thompson@uxf.cso.uiuc.edu (08/25/88)
Re: ZOOM Telephonics The name rang a bell, so I jumped into the ol' library wing of my one-room flat and, *VOILA*! Indeedy-do! I purchased an Apple //+ modem from them some ohmigodidunno 5 years ago. Came with "Netmaster" communications software, and was called the "Networker" modem. Review: Not much to say, really. I was pretty satisfied, but never really put the thing through its paces, either. It never broke, wore out, or fumbled (still have it, actually, and used it last just last year when my Mac's modem was on loan to a friend), and the software was pretty comprehensive and useful. Well-written, too. As I recall, the reason I bought the thing in the first place was price, and it performed admirably for what I paid (what did I pay? I haven't the foggiest). I'd say it sounds allright to me (your offer that is). But I'd probably keep a copy of Red Ryder around in case the software ain't what it's cracked up to be. -- Mark Thompson | Disclaimer: I haven't the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | foggiest what I'm saying, INTERNET:thompson@uxf.cso.uiuc.edu | and neither does the U of I. BITNET :thompson%uxf.cso.uiuc.edu@uxc.cso.uiuc.edu
vita@daredevil.steinmetz (Mark F. Vita) (08/27/88)
In article <46700056@uxf.cso.uiuc.edu> thompson@uxf.cso.uiuc.edu writes: >I paid (what did I pay? I haven't the foggiest). I'd say it sounds allright >to me (your offer that is). But I'd probably keep a copy of Red Ryder >around in case the software ain't what it's cracked up to be. It ain't. In fact, it's one of the worst pieces of Mac software I have ever seen. The menus have various online services "hard-wired" into them (i.e., CompuServe, Dow Jones, The Source). There is also a "Terminal Mode" which I tried. I found that I couldn't do much in Terminal Mode, so I figured I'd just quit and chuck the thing. Guess what? The "Quit" option was *greyed out*!!! Can you say "brain-damaged"? I had to reboot. I can't imagine any possible justification for disaling the "Quit" option. My suggestion is to reformat the disk that it came on so that you at least get a free disk out of the deal. No complaints about the modem, though. We've tried it with both a Mac and a VT100-clone, and it works great. It's very compact and appears to be quite well-constructed. For $169, it's well worth the price even without the cruddy software. (Note that the package also comes with a MS-DOS terminal program called Procomm, which I understand is pretty decent. Too bad they couldn't come up with a Mac program of similar quality.) ---- Mark Vita ARPA: vita@ge-crd.ARPA General Electric Company UUCP: vita@desdemona.steinmetz.UUCP Corporate R & D vita@desdemona.steinmetz.ge.com Schenectady, NY desdemona!vita@steinmetz.UUCP