mchin@homxc.UUCP (M.CHIN) (03/11/88)
I just received a promotional in the mail from ZOOM Telephonics, Inc. It's advertising a 2400 Baud modem for $199. If I get it now, it'll only cost me $169. What I'd like to know is if anyone has had any experience with any of ZOOM's earlier modems. From the advertisement, it sounds like a good deal. It includes a 2-yr. warranty, and 30-day money-back guarantee. Technically, it allows for 4 com port addressing, "latest" in digital signal processing and adaptive equalization, a high-speed UART. The UART is supposedly for compatability with the faster processing speeds of 80286 and 80386 based machines. However, this statement sounds pretty fishy, making the entire ad suspect. I though that processing speed is not realted to bus speed. While the 80386 may run at 16 MHz, the bus speed is usally down at 8 MHz as used in the AT. So, since the UART, I assume controls its bus interface, what good does a high-speed one do me? Am I about to be snowed if I spend this $169? Is there a better deal out there? Is it a good modem company to begin with? Michael Chin ihnp4!homxc!mchin
bobr@zeus.TEK.COM (Robert Reed) (03/14/88)
I have a ZOOM 2400 baud internal modem that I've been using for nearly a year, and I've had no problems with it. I have no regrets about buying from ZOOM. -- Robert Reed, Tektronix CAE Systems Division, bobr@zeus.TEK
kennedy@tolerant.UUCP (Bill Kennedy) (03/15/88)
In article <1513@homxc.UUCP> mchin@homxc.UUCP (M.CHIN) writes: > >I just received a promotional in the mail from ZOOM Telephonics, Inc. It's >advertising a 2400 Baud modem for $199. If I get it now, it'll only cost me >$169. I have three of them purchased on that same special, one in a 16MHz '386 two feet away to my right. They have behaved flawlessly. I did have one get a rather sudden case of "I won't go off hook", a no hassle trip to Zoom and it's fine. >and adaptive equalization, a high-speed UART. The UART is supposedly for That just means that the receiver and transmitter are buffered so you can get more done during and interrupt. That's not such a fantastic deal, the Zilog parts have been that way for years. >good does a high-speed one do me? Am I about to be snowed if I spend this >$169? Is there a better deal out there? Is it a good modem company to >begin with? I think that a company might ought to change its name from "Zoom Telephonics" some time soon after they put their fourth employee on the payroll, but that's just an opinion. They make more than just modems, they make dialers and all kinds of things. I just spent $169 on a throw away 2400 short card modem and on the same phone line it can't talk to a site I can reach with the Zoom. My Zooms all are full length, I suspect that one is too. I have no connection with Zoom other than having purchased several of their modems and being happy with all of them. The opinions are mine, Tolerant is nice enough to let me use their equipment but don't blame them for what I say. Bill Kennedy {rutgers,cbosgd,killer}!ssbn!bill or bill@ssbn.WLK.COM
german@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (03/15/88)
I am very happy with my Zoom 2400. It seems to be fully Hayes compatable
and have several extra features which I have yet to have time to play with.
I received their offer from a direct mailing and looked around a bit before
I ordered. Zoom Telephonics has been around for awhile making 1200bps modems
for the Apple II line.
I have had no problems in either a PC/AT or my Zenith 286. I have not tried
it is a machine faster than 8 MHz.
Greg German (german@uxc.CSO.UIUC.EDU) (217-333-8293)
US Mail: Univ of Illinois, CSO, 1304 W Springfield Ave, Urbana, IL 61801
Office: 181 Digital Computer Lab.sj1f+@andrew.cmu.edu (Steven Kent Jensen) (03/16/88)
When I was still hacking on an Apple IIe I picked up a Zoom Networker
300 baud (arrrgh!) for $25. I never had any problem with it, worked fine for
everything that I did. Software that was included with it was not exactly top
of the line, but it worked fairly well. I am considering the offer myself, but
budgets tight so I think I will stick with my 1200.
