curtis@gitpyr.UUCP (Curtis Crowson) (09/08/86)
Alright, once again I must ask.... What is happening with the Amiga specific modems? Last word was the 1200RS was to be out begining of August with the AmigaTerm terminal program. Where is it?!? Answermate lost one of its programmers, but that was quite a while ago. What is its status?!? I'm looking for a modem with the features of the Answermate, but I can't get any information on when it will be ready, or when it MIGHT be ready. Come on C-A, when can we EXPECT these products to be released? Laterness, --Curtis
grr@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (George Robbins) (09/11/86)
In article <2222@gitpyr.UUCP> curtis@gitpyr.UUCP (Curtis Crowson) writes: > > Alright, once again I must ask.... What is happening with the >Amiga specific modems? Last word was the 1200RS was to be out begining >of August with the AmigaTerm terminal program. Where is it?!? Answermate >lost one of its programmers, but that was quite a while ago. What is its >status?!? I'm looking for a modem with the features of the Answermate, but >I can't get any information on when it will be ready, or when it MIGHT be >ready. > Well, believe it or not, the Amiga Modem 1200RS a.k.a. 1680, was actually shipped several weeks ago, and has been seen in the local computer specialty stores!!! As I understand it, the list price is around $200, so you may want to shop around for a good price or a dealer who is willing to make some kind of package deal. Check with your dealer and see what the status is from their point of view, as they may need a little prodding... -- George Robbins - now working with, uucp: {ihnp4|seismo|caip}!cbmvax!grr but no way officially representing arpa: cbmvax!grr@seismo.css.GOV Commodore, Engineering Department fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)
walker@sas.UUCP (Doug Walker) (09/11/86)
In article <2222@gitpyr.UUCP>, curtis@gitpyr.UUCP (Curtis Crowson) writes: > > Alright, once again I must ask.... What is happening with the > Amiga specific modems? Why do you want an Amiga-specific modem anyway? It would be much more flexible to have a generic Hayes-compatible 1200 or 2400 baud modem which most any computer system would support than to lock yourself into an Amiga-specific modem. No, I don't have any plans right now to get rid of my Amiga, but with the typical active life of home computer systems, a modem could carry you through two or three systems!
dillon@CORY.BERKELEY.EDU (Matt Dillon) (09/11/86)
I wouldn't bother with any 'amiga specific' modems.. There's nothing special about a 'commodore' modem. In fact, specialized modems are often years behind in technology. For instance, Commodore only recently introduced 1200 baud 'specialized' modems. Even on-card modems for the ibm-pc have lagged behind stand-alones. I'll take a standalone 2400 baud modem, thank you, and as soon as 9600's become standardized, I'll take one of those to. -Matt
curtis@gitpyr.UUCP (Curtis Crowson) (09/15/86)
In article <170@sas.UUCP> walker@sas.UUCP (Doug Walker) writes: >In article <2222@gitpyr.UUCP>, curtis@gitpyr.UUCP (Curtis Crowson) writes: >> >> Alright, once again I must ask.... What is happening with the >> Amiga specific modems? >Why do you want an Amiga-specific modem anyway? It would be much more >flexible to have a generic Hayes-compatible 1200 or 2400 baud modem >which most any computer system would support than to lock yourself >into an Amiga-specific modem. The 'Amiga specific' modems (like the Answermate) were to take advantage of the special features of the Amiga....Well that's what I heard. Sure, I could buy any stand alone modem, but why not get something that could accept push-button tones and pass them along to the Amiga (Tecmar) so that you could have a program that could accept user input using the phone keypad, or one that could save/retrieve digitized messages for use as an answering machine (Answermate/Commodore). The 1200RS was just added in my discussion since I was still curious about when it would be released. I have been informed that IT is currently available from dealers. I have also been told (as a rumor) that the Answermate project has been abandoned. --Curtis Crowson {pick-a-root}!gatech!gitpyr!curtis "After all, if you're going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance."
