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> From: Jose E. Dominguez <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: [PCBUILD] Toshiba Satellite 330CDS Notebook Computer.
> Date: Wednesday, March 10, 1999 10:18 AM
>
> Susan Hays wrote:
>
> > I am looking at a Toshiba Satellite 330CDS Notebook computer.  The
> > modem is a Xircom K56 Flex PC Card.  Exactly what is that type?  Not
real up
> > on modems except that my Gateway has a 56K x 2.
>
> The K56Flex is the other 56K technology, Xircom is the brand, and the PC
Card
> is the type. It's a little card that goes in the side on the laptop.
>
This sounds a bit confusing to me.  What is meant is that originally there
were two competing 56K protocols: K56Flex and 56K X2.  Both of these have
now been merged into the V.90 official standard.  Most V.90 modems will
still support that manufacturer's original protocol and the newer V.90
standard.  However, I do not know how long this will be the case or if it
is true of all modems.  If your 56K modems are not upgradable to the V.90
standard via software or hardware, it is possible that some time in the
future, you may no longer be able to connect to a V.90 standard modem.

"PC Card" is the hardware format of the modem - similar to the difference
in bus structures between ISA and PCI.  That is a gross over-simplification
and should be viewed only as an analogy.

K56Flex and X2 are like the "software" that the modem runs to do its job.
To be able to talk to another modem, your modem must use the same protocol
so they can understand each other.

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