Steven Jensenisaac@gethen.UUCP (Isaac Rabinovitch) (03/20/88)
In article <1513@homxc.UUCP>, mchin@homxc.UUCP (M.CHIN) writes: > > I just received a promotional in the mail from ZOOM Telephonics, Inc. It's > advertising a 2400 Baud modem for $199. If I get it now, it'll only cost me > $169. What I'd like to know is if anyone has had any experience with any of > ZOOM's earlier modems. From the advertisement, it sounds like a good deal. > It includes a 2-yr. warranty, and 30-day money-back guarantee. Technically, > it allows for 4 com port addressing, "latest" in digital signal processing > and adaptive equalization, a high-speed UART. About 1 1/2 years ago I got a similar "limited time offer" blurb from ZOOM. Then it was $300 for the 2400 bps version, and they didn't mention adaptive equalization. As always, "the price is only good for a limited time!" is a marketing phrase you should ignore. I'd never heard of ZOOM and I'm a hardware idiot, so I decided to go with a name brand and a local vendor: a USR 2400 for slightly more purchased at a local store. It's worked out, but in hindsight it may not have been the best choice. ZOOM seems to now have enough history to count as a legitimate company. They also take credit-card orders, which gives you some legal protection. Wish I knew why they don't sell through standard channels. One feature that sounds interesting is the modem's modularity. If I outgrow my current modem, I have to replace the whole thing. ZOOM claims to be able to add features by adding chips. > The UART is supposedly for > compatability with the faster processing speeds of 80286 and 80386 based > machines. However, this statement sounds pretty fishy, making the entire ad > suspect. I though that processing speed is not realted to bus speed. While > the 80386 may run at 16 MHz, the bus speed is usally down at 8 MHz as used > in the AT. I don't know that much more than you, but I understand that a peripheral that slows down the bus can slow down the system -- if you're doing something that uses the bus.
pre1@sphinx.uchicago.edu (Grant Prellwitz) (03/22/88)
In article <810@gethen.UUCP> isaac@gethen.UUCP (Isaac Rabinovitch) writes: >In article <1513@homxc.UUCP>, mchin@homxc.UUCP (M.CHIN) writes: >> >> I just received a promotional in the mail from ZOOM Telephonics, Inc. It's >> advertising a 2400 Baud modem for $199. If I get it now, it'll only cost me >> $169. What I'd like to know is if anyone has had any experience with any of >> ZOOM's earlier modems. From the advertisement, it sounds like a good deal. >> It includes a 2-yr. warranty, and 30-day money-back guarantee. Technically, >> it allows for 4 com port addressing, "latest" in digital signal processing >> and adaptive equalization, a high-speed UART. >About 1 1/2 years ago I got a similar "limited time offer" blurb from >ZOOM. Then it was $300 for the 2400 bps version, and they didn't >mention adaptive equalization. As always, "the price is only good for a >limited time!" is a marketing phrase you should ignore. > >I'd never heard of ZOOM and I'm a hardware idiot, so I decided to go >with a name brand and a local vendor: a USR 2400 for slightly more >purchased at a local store. It's worked out, but in hindsight it may >not have been the best choice. ZOOM seems to now have enough history to >count as a legitimate company. They also take credit-card orders, which >gives you some legal protection. Wish I knew why they don't sell >through standard channels. Zoom has been around since the late seventies manufacturing telecommunication equipment in Boston. They are the company that invented the "Demon Dialer" that you always hear about (though they don't support it's illegitimate uses). I should make very clear that the 2400bps version that was available over a year ago for about $300 is NOT the same as the 2400bps modem that is currently advertised for $199 ($165 special). The new one is a half card and does NOT HAVE THE MODULAR COMSTRUCTION. The old one is still available. As to the modem being available through standard channels, it is. The store where I used to work carried them on a regular basis. (We sold them for about $169). They appear to be very well built modems and come with Procomm 2.4.2 telecommunications software. If I had not already bought a Practical Peripherals 2400SA (external) for $140, I would have bought the Zoom myself, even though I couldn't switch it between my two computers as easily. >One feature that sounds interesting is the modem's modularity. If >I outgrow my current modem, I have to replace the whole thing. ZOOM >claims to be able to add features by adding chips. > I hope that this helps present some of the facts in a way that will help people. E-mail me if you have any further questions. I should further state that I am in no way connected with any of the companies mentioned except as a satisfied user or observer. Grant Prellwitz Prellwitz Computing Services -- =====================Grant Prellwitz========================== !ihnp4!gargoyle!sphinx!pre1 pre1@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP 76474,2121 (CIS) pre1 (BIX) !ihnp4!chinet!pre1 contents sole responsibility of poster.