gweon@eemips.tamu.edu (Gweon Suncheol) (09/14/90)
Hi,
About several weeks ago I posted a summary about Zoom Modems with sendfax.
As it was too long (about 72K), it was deleted.
But because of too many requests to me (more than 20), I decided to post
again with edited version. I hope it works.
Suncheol Gweon
Electr-optics Lab
Texas A&M University
Bitnet : gweon@tamvxee
Internet: gweon@ee.tamu.edu
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From: org%"kalagher@mwunix.mitre.org" "Dick Kalagher" 25-JUL-1990
I've had the modem for a week or so and am very happy with it.
I had problems with the fax at first, but it was due to mu old cable
not having one of the needed lines. I got zoom's cable and
it works great.
=========================================================================
From: SMTP%"@hacgate.scg.hac.com:kelly@ipla01.hac.com" 25-JUL-1990 16:45:25.54
I recently bought a faxmodem from ZOOM for my PC-clone at home, (but I only
paid $85!) and it works fine. It comes with both Procomm and BITFAX, which
is the software to operate the send-only fax portion of the modem. It will
send text as well as .PCX files. I sent it to my fax at work and it seems
to do the job. I wasn't aware that they also made one for the Mac. Sounds
interesting. Let me know how people like it on the Mac. I might get one for
my Mac at work.
===========================================================================
From: SMTP%"delliott@cec2.wustl.edu" 25-JUL-1990 16:53:05.28
I just bought the FaxModem (plus the cable, $12) and find that it works as
advertised. It will send ASCII text, PICT, TIFF and MacPaint formats, they
say; so far it has been fine for ASCII and PICT (combined in one document it
went out very quickly once converted).
The company's previous reputation for (plain 1200-2400 baud) modems has been
good.
============================================================================
From: Jnet%"MWILSON@STSCI" "Michael" 26-JUL-1990 02:25:35.66
I just bought the Zoom Modem with sendFax capability. I've had it for
about three weeks, and so far I'm pretty happy with it. I was looking for a
2400 baud modem recently and when the mailer from Zoom Telephonics came in the
mail I decided to give them a try. For $129 you get the modem, software
(QuickLinkII) and the cable. What follows is a review of MY experiences:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
-2400 baud modem with 4800 baud sendFax capability.
-comes with QuickLink II software for communication and fax transmittal.
-leave QuickLink in the box and use another software for
communications.
-QuickLink software may be unstable -- I discovered a fatal bug.
-fax transmission awkward to use - not a one step transmission.
-fax software pretty stable and easy to use.
-small unit sits comfortably on top of the Mac (although it gets hot).
-inexpensive
-seven year warrenty
RATING: on a scale of 1 (worst) to 10 (best) I would give this modem
a 7, and the software a 3.
REVIEW:
After using the software for dialing into work and other non-fax
types of use I have switched to VersaTerm-Pro!!! The QuickLink software is
pretty bad, I think it crashes when you are on-line and access the "EDIT"
commands from the top command bar. (I'll call the publishers of QuickLink
when I get some spare time). The QuickLink fax software is fair. I have
sent two faxes so far (one to work -- 15 miles, and one to my undergraduate
school -- 500 miles) and both attempts worked fine. The fax that I sent
to work looked pretty good. The fax text comes out in the Chicago font and
is very readable. The Zoom modem can only send three types of files:
- text (output in Chicgo font)
- PICT files
- TIFF files
I fooled the software by using Canvas 2.0 to write the fax text in
the fonts I wanted and then saved the files in PICT format and sent those
files; thereby getting around the problem/ability of sending in only one
font!!
I have been having fun using the mac to dial into work (I'm a system
manager) and the flexibility it provides is great. I like the modem and I feel
that the sendFax capability is a small bonus and nothing more. It is awkward
to use the QuickLink fax software; you have to convert the files you want sent
into .fax format, and then send them -- it's not a one-step method like other
fax modem's.
With a warranty of seven years I feel pretty good about the equipment,
although, who knows if Zoom Telphonics will be around in seven years?? In fact
by the time seven years is up I'll most likely be in the market for a
19200baud modem anyway!!
The best thing that this modem has going for it is the price, at under
$130 you can have a 2400 baud modem and sendFax capability. If you send more
than a few fax's per week I would recommend checking out another fax modem;
If you use it like I do -- very occasionally, you will love the flexibility it
offers.
Good luck with your eventual purchase, whichever model you choose. I
can in good faith recommend the Zoom modem. If you want to ask more specific
questions regarding anything I've said, send me a mail message.
