Pdas And Fast Modems The Stars At Comdex
The Age
Tuesday November 30, 1993
FALL COMDEX '93 is over for another year. Although the organisers claimed a record registration figure of 170,000 people, my impression was that actual numbers were down on previous years. For instance, in parts of the Sands Convention Center one could have swung a cat and not hit anyone. The Las Vegas Convention Center, however, was still crowded, particularly in the multimedia pavilion.
Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) were prominent, not only at booths but in the hands of users. The Apple Newton caught my interest because it can share data with a desktop PC that runs applications such as Lotus Organizer. Electronic mail on the Newton is facilitated with a product called NewtonMail.
NewtonMail With NewtonMail, Newton MessagePad owners can easily exchange text messages with anyone who can be reached on CompuServe, America Online, MCI Mail, AppleLink, SprintMail, EasyLink, Prodigy and other online services accessible via the Internet.
I noted that NewtonMail provides electronic delivery of Newton features such as Notepad messages (including graphics), business cards and calendar appointments to other NewtonMail subscribers. I sent a message to my Internet address by writing it on the device with a special stylus, and it was waiting for me when I got home. The optical character recognition was not accurate because I had not trained it to read my handwriting style.
NewtonMail is fully integrated into the core Newton communications architecture and is straightforward to use. There is no need to learn additional commands or become familiar with a different interface. By choosing the routing capability that exists from any application within Newton, a user can send mail and take advantage of ``intelligent assistance" support for addressing.
All you need to get started with NewtonMail is a Newton device, a Newton Fax Modem, phone line, and a NewtonMail account. For further information, the Internet address to contact is jon2(AT)online.apple.com.
V.32terbo or V.34? There were many new models of modem at COMDEX. They appeared to be evenly divided between the V.32terbo and V.Fast Class (V.FC) camps.
V.FC was the working name used by the ITU-T (formerly CCITT) for what is now designated Draft V.34, a proposed standard for 28,800bps modulation. V.32terbo is a proprietary modulation scheme for 19,200bps based on stretching the V.32 standard beyond its limits. V.32terbo was rejected by ITU-T. Many of these models will be available in Australia, subject to Austel approval, so I would suggest that you opt for the V.34 variety. Note well that details of the following nonapproved models are provided as an indication of industry trends only.
Leading the V.34 push was Hayes Microcomputer Products, with its Optima 288 V.FC+FAX model, which will be upgradable to V.34 when that standard is finalised. Modems faster than 14,400bps require the use of a special serial port, such as a