From: zeke@fasttech.uucp (Bohdan Tashchuk)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: Hayes Ultra 144 modem fares poorly in MacUser tests
Date: 6 Oct 92 08:03:03 GMT
Article-I.D.: fasttech.1992Oct6.080303.19019
Organization: Fast Technology

I recently wrote:

>I was astonished and amused when I read the review of V.32bis modems in
>November's MacUser magazine. Out of 12 modems, the Hayes came in next-to-last
>overall.

and then someone asked me in email:

>	So who were the winners, and what were the tests based on?

Gosh. Don't you want to go out and buy the magazine? Others might be curious,
and rather than just reply, I thought I'd post. But I urge everyone who's
really interested to read the magazine, since it goes into much more detail,
and makes favorable comments about the Hayes modem regarding things like
technical support.

The overall rankings were based on speed of transferring three types of files.
They also ran two impairment tests.

The files were:

	"Text File", significantly compressible
	"Line-Art File", highly compressible TIFF
	"Previously Compressed File"

The impairments were:

	"Rural Line", equivalent to a long subscriber loop
	"Cross-Country Line", had phase jitter and echo

The rankings:

overall
speed
1	UDS Motorola V.3229, the clear winner
2	Image TWINCOM 14.4/DF, failed "Rural Line"
3	Supra FAXModem V.32bis
4	Zoom FaxModem V.32bis, failed "Rural Line"
5	PSI Integration COMstation five, failed "Rural Line",
						 failed "Cross Country"
6	Logicode Quicktel Xeba M14.4XV Fax, failed "Cross Country"
7	ZyXEL USA U-1496E
8	Practical Peripherals PM14400FXSA
9	Teleglobe DA3214, failed "Cross Country"
10	Digicom ScoutPlus
11	Hayes ULTRA 144
12	Racal-Datacom RMD 3222

The tests used a Processing Telecomm Technologies Telephone Network Simulator
to simulate the various impairments.

There wasn't any testing done of Larry Snyder's pet peeve, latency. There also
wasn't any testing done of other features that people have complained about in
this newsgroup, such as data + fax operation. There also was testing done on
Mac-specific technical support, etc, which isn't directly relevant here.

Testing done by a magazine can only begin to scratch the surface of a complete
evaluation. But I did think it was significant that the Hayes modem did quite
poorly in the tests of the two compressible files. It was barely behind most
of the other modems in the previously compressed file transfer.

The point I was trying to make is that although Hayes mouthpieces think Hayes
is "best known as the leader in microcomputer modems", this so-called
"leadership" is more apparent on the legal front than the technical front.

I don't see Motorola suing anyone, and their modem either tied or beat ALL the
other modems on ALL the tests. If I were writing a book like "In Search of
Excellence", I'd tell Dennis Hayes to get his swelled head out of the dark
orfice where he seems to have stuck it and to get busy "leading" in the real
world.

Finally, if it seems that I'm personalizing my complaint to Dennis Hayes, I am.
It's MUCH more appropriate to do that than to attack Toby Nixon, as others have
done here. Dennis' name is on the company and he is the CEO. I don't know and
don't care what Toby thinks of TIES and "Time Bombs". In all his postings here,
even the press releases involving "Time Bombs" and TIES, he has acted very
professionally as a company spokesman and he shouldn't be the one attacked
about Hayes policies. Frankly, if I were Dennis Hayes and Toby ever disparaged
the official Hayes company position in this newsgroup, I'd personally escort
him out the door.