Subject: Re: MacIntercomm ?
Cc: dbailey@cix.compulink.co.uk
Reply-To: alan@bones.demon.co.uk
Organization: Erewhon, Inc.
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 16:21:04 +0000

In <1993Jan8.212047.11924@uts.uni-c.dk> povlphp@uts.uni-c.dk (Povl H.
Pedersen) writes:

> In <memo.849207@cix.compulink.co.uk> dbailey@cix.compulink.co.uk (Diane Bailey) wri
tes:
>
> >According to the caption in the Dr Mac ad in the January US
> >MacWorld, MacIntercomm is a new product which is "the only
> >[Ad. text elided]
> 
> >Has anyone tried this product, or seen a competent revue?

> I have it, and I really like it. It is simple, but yet more
> advanced than most shareware packages. Also has a better feel
> [Recommendation elided...]

> Using it as a download/upload server is no problem. Just make sure your
> modem is in Auto Answer mode to pick up the phone. When somebody
> then sends a Z-modem file it will be received to the harddisk.
> You need to use the scripting languafge to automaticlky get back 
> to AutoAnswer modem after each customer ends his session.

Diane, not having used MacIntercomm I can't speak as to its merits or
otherwise but there are a few other things you need to consider.

Can you rely on your contributors all having ZModem to send the
files. If not then you will need a script running all the time that
allows the caller to select the protocol to use and starts the
receive for protocols such as XModem and Kermit.

You might also need the script to change the file type to TEXT unless
received with ASCII mode ZModem.

> >Just wondering if it might fit my bill for something that would
> >handle receipt of text files from assorted newspaper contributors
> >using various hardware, completely in the background (ie
> >invisibly) on a cheap Mac not running System 7, and place them in
> >a Public Folder...

Almost all the Mac comms applications I've used will receive files in
the background under Multifinder and System 6, and none of them seem
to eat up the CPU badly while doing it. (Although this is based on my
experience with an SE/30, please note.)

MacIntercomm's special claim to background operation is that, by
trapping the serial port interrupts directly, it doesn't stop
receiving a file while a menu is pulled down in a foreground
application. This theoretically avoids the risk of aborting a
download by a timeout. In all cases except YModem-G this is pretty
theoretical. There was some discussion here a few months ago to the
effect that this also had a fairly high risk of producing
incompatibility problems with other software - I don't have the
expertise to assess how true this is.

It seems that scripting is likely to be the most important criterion,
so whether macIntercomm is suitable depends upon whether it's
scripting is ready. If not, then Microphone will certainly do what
you need - even comes with a MiniBBS script which is probably all you
would need. I gather WhiteKnight and PacerTerm also have powerful
scripting languages.

Mail me on CIX or @bones if you want further information.

-Alan.
-- 
Alan Staniforth ** alan@bones.demon.co.uk ** alan_s@cix.compulink.co.uk
'By Grand Central Station, or rather under it, in the Oyster Bar, we sat
 down and wept."  --  Victoria Glendinning