============================================================================
From charrett@erl.mit.edu Tue Jun 19 13:20:32 1990
I bought my Dad one about 2 years ago. 2400 baud modem, ~129 dollars
I think. It has worked flawlessly. I highly recommend the company.
============================================================================
From hairston@henry.ece.cmu.edu Tue Jun 19 18:59:42 1990
Last year my Packard Bell 1200 modem died during a thunderstorm.
I needed a modem and remembered the ad that Zoom Telephonics sent
for a 2400 baud modem for $119. Great, I thought, I can upgrade for
the price of a 1200 baud modem. I sent the PB1200+ in for repairs
and rush ordered the Zoom modem. Well the Zoom modem worked but not
well and was not cost effective either, in my opinion. It was noisy,
frequently (~ every 30 minutes) inserting random characters into the
data stream. Worse was the fact that it _always_ dropped the carrier
during long file transfers (sometimes during short transfers as this
appeared to be a random function). The increase in fees associated
with re-dailing dissipated the advantage in buying cheap (you get
what you pay for!). When my PB1200+ returned I immediately dropped
back to 1200 baud for the peace of mind (no random characters,
no line dropping). I'm looking for a 2400 baud modem (or better) and
it won't be a Zoom telephonics product! Nor will I buy cheap again
in modems ...
=========================================================================
From carlarm@tecnet1.jcte.jcs.mil Tue Jun 19 20:30:21 1990
I am using a Zoom Modem with Smartcom and have not had any problems.
I also have been using it with the new Prodigy color network and resulst
are excellent.
=========================================================================
From chris@ADMS-RAD.Unisys.COM Tue Jun 19 20:56:22 1990
I'm using a Zoom modem to talk to the Sun at work at 2400 baud,
and while it's not the fax-compatible one, I've had it for over a year now
and it's very nice. It is a small package, but it has all the right lights
and has worked with every modem I've ever had it talk to (including the Telebit
at work that some brand-x modems at work have trouble with). They include the
truly worthless 'Smith Software' (or something like that) telecom program; get
ZTerm instead. Seems truly hayes-compatible.
============================================================================
From @Hamlet.Caltech.Edu:HANKBART@ducvax.auburn.edu Wed Jun 20 05:16:56 1990
I have not personally dealt with Zoom but at a local user group meeting
awhile back, Zoom modems (though not the fax modem) came up. Seems several
people were having compatibility problems with various comm packages and stuff.
Out of everyone who had a Zoom modem (3-4), they all had some type of problem
with it. THe main thing I think is its degree of Hayes compatibility. Though
Zoom claims to be Hayes compatible, they don't indicate how compatible, and I
have the feeling that it isn't very much so. If you do a lot of telecom stuff
then I'd say you want to bypass the modem. However, I can't speak about the
fax part. Hope this helps.
=============================================================================
From vita@glasgow.dab.ge.com Wed Jun 20 06:31:16 1990
I've been using a ZOOM Telephonics 2400MX modem with my Mac for a couple of
years now, and have been very pleased with it. It's a no-frills 2400-baud
modem, but it's of surprisingly high quality considering the low price. It
has a very compact and attractive black case with an internal speaker and a
full set of status LEDs. It's very solidly constructed, and comes with a
7-year warranty. It is (as far as I can tell) fully Hayes-compatible; I've
had no problems using it with a variety of telecommunication programs,
including Red Ryder/White Knight, ZTerm, etc.
=============================================================================
From rogers@kasha.parc.xerox.com Wed Jun 20 09:14:47 1990
I bought a Zoom 2400 Modem two years ago. I've never had any trouble
with it althought the telecomm SW that comes with it is basically
worthless. It's not a beautiful box (like the Apple modem) but I've
dropped it several times and it still works. At that price, it's
tempting to get another just for the fax option.
=============================================================================
From jh5f+@andrew.cmu.edu Wed Jun 20 13:55:39 1990
I have a Zoom 2400 baud modem at my apartment in NYC. For almost a
year it has worked well although it does not get a lot of use since I
live there only part time at the moment. It is not terrifically
sturdy, i.e., you might not want to be carting it around a lot, but
otherwise seems just fine. I actually like it better than my
Prometheus mini-modem (in its LaCie form). When I ordered it there
was a problem with delivery that they responded to very quickly, so I
give the customer support a good mark as well. The communications
software (QuickLink) is not particularly good, but I already had a
program that I was using (and it is usable if you have nothing
better). Let me know if you have any other questions.
============================================================================
From ACS_DANL%uwrf.bitnet@Hamlet.Caltech.Edu Wed Jun 20 17:28:58 1990
I have used the ZOOM 2400 baud external modem and it works fine. I use the
plain model, not FAX. Older models had an external speaker volume control,
but that has been replaced with an adjustment for telephone line impedance.
