From: CXIR@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA (CXIR000)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Nothing Wrong with BOCA Modems
Date: 5 Nov 92 04:53:21 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: The Internet


              RE: "Nothing Wrong With Boca Modems"

     Thanks to those who sent me email regarding the reliability
of the BOCA modem! Your positive recommendations helped me to
decide on buying the BOCA modem. It is very reliable both for
sending and receiving faxes and for computer data. The software
bundled with it, "Quicklink IIfax" is a very good send and
receive fax programme. The receivefax part of it was so simple to
use I couldn't believe it. Its send fax options are superior in
the choice of fonts: you can even choose laserjet fonts for high
resolution output at the other end. This, however, increases the
length of time for transmissions, a feature I don't like so much.
With my old ZOOM modem I used to send faxes at 4,800bps, yet
commonly I sent a page full of text in under one minute from
initial ring to end transmission. Now, it takes over one minute
to send even just a few sentences! On long distance calls this
can mount up $ quickly.
     I realize this is probably because the default font for
Quicklink IIfax is fancier and uses up more k. on disk: a file of
538 bytes in text mode becomes a file of 30,000 bytes when
converted to a fax! With the ZOOM they bundled BITFAX which had a
cheaper looking default font but was very snappy in sending it,
leading to lower long distance phone bills. I tried to use Bitfax
with my BOCA modem and the modem test gave me an error message
saying "modem is not a fax modem", which was a lie because I had
just sent a fax on it a few minutes before. Do newer versions of
Bitfax correct this problem? I have version 2.061. This version
sends faxes only, at 4,800bps.
     For data links to my university I use software called "PCWS"
developed by McGill University for use with its mainframe
computer and campus-wide information network. The latest version
of this software is excellent, providing mouse support and fully
automated connections. The BOCA modem works wonderfully well with
this software. I set the connection speed for 19.2kbps once
during initial setup and now all I have to do is press "Enter"
once for the whole connection.
     I had been warned that BOCAs don't take kindly to bad phone
lines, but the same can be said for all the modems with the
Rockwell chips. So far the BOCA has held up well even under less
than ideal conditions.
     Some people have been inquiring about BOCA prices: here in
Montreal I paid $269. (Canadian) at a store called "EVERLINK".
Most other stores in town sell it for $299. (Canadian). When you
calculate the exchange rate against U.S. dollars and shipping-
handling I would guesstimate that is somewhat less than the $219.
(U.S.) price someone quoted on this list recently. Canadian
prices actually seem to be lower than U.S. right now! So much for
cross-boarder shopping. BOCAs at the $269. price are selling like
hotcakes and it now seems to be the high speed modem found in
more computer stores than any other brand. Supra 14.4s don't seem
to be selling so well here and are not available in many stores
off the shelf. Probably because they don't seem to be any more
reliable than BOCA and BOCA is considerably less expensive.
During a recession, that kind of thing counts, as Bill Clinton
has recently demonstrated.
     The other modem doing well here is the ZyXel 1496e, at about
$440. (Canadian). This one tempted me but I figured that since my
school does not yet have support for 16.8kbps the extra speed
wouldn't be useful to me.

Yours,
Ian Ritchie,   email on Internet at CXIR@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA