rick@SEISMO.CSS.GOV (Rick Adams) (10/31/86)
We use PC Pursuit at seismo. It works. It saves us OVER $1500 per month in long distance charges. We have used it since October, 1985 with no real problems. There are three drawbacks. 1) The throughput with "normal" unix uucp 'g' protocol is bad. You get about 600 bps on a 1200 baud connection. However, the cost is not dependant on time, so it is reasonable to use. They are supposedly installing 2400 baud modems. This will help. 2) Some cities are hard to get to. Because they have been agressiveley pushing this service, the demand has far outstripped the capacity of the service in some cities (Especially San Francsico and Chicago. Boston isn't great either). They claim to be monitoring traffic and adding capacity. I haven't noticed any improvement. (Then again, demand may be increasing as fast as they add service so it may just not be getting worse). 3) For interactive (i.e. human) use its not too great. The character delay inherent with telenet/tymnet/etc is quite apparent and annoying if you are a decent typist. For browsing a b-board its probably ok. For using a screen editor is sucks. However, for data transmission I think it is a big win and people should look into it. We send over 170 megabytes of electronic mail per month through PC Pusuit and will keep doing it. ---rick
MDCG.HRD%OZ.AI.MIT.EDU@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU ("Hank R. "Jim" Dixon") (11/03/86)
[Readers please feel free to submit your comments re: PC-Pursuit. -Elmo] I am presently working as a consultant for US Sprint/Telenet. I am quite familiar with the Pc Pursuit network and how it runs. First of all there are several items in your message that I wanted to clarify. First, PC Pursuit is operated by Telenet themselves. It is not by any means an outside entity. Second, YES, they REALLY are adding the 11 cities within the next 3 weeks, and are doubling (and in some cases more then doubling) the capacity in most of the exsisting cities. The 2400 baud didnt happen bacuase they are still having technical problems. If you are a Pursuit customer and want to help them with the 2400 bps, connect to DIAL909/24 which is a test 2400bps site at the Telenet HQ in Reston VA, and use it (or at least try) to call 2400bps systems in the Washington Metro area. At this time, the system expansion is taking presedence over the 2400bps. It WILL be dealt with shortly. Also I am directly involved with the implementation of what is most likely going to be the "Next step" in Pursuit expansion. Presently anybody in one of the 400 or so cities can call any system local to the 15 outdial cities. What I am working on would allow A Host (bbs or other type system) to dial in to his local access port, and have his system available for anyone in any one of the 400 cities to connect to him. This would allow access to or from any city to any city. IF you are interested in this, please call RBBSPC-LAMBDA (which is the new system test BBS) at (617) 742-2229 between 7am and 6pm M-F, or if you are on PCP, connect to it at the address 617312.80 (NO, Not a DIALFOO/BAR port..). (In other words instead of DIALFOO/BAR, use 617312.80). The first time you connect the echo and stuff will be screwed up, but there is an online document telling how to fix this. Anyway, if you cant do either of the above, then at least leave me mail, and ill try to return it when I can (which at times is impossible). -------