JAJZ801@CALSTATE.BITNET (JEFFREY SICHERMAN - CALSTATE LONG BEACH) (02/14/88)
I periodically get solicitations for 'developers only' from Zoom Telephonics for their modems. The offers expire just as periodically but get renewed just as periodically. Anyway, can anybody offer any advice, experience, or just plain opinions on these modems or the manufacturer. The price/feature ratio is starting to look attractive* latest is HC2400 for $169. In particular, is there any reason this (or any other modem that is at least AT compatible) might have problems in a 386 machine ? jeff Sicherman jajz801@calstate.bitnet
jmzweig@snail.CS.UIUC.EDU (02/16/88)
I have owned a Zoom modem for about six months, and love it to death! I have the 2400 bps model with demon dialer and buffer memory and all the bells and whistles (cost me about $250 if memory serves). Here at U of I, getting into the dialup system can be tricky, so the demon dialer is a very nontrivial feature. I have it call my favorite numbers back and forth until one of them answers. The message buffer is handy so I can call from the terminal in my office and leave myself messages at home (okay, so a post-it note would do the trick just as well; I'm a bit of a hacker). Of course, if you don't need the demon dialer it's not alot different than other modems. Works real good at 2400 bps -- even over AT&T between Illinois and Pasadena, CA. Does that answer your question? Anyone else have more to add? Jonathan Zweig Dept. of Computer Science UIUC
davidsen@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP (William E. Davidsen Jr) (02/17/88)
A friend has a ZOOM modem in his system and loves it. At the time he
bought it they were quite expensive, but everything is coming down. He
runs it in an AT clone with the bus at 12MHz, no wait states. If the 386
you have in mind runs slower than that on the bus, as many do, the ZOOM
should be a good choice. It has a hugh bunch of nifty features, which I
didn't need since my software has all the nifty features I can use.
--
bill davidsen (wedu@ge-crd.arpa)
{uunet | philabs | seismo}!steinmetz!crdos1!davidsen
"Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -merichh@pnet02.cts.com (Rich Herzog) (02/19/88)
I was kinda miffed at Zoom once upon a time, because I took advantage
of their developers offer on the 1200 bps modem, only to have them
come out with the 2400 bps right after I shipped off my money. They
*did* upgrade my board to the 2400 bps standard for just the differential.
This is now (even as I type) going out on a fairly noisy line at 2400
bps. I'm happy. The first disk of utilities was written (undocumentedly)
in IBM Compiled BASIC and thus would work only on True Blue machines
(which mine is not...). The latest version works fine on clones. If
I had it to do over, I'd pick an external modem, because I don't expect
I will have the PC architecture forever. They *do* make an external
modem (finally). Lastly, they do use the quicker modem chips, and
claim compatibility up to 8.0 MHz bus rates. I can't speak to this
one way or another, but it sounds as if they have at least addressed
the issue. I would never consider anything slower than 2400 bps now --
the price/performance doesn't save you as much. A recent PC magazine
test showed that most 2400 bps modems ran much more reliabily (s/n
tolerance, etc) at 1200 bps than real 1200 bps modems.
I have no connection with Zoom (they didn't even send me the developer's
kit source codeI'd asked for and filled out forms for) other than as a
satisfied customer.
======================================================================
I'm not as confused then as I will be now ---Rich Herzog
======================================================================
UUCP: {ihnp4!scgvaxd!cadovax rutgers!marque}!gryphon!pnet02!richh
INET: richh@pnet02.cts.comcristy@eplrx7.uucp (John Cristy) (11/21/89)
I am looking for an inexpensive 2400 baud external modem. I heard that Zoom has one. Anyone have their number or address? Any other recommendations? Please Email your responses to cristy@vax1.acs.udel.edu. -- The UUCP Mailer
hlee@umn-cs.CS.UMN.EDU (Chih Lee) (11/22/89)
In article <1989Nov21.144225.13646@eplrx7.uucp> cristy@eplrx7.UUCP (John Cristy) writes: > > I am looking for an inexpensive 2400 baud external modem. I heard that Well, you may consider Maxon max 2400, $99.99 from Copper Electronics Inc. I have used it for 1 year without any problem. The telephone number you may want to call is 1-800-626-6343. > Zoom has one. Anyone have their number or address? Any other > recommendations? Please Email your responses to cristy@vax1.acs.udel.edu. >-- >The UUCP Mailer P.S> Maxon max 2400 is 2400 baud external modem available for IBM and Macintosh. Lee
csrobe@icase.edu (Charles S. [Chip] Roberson) (02/02/90)
I am in the process of setting up a bulletin board and I need to purchase a modem for this system. I heard that Zoom modems are quite good and very well priced. Would some be willing to share their experiences with me? Many thanks, -chip -- * Charles S. Roberson 1328-F Mt. Vernon Ave. Williamsburg, VA 23185 * Home: (804) 229-5530 Work: (804) 221-3420 * csrobe@cs.wm.edu ...!uunet!cs.wm.edu!csrobe 71500.2056@compuserve.com * "Experience the feel of fur -- slam your fingers in a car door!"
