National Barriers For A Global Communicator
The Age
Tuesday November 16, 1993
IT WAS interesting to read Lisa Mitchell's article (Computer Age 26 October). The Newton is not the only Apple product to have a problem with Austel. A Powerbook 170 in I bought in Britain last year, was sold to me by Apple as the computer than could communicate worldwide due to its internal fax-data modem.
Imagine my disappointment when I found it was not possible to use the modem on the Australian phone network. Apple has suggested I buy I new modem costing well over $100.
Perhaps you have to buy a different modem for each country _ which would certainly help Apple's profits. I have written to Apple in Britain explaining that I feel cheated by their advertising, but have not received a reply.
I feel strongly that this problem should be aired publicly as the PowerBook is not the global communicator it is made out to be unless you stay in one country! Andrew Kitching, West St Kilda.
Apple replies The UK PowerBook 170 fax-modem is not designed to be used in Australia and we do not guarantee a foreign modem. Apple Australia has not sold PowerBook 170s here with fax-modems and it is illegal to use one without approval. The PowerBook 170 line became obsolete in Australia in January this year. _ Apple Australia.
Which network? I READ the article from David Ives on the new digital mobile phone with great interest. As a current yuppie who has an analogue phone, I, like David Ives, will be waiting some time before switching to this new technology.
In his article, David did not state which network he was using, as, unlike the analogue network in which Optus uses the existing Telecom network, each of the carriers (Telecom, Optus, Vodaphone) use their own network. Maybe he is even more of a ``coward" (his description of himself, for not naming the mobile phone manufacturer), but it would be of interest to prospective digital users, to compare the three networks on a basis other than price.
Digital does have other benefits (most of them in the future), such as international roaming, answering service facility (will it be the death of pagers?) and eavesdropping security, but it will be some time before the coverage is the same as the analogue network.
Why they can't come to some agreement over the use of transmitting towers and overcome complaints from people in Sandringham and Beaumauris is beyond me.
As an aside, there are strong whispers that, as a result of Sydney getting the 2000 Olympic Games, the analogue network will continue beyond 2000. It's all in the hands of Austel, that wondrous government body that has never heard of a level playing field.
David Hardham, Glen Iris.
Paper Direct AS A result of your publishing my letter in Feedback on 26 October, I received many phone calls about laser printer products. Paper Direct (USA) products are available in Melbourne from Your Paper Direct.
Paper products from Linda Brown, (03)8403218 and Colorfoil from Steve Kormas, (03)4997988. Feedback certainly works! Thanks.
David Mallen, Wheelers Hill.
Good point I'D LIKE to suggest that you add to your Feedback addresses information on how to send mail to you from the Internet. Is it simply your CompuServe ID via the gateway compuserve.com? (for example, 76711,1215 becomes 76711.1215(AT)compuserve.com). Perhaps an interesting future article might be what each of the major public networks are, the services they offer, and how they are interconnected.
Alistair Borley, Pakenham Upper.
Internet: ARB(AT)praxa.com.au Note: you have to change the comma in the CompuServe address to a full stop.Ed.
© 1993 The Age
Share This