Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!killer!mic!gary
From: gary@mic.UUCP (Gary Lewin)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: wanted to buy: a reliable modem
Keywords: practical modem
Message-ID: <164@mic.UUCP>
Date: 18 Sep 88 15:59:12 GMT
References: <219100002@iapic.cvm.uiuc.edu> <6505@dasys1.UUCP>
Reply-To: gary@mic.UUCP (Gary Lewin)
Organization: Micro Net
Lines: 36

In article <6505@dasys1.UUCP> jpr@dasys1.UUCP (Jean-Pierre Radley) writes:
>In article <219100002@iapic.cvm.uiuc.edu> mab@iapic.cvm.uiuc.edu writes:
>>It seems that noone has experience with ZOOM modems.
>>How about the Signalman Mark XII or the Volksmodem?
>>I'm looking for an inexpensive (good quality) modem.
>>Is there another brand that someone knows of?
>
>I use Practical Peripherals 2400 baud, Hayes compatible. I've had them for the
>last eight months. No trouble whatsoever. Cost me around 175.00 each, plus
>tax.
>-- 

I also have a Practical Peripherals PM2400SA modem.  For the money ( $166.00 ),
this modem does very well.  It is also made in the USA, a rarity these days.
There is a full 5 year warrenty, which does not seem to be needed (yet?  :-).

Before finally buying this modem, I tried three Packard Bell 2400 baud modems,
one after the other.  Each one had serious brain damage.  After the first of
these, I stopped testing them with UN*X and checked them out with a dumb
terminal.  The fact that these could be sold to anyone is incredible!  Nice
case, though.

In the same price range ( $129.00 - $139.00 ), there were three brands
available at Soft Warehouse in Dallas.  These were Incomm, Anchor and Packard
Bell.  Since I have had TERRIBLE experiences with Incomm in the past and Anchor
is really Signalman, there was nothing left but Packard Bell [ which has (had)
a good name with hardware ].

If anyone is choosing an inexpensive modem and is willing to experiment a bit,
I have one piece of advice.  BEFORE buying, be absolutly sure that the company
you purchase from allows returns with NO PROBLEMS.  Soft Warehouse does and I 
am sure some others do too.  This is not the kind of thing to experiment with
via mail order.  Driving 100 miles to save $10.00, also does not make sense.
For some reason, modems epitomize the saying "LET THE BUYER BEWARE".

Gary Lewin  {convex, killer, tness7}!mic!gary