By Gary Kirchherr
The otherwise uneventful Summer of '93 was memorable only because I remember buying my first high-speed modem.
Don't write me off as a hopeless nerd just yet - I'd like to add that getting the Hayes Accura 14.4 fax modem itself wasn't the exciting part. What I do recall is how I felt when I saw the price in one of the major Macintosh mail-order catalogues.
This powerful engine for racing along the Information Superhighway was available for only $260. $260! It had to be a misprint. I couldn't run to the phone fast enough and order one before the mail-order company changed its mind.
I'd finally be able to zip along at speeds greater than 2,400 bps, which was becoming a necessity, given America Online's then-new trend of graphics-intensive splash screens. And the ability to send and receive faxes too!
Ah, memories.
Today Hayes sell a sleeker, more-compact version of the same modem for less than half of what I paid for my trusty model. The 2,400-bps models, which sold for $100 three years ago, have disappeared - at least from store shelves and catalogues.
But I'm not complaining. In fact, I'm delighted that 28.8 Kbps modems finally have prices that your typical newspaper copy editor can afford. You can partially thank the World Wide Web for that - surfing the Net with anything slower requires the patience of Job, and a lot of time to kill.
Count me as one of many Holland residents who sprung for a new modem after Internet service providers began to spring up locally within the past year. A couple of months ago, I experienced a familiar sense of giddiness when I saw mail-order prices for the 28.8 models.
That prices are falling again so soon is only mildly irritating. Readers using or planning to use the Internet for anything other than text-only purposes should seriously consider getting a 28.8 modem. You only live once, and it's a shame to waste your time on Earth waiting for graphics to appear on your computer screen.
I can recommend several external modems based on my personal experience; the short list is by no means inclusive of "good" fax modems. And all have faxing software included, although I think using a computer for faxing usually is more trouble than it's worth. The recommendations include the model name, the company that makes it, and the price charged by mail-order outfits. Any price significantly higher should give you pause.
Sportster 28.8 Faxmodem, U.S. Robotics, $220. This small, relatively new upgrade purportedly can handle data-transmission speeds up to 33.6 Kbps. (So why isn't it called the 33.6 Faxmodem?) But good luck finding a phone line that can handle that - I haven't found one in the Holland area that can handle a connection reliably better than 26.4 Kpbs all the time. Still, you're not paying a premium for the overkill, and you are getting a nice piece of hardware. I like the Sportster because it dials fast, it has an on-off switch on the front of the device, and - best of all - it has a volume knob. Most other modems require you to launch a telecommunications program and type in cryptic codes to change it. Why more modems don't adopt something as simple and obvious as a volume knob is beyond me.
SupraFAXmodem 288, Supra Corp., $220. This model has an almost all-metal casing for a rugged look, and a convenient on-off switch on the front. But it's most distinguishing characteristic is the LED display, which flashes two- and three-character codes that represent the modem's online status. (A sticker underneath the modem explains what the codes mean.) Other nice features are "flash ROM," which allows you to update the modem's programming without buying new guts; and miscellaneous goodies like Caller I.D. and "Silent Answer," which lets one use the same phone line for faxes and voice calls. Don't confuse the SupraFAXmodem with the less-expensive and feature-deficit SupraExpress.
TelePort Platinum, Global Village Communications, $200. The small flat casing of this model is familiar to myriads of Macintosh owners who have got older, slower versions of this modem bundled with their Performas. And these legions of Mac-owners have nothing to complain about - Global Village makes a good product. The TelePort Platinum has flash ROM, and I like the modem's small size and its price. What I don't like is the power setup - it gets its juice not from a separate AC adapter, but from the Macintosh's power supply. It accomplishes this by hooking up to the Mac's ADB port, the same one that handles the keyboard and mouse. Now call me old-fashioned, but I like my modem separate from my input devices. And I also like being able to turn off my modem without disconnecting the thing. But who am I to argue with an army of Performa owners?