hamilton@uiucuxc.CSO.UIUC.EDU (09/15/86)
>> Alright, once again I must ask.... What is happening with the >> Amiga specific modems? >Why do you want an Amiga-specific modem anyway? It would be much more >flexible to have a generic Hayes-compatible 1200 or 2400 baud modem >which most any computer system would support than to lock yourself >into an Amiga-specific modem. back when there was some confusion about amiga's ability to digitize sound (ie, when we thought maybe it could), it looked like you could do more with an amiga and a phone than mere datacomm. i had notions of a very fancy programmable phone answering machine. native digitizing is out, but you could still have amiga synthesize voice output over the phone. you could interface the amiga to your burglar alarm/smoke detector and have it automatically call the police/fire dept (or a neighbor, or your office, or...). with a little added gadgetry, it could detect in-coming touch-tones to allow for interaction. you don't absolutely need an amiga-specific modem to do these, but it might have been handy. wayne hamilton U of Il and US Army Corps of Engineers CERL UUCP: {ihnp4,pur-ee,convex}!uiucdcs!uiucuxc!hamilton ARPA: hamilton%uiucuxc@a.cs.uiuc.edu USMail: Box 476, Urbana, IL 61801 CSNET: hamilton%uiucuxc@uiuc.csnet Phone: (217)333-8703 CIS: [73047,544] PLink: w hamilton
grr@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (George Robbins) (09/16/86)
In article <2254@gitpyr.UUCP> curtis@gitpyr.UUCP (Curtis Crowson) writes: > >The 'Amiga specific' modems (like the Answermate) were to take advantage >of the special features of the Amiga....Well that's what I heard. Sure, >I could buy any stand alone modem, but why not get something that could >accept push-button tones and pass them along to the Amiga (Tecmar) so that >you could have a program that could accept user input using the phone keypad, >or one that could save/retrieve digitized messages for use as an answering >machine (Answermate/Commodore). The 1200RS was just added in my discussion >since I was still curious about when it would be released. I have been >informed that IT is currently available from dealers. I have also been >told (as a rumor) that the Answermate project has been abandoned. > >--Curtis Crowson {pick-a-root}!gatech!gitpyr!curtis Clarification: The Amiga-Modem 1200 RS aka 1680 is Amiga related, but not Amiga specific. It works just fine on PC, terminals and wherever else RS232 modems are appropriate. There's nothing really special about it beyond the Amiga name. It is however, Commodores first stand-alone RS232 modem. All previous modems were siamesed to a VIC, C64 or whatever. The answermate project is on hold, not specifically dead, although the cobwebs are getting pretty thick. It does take advantage of some of the Amiga's features. I would be interested in hearing how irresistable a computer controlled answering machine/modem/voice thingie would be, and whether you would really want to leave your amiga turned on all the time to service the unit... -- George Robbins - now working for, uucp: {ihnp4|seismo|caip}!cbmvax!grr but no way officially representing arpa: cbmvax!grr@seismo.css.GOV Commodore, Engineering Department fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)
chapman@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Brent Chapman) (09/17/86)
In article <739@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP> grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins) writes: >In article <2254@gitpyr.UUCP> curtis@gitpyr.UUCP (Curtis Crowson) writes: >The answermate project is on hold, not specifically dead, although the cobwebs >are getting pretty thick. It does take advantage of some of the Amiga's >features. I would be interested in hearing how irresistable a computer >controlled answering machine/modem/voice thingie would be, and whether you >would really want to leave your amiga turned on all the time to service the >unit... Why wouldn't we want to leave the Amiga on? Most people I know (myself included) with Amigas never bother to turn them off, unless they have a major crash, or something like that. (BTW, isn't it better to leave micro-type equipment turned on anyway, assuming it is sufficiently ventilated? Something about reducing stress on components from heat expansion and contraction...) The Answermate was one of the things that really sounded neat when I first started thinking about the Amiga (over a year ago, now? I guess so.. Gee, how time flies... :-). Brent -- Brent Chapman chapman@cory.berkeley.edu or ucbvax!cory!chapman
jat@blnt1.UUCP (09/18/86)
In article <739@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP> grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins) writes: >... I would be interested in hearing how irresistable a computer >controlled answering machine/modem/voice thingie would be, and whether you >would really want to leave your amiga turned on all the time to service the >unit... >-- >George Robbins - now working for, uucp: {ihnp4|seismo|caip}!cbmvax!grr >but no way officially representing arpa: cbmvax!grr@seismo.css.GOV >Commodore, Engineering Department fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite) I was very interested in buying one, so now I am building my own with a touch tone decoder chip from Radio Shack and a few miscellaneous parts. The only problem I have is that I need a hard disk for this thing to be usable as an answering machine. Until then, it will just be a cute gadget. John Tamplin Blount Brothers Corporation akgua!blnt1!jat 2511 Fairlane Drive 205/244-6231 Montgomery, AL 36116
curtis@gitpyr.UUCP (Curtis Crowson) (09/20/86)
>The Answermate was one of the things that really sounded neat when I >first started thinking about the Amiga (over a year ago, now? I guess >so.. Gee, how time flies... :-). > >Brent Chapman > >chapman@cory.berkeley.edu or ucbvax!cory!chapman I definately had some use for the Answermate in my 'business'. It doesn't look like the wait (maybe forever) will justify the purchase of a regular answering-type machine though. Too bad. It would have added just a little more to the jazziness and class of the Amiga. Laterness, --Curtis Crowson
walker@sas.UUCP (Doug Walker) (09/22/86)
In article <739@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP>, grr@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (George Robbins) writes: > features. I would be interested in hearing how irresistable a computer > controlled answering machine/modem/voice thingie would be, and whether you > would really want to leave your amiga turned on all the time to service the > unit... There is one major problem with using the Amiga as an answering machine or bbs or anything else requiring that it be left on. In my neighborhood, we have 'brownouts' every couple of days bad enough to make my microwave oven lose track of time. Every week or so we have one bad enough to take out an Amiga. What happens when the power comes back on? The Amiga cheerfully checks the disk in DF0:, discovers that it's not kickstart, and then refuses do do ANYTHING until a real human has inserted the kickstart disk. We can't even leave kickstart in the drive because then the Amiga won't be able to find workbench! Why, oh why, can't the Amiga look on DH0: or DF1: for workbench instead of insisting that it be in DF0:?