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From: SEWALL@UCONNVM.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Apple //c communications
Message-ID: <8707100847.aa04232@SMOKE.BRL.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 10-Jul-87 09:28:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: SMOKE.8707100847.aa04232
Posted: Fri Jul 10 09:28:00 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 26-Jul-87 21:38:26 EDT
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Almost any external Hayes compatible modem can be swtiched freely
among computers.  You should be able to find a 1200 baud for less
than $120 (I have a friend with a //c who is very happy with the
Avatek she bought a few months back).  I saw a new 1200 in the
Pipeline section of A+ a few months back that had a LIST price of
only $125.  Check the Computer Shopper, I hear tell 1200 baud
Hayes clones are available for less than $90 and a Robotics Courier
2400 (I have one, it's VERY nice) for under $190.

Your biggest problem with a mail order modem is going to be getting
a cable that actually works with a //c.  I had some trouble finding
one myself, and several friends have received "//c" cables from
mail order places that did not work.  We have a local dealer that
gets //c cables from a distributor in California.  We've taken to
ordering modems without cables and getting the cables from someone
who knows what he's doing.

SOFTERM 2 (Programs Plus offers it for $145; list is $195) will
emulate an HP 2622A (not knowing HP terminals, I don't know whether
or not that's more advanced than an HP 2621).  The documentation
does say that SOFTERM does not support the "line drawing character
set."  SOFTERM emulates VT-100, IBM 3101-2x series, and 23 or so
other terminals.  It's the only program for the Apple that I've
seen that supports "block mode" (as opposed to character mode)
communictions.  It is NOT in ProDOS but it will read and write
ProDOS floppy disks (as well as CP/M format, DOS 3.3 format, and
Pascal format).  I've used SOFTERM since Sep '83, and I really
like it (although it IS expensive).

SOFTERM has its own file transfer protocol as well as Xmodem, but
not Kermit.  They supply FORTRAN 77 code (with some bugs in it)
for the mainframe end (but someone may have to be pretty handy with
assembler to add the pieces to adapt it for your site), and they
have mainframe versions on disk for a number of mainframes (DEC
yes, IBM no).  VINCE@UCONNVM got the SOFTRANS protocol running on
our IBM 370/CMS operating system, and it works dandy.