They seem to be well made (in USA) and use quality components.
Several mail order places sell the plain 2400 baud external model for $119,
and it carries a 7 year warranty! One mail order place, MacProducts USA,
(800) MAC-DISK, sells the same modem with a Magic name plate on it for $85,
but they only offer a 2 year warranty. They also list the send FAX version at
$99, but I don't know about the warranty on that one. See their ad on page
281 in July MacWorld.
=============================================================================
From @Hamlet.Caltech.Edu:cornell@unix1.cs.umass.edu Wed Jun 20 19:59:13 1990
I purchased one about a year ago for a similar low price. However, it
couldn't seem to connect *at all* to many of my school's 240baud
modems! I called their tech support (non-tollfree) and they verified
it wasn't the partiular unit I had. So I returned it (no problems) and
bought a Practical Peripheral job for ~$190 or so from Macconnection.
At the time I bought it, it came with no s/w or cable. I made my own
mac+ cable (after much email) and I'm happy now.
I suspect their low price is partially the result of using lower
quality electronics which may effect the overall tolerance of the
thing when connecting to non-zoom modems.]
=============================================================================
From @Hamlet.Caltech.Edu:LIVESEY@merry.rad.washington.edu Wed Jun 20 19:59:46
While I don't have experience with this particular product, I have a 2400
bps data modem made by this company. We put it on a Shiva Telebridge for
modem sharing for our small net. Our experiences have been less than
enthusiastic. While the modem works adequately, it has a number of
problems which I attribute to its poor quality (you get what you pay for,
one way or another).
1. The modem seems to be noisier than others we've had (Racal Vadic, Abaton).
On-line access is the use we have most for this unit, and embedded }}
characters are not uncommon when connected to Telenet.
2. The modem seems to have problems occasionally sensing the carrier signal
generated by the remote connection. (I know this because the modem and the
telebridge is in my office so I can hear the speaker). The connection
sometimes is made, sometimes not. When it is made, it takes longer than
other hardware products making the same connection (even 2 seconds of high
pitch whine seems like a lot when you hear it several times a day).
3. The modem has a bad habit of resetting its autoanswer bit after breaking
an incoming connection. One potential use of the Zoom/Telebridge was for
dial-in access from home, and for this purpose, I can't be sure the fault was
in the modem or in the dial-in program from Shiva, but I'd suspect the modem
in light of its other problems.
4. The documentation for the unit is sparse - it's in English, but looks like
a poor translation. Also, when setting the unit up for autoanswer or other
"non-standard" uses, I found myself looking at the manuals for other modems
to find the information needed (no listing of Hayes command set codes, for
instance.
5. Almost forgot - the modem frequently will step down its speed even when
dialing a 2400 bps remote connection - its speed sensing leaves something
to be desired.
We've considered purchasing another modem for network sharing and putting this
one on a single workstation, but funds are tight right now. Also, our modem
requirements are sort of a frill on which much money probably shouldn't be
spent.
I'd be cautious about any Zoom Telephonics purchase - test the unit you receive
thoroughly in the first few days after arrival and read the fine print before-
hand to see if they'll take it back.
==============================================================================
From @Hamlet.Caltech.Edu:svspire@sandia.gov Wed Jun 20 20:06:25 1990
I have the same modem without the fax feature. I bought it about a year
ago for about the same price (sigh). So far, it's performed great. One
slightly annoying thing about it is that it times out too fast when
I call my employer's mainframe (which generally takes a long time to
answer and make a connection). The remedy is to set the modem register
which controls timeout time (I forget which one this is). This is
annoying because I have to reset this register every time I turn the
modem on. Other than that, it's a great modem for the price.
============================================================================
From @Hamlet.Caltech.Edu:fweaver@bigvax.alfred.edu Wed Jun 20 20:10:50 1990
I purchased a 2400 baud modemm from ZOOM about 2 yrs ago (took a chance on a
direct mail offer -- price was very good at the time) and have been completely
satisfied. Product is well-made, documentation is very good, and performance
(1-2 hours/day) seems flawless. I set it up and now forget that it is there.
Only complaint that I have heard about this modem is that the monitor speaker
is kind of tinny. It seems resonant at the dial tone, so I keep the volume low
In summary, ZOOM seems to be a good product at an outstanding price.
===============================================================================
From szawasky%wheatnma.bitnet@Hamlet.Caltech.Edu Thu Jun 21 06:48:25 1990
I have a Zoom 2400 baud external modem. I think its great. The major
problem I have is that the Vax on campus only has 1200 lines, so I don't get
too much use out of the 2400 part. I have used it at 2400.
