Telecom-REQUEST@MIT-XX.ARPA (Moderator) (09/11/85)
TELECOM Digest Tuesday, September 10, 1985 5:13PM Volume 5, Issue 35 Today's Topics: Merlin system error in French tel. no. Re: TELECOM Digest V5 #21 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 8 Sep 85 14:39:11 EDT From: Keith F. Lynch <KFL@MIT-MC.ARPA> Subject: Merlin system Date: Fri 6 Sep 85 12:20:23-EDT From: Paul R. Johnson <PRJohnson@MIT-XX.ARPA> ... Radio Shack cost is about ... $300. ... AT&T ... Merlin system: $2499! What accounts for the > 800% difference? Probably their high advertising budget. They seem to have radio ads for the Merlin system every ten minutes around the clock. The ads consist of a potential customer talking with the rather shady representative of a brand x phone system. The customer asks "But what if I need to add <random feature> (for instance more phones, more lines, call waiting, call forwarding, etc) and the salesman says "Dat's easy. You trow de whole system out, you call me, I come back, give you a whole new system". After several iterations of that, the customer calls AT&T and his conversation fades out into the AT&T "right choice" theme music. ...Keith ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Sep 85 7:49:33 EDT From: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) <cmoore@BRL.ARPA> Subject: error in French tel. no. In the examples given for old <--> new French phone #'s, there was an error in one of the digits for outside-Paris-area phone #. ------------------------------ Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V5 #21 We are using the Teltone DCS-2B system and are very happy with it. The Law Society occupies Osgoode Hall, a 150-year-old building set on several floors and half-floors, and wiring is extremely difficult. We installed an 8-line Teltone system several months ago and are in the process of putting in a second 8-line system. As to the stated "Weaknesses" (bad line quality, more likelihood of errors when the phone rings), we haven't noticed any at our site. All our Teltone lines run at 9600 baud to a Perkin-Elmer 3220 running UNIX v7. Dave Sherman The Law Society of Upper Canada Toronto { ihnp4!utzoo pesnta utcs hcr decvax!utcsri } !lsuc!dave ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest *********************