging Light, Truth, and the American Way.