I often have trouble connecting with the vax when I'm on campus, but
so does a hayes 2400 in the library. I think it has something to do with the
phone lines. I also found that a particular BBS in my area just wouldn't
connect with my modem.
The cover to my modem is a black plastic that is semi transparent, it
looks great, but scratches really really easily.
The software Quicklink that came with it wasn't very good, it crashed
with 6.0.3 all the time. It even came on 6.0.3! 0.2 didn't have such problems
My speaker would sometimes not work, and then eventually just refused
to be a speaker. I called up the company, they gave me one of those number,
I sent it in and two or three weeks later my modem came back fixed. It was
still under the one year warranty.
I'm pretty happy with my zoom. The company is in Boston, which is
just 45 minutes away (although not for you) and it was relatively inexpensive.
I haven't had any noticeable compatiblity problems. The problems I have I
can't pin to the modem.
Personally, I would recommend Zoom on their reachablity, willingness
to cooperate, and price.
==============================================================================
From ACS_DANL%uwrf.bitnet@Hamlet.Caltech.Edu Wed Jun 20 17:28:58 1990
I have used the ZOOM 2400 baud external modem and it works fine. I use the
plain model, not FAX. Older models had an external speaker volume control,
but that has been replaced with an adjustment for telephone line impedance.
They seem to be well made (in USA) and use quality components.
Several mail order places sell the plain 2400 baud external model for $119,
and it carries a 7 year warranty! One mail order place, MacProducts USA,
(800) MAC-DISK, sells the same modem with a Magic name plate on it for $85,
but they only offer a 2 year warranty. They also list the send FAX version at
$99, but I don't know about the warranty on that one. See their ad on page
281 in July MacWorld.
=============================================================================
From HRC$04%WSUVM1.BITNET@Hamlet.Caltech.Edu Fri Jun 22 15:51:40 1990
I got the same ad. I bought a Zoom 2400 baud modem last year and have
used it a lot. I'm pleased with it. The only quirk I've been able to
attribute to it is the sending of some garbage characters when logging
off of certain boards. However, some folks on CompuServe have complained
about their Zooms not behaving well, but I don't know much about it.
==========================================================================
From: SMTP%"mst@mx.csun.edu" 27-JUL-1990 22:53:26.29
I purchased the Zoom Fax modem, not realizing it was send-only. At first I was
a little dismayed, but it is a very nice 2400 baud modem. it measures about
5x5x1.5 and has rubber feet so that it won't slide off my mac (IIcx on its
side).
As far as the fax aspect, it is ok. It comes with software to send tiff,
macpaint and text files as faxes, but for a mere $20 more (I thought it should
be free) you can get the latest version of the software that has a chooser RDEV
so you can create a fax from any application at either 100 or 200dpi.jac@tinton.ccur.com (Jim Clausing) (09/15/90)
In <8253@helios.TAMU.EDU> gweon@eemips.tamu.edu (Gweon Suncheol) writes:
<==========================================================================
<From: SMTP%"mst@mx.csun.edu" 27-JUL-1990 22:53:26.29
<
<I purchased the Zoom Fax modem, not realizing it was send-only. At first I was
<a little dismayed, but it is a very nice 2400 baud modem. it measures about
<5x5x1.5 and has rubber feet so that it won't slide off my mac (IIcx on its
<side).
< As far as the fax aspect, it is ok. It comes with software to send tiff,
<macpaint and text files as faxes, but for a mere $20 more (I thought it should
<be free) you can get the latest version of the software that has a chooser RDEV
<so you can create a fax from any application at either 100 or 200dpi.
Where did you here about the software upgrade? Can anyone supply details?
I was wondering whether any of the other FAX software stuff would work with
this modem, because as everyone else has pointed out the included software
stinks (I've been using Red Ryder/ White Knight ever since I got my first
Zoom modem in '88).
Background:
For some strange reason my original Zoom 2400 baud modem suddenly died last
month. The modem was almost two years old but still under warranty. I sent
it back to get it fixed and it was apparently destroyed in shipping on the
way back to me. They sent me a new one with Fax capability to replace the
one the UPS destroyed. They even called to tell me that this had happened
and explained that they would be sending a brand new one out to replace it.
Now that I have this send-Fax capability I would like to use it, but QuickLink
II Fax is extremely painful
--
Jim Clausing jac@tinton.ccur.com
Parallel Processing Tools ph. (201)758-7693
Concurrent Computer Corp.
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724