kgallagh@digi.UUCP (Kevin Gallagher) (02/05/90)
In article <1990Feb1.164327.28368@icase.edu> csrobe@icase.edu (Charles S. [Chip] Roberson) writes: >I am in the process of setting up a bulletin board and I need to purchase >a modem for this system. I heard that Zoom modems are quite good and >very well priced. Would some be willing to share their experiences with >me? About 2 and a half years ago I purchased a ZOOM PC 2400XL, which is an internal modem for an IBM PC/XT/AT and related clones. (I do not know if this model is still available.) It came with 2 year warranty. I had the option of purchasing an additional 3 years for $29, but did not do so. I have found it to be all ZOOM claimed it to be. It is, indeed, fully 100% Hayes compatible, with many ZOOM enhanced features that I like. But I had some hardware problems with the modem during the first two years. In spite of the problems, I am still pleased with my choice of modem and have been more than pleased with the service ZOOM provides. But since I do not own any other ZOOM products, I cannot say whether the hardware problems I experienced are unusual or typical of ZOOM products. Given that they are still in business, I suspect that my problems were quite unusual. Here's a brief summary of my experience with ZOOM. After about 6 months of problem free use, when I started to upload files to bulletin boards at 2400 baud, I found my system would lock up mid-way through the upload. If I uploaded at 1200 baud, I did not have a problem. So I called Zoom's Tech Support number (not an 800 number), and explained my problem. They concluded that the UART was probably marginal and if I had access to one I could try swapping it out myself or return the modem to ZOOM for service. I did not have access to a UART to swap out, so I asked if they could send me one to swap. They took my name and number and sent me one. Unfortunately, it did not fix the problem, so I called again for an RA number and shipped the modem and extra UART to ZOOM. After several weeks I received the repaired modem. In addition to fixing the hanging problem, they upgraded the ROM chip to the latest version, free of charge. Three months later, the modem began to have frequent intermittent failures, not associated to any one mode of operation. I sent it back. After a couple of weeks, I received a brand new modem in the mail. It worked fine until a month before the 2 year warranty expired, at which time the speaker quit working. I called for an RA number and was promptly given one. I then asked if I could purchase the additional 3 year warranty offered for $29 when I first bought the modem. They said OK and the price was still $29. I sent the modem back and about two weeks later it arrived with the speaker fixed. I am happy to say I have not had to use this extended warranty and I hope I will not have to. I have also called ZOOM on two occasions for technical support on how to use a feature of the modem and found them very helpful. In all, I consider their technical support to be excellent, though, at times, I found their phone to be busy quite often. My experience is that they stand behind what they sell and that they try to have very knowledgeable people answering their technical support line. I should point out that my modem gets used every day, an average of 2 or 3 hours every day, more on weekends. -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kevin Gallagher attctc!digi!kgallagh or attctc.dallas.tx.us!digi!kgallagh ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
kellogg@prodigal.psych.rochester.edu (Lars Kellogg-Stedman) (03/30/91)
Has anyone had experience with the new Zoom modems offerring v.42bis at
2400 baud?
People used to report difficulties in connecting to USR modems - have
such problems been fixed?
Thank you for any information you can provide. As I don't usually read
this group, I'd appreciate e-mail replies.
Lars
--
~ ~ | Lars Kellogg-Stedman | "The art of life
O-O | kellogg@prodigal.psych.rochester.edu | is to be thought odd"
| +--------------------------------------+----------------------------------+
-=- | I'm rarely responsible for what I say, do you think anybody else is?