[99733] in RedHat Linux List
Re: "Winmodems" (Support in Linux)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Ken Witherow)
Mon Nov 16 19:37:26 1998
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 19:32:41 -0500
From: Ken Witherow <phantoml@frontiernet.net>
To: redhat-list@redhat.com
Resent-From: redhat-list@redhat.com
Reply-To: redhat-list@redhat.com
Aaron Clow wrote:
> Not just your HO... I'm one of the "unwitting" Winmodem purchasers... I knew
> Windows very well, so wasn't concerned about hitching up a "cheap" modem, even
> though they always gave me more trouble than any other card. When I was looking
> for a modem, I figured the extra money was for features. Why spend $160 to surf
> the net & exchange e-mail when you can do it for $60? So, I plunked down change
> for a Winmodem. A year later I got into Linux... Uh oh... Looks like I'll have
> to get another modem, which kind of goes against the "cash-strapped" philosophy
> of Linux where you make a decent computer from old parts...
I've bought diamond 33.6 pnp (not a winmodem) w/ voice in the past for
around $80 and can use the linux voice mail stuff fine. It's really not
any more expensive than a winmodem if you go to the right places. The
ONLY time I go to a computer store to buy anything is if I'm really in a
crunch and need it immediately. There are plenty of good sites on the
net for cheap hardware(ie, I got a Panasonic 4x8 scsi cd writer for $299
when they were around $500 in my local superstore).
> I hate external modems as well...don't want anything sitting on top of my
> computer but my Atari Portfolio PC Card drive!! 8)
I actually prefer external modems. The only downside is making sure
you've got enough FIFO cache working on the serial port (this isn't that
big of a problem anymore but back in the days of the 16450 it was pretty
rough). It frees up a slot, uses a serial port I have no other use for,
and back in the old days when I ran a bbs, if the computer crashed, a
quick reboot and I didn't lose my connection. Not to mention you can see
the lights telling you what it's actually doing rather than wondering
why your file xfer stalled. To keep this on topic, I would have to say
I'd recommend support for winmodems. The more hardware Linux supports,
the broader the base of people we can bring to it. Sure most of them
won't have a clue as to what a kernel module is or how to program one,
but a broader base means more development for that base. (Games DO make
the computer world go 'round)
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