On 6 Nov 99, at 21:45, Demetri Kolokotronis wrote:

> Yui Shin wrote:
>
> "If your shopping for a hi-end analog modem consider a external USB modem
> with the V.90 standard
>
> Why "external"?

  If we had a FAQ list, I think this would be on it.

  For years, the debate has raged:
  An internal modem doesn't need its own power supply and a place to
plug it in, includes its own serial port hardware without a cable, is
tidy, compact and inexpensive.
  An external modem is easily moved from one machine to another,
provides status LEDs, can be reset (switched off and back on) without
rebooting the computer.
  Individuals might choose either.  But it used to be that the actual
modem "guts" were often the same regardless of how the modem was
packaged.

  That has become less true.  The vast majority of internal modems on
the market today use "winModem" (that's USR/3com's tradmarked name
for it) technology, which uses the PC CPU to execute driver code that
replaces some functions traditionally done in modem hardware.
  Many people don't have any problem with this.  But some people find
that this has an adverse effect on the stability of their systems;
some have slower machines than they'd like and are reluctant to spare
the CPU cycles; a few people may feel that modem-makers have been
less forthright about this than is consistent with ethical business
practices.
  While I'm not certain about USB modems, I'm not aware of any
external serial modem that makes software and the CPU do part of its
job.  That's why I recommend them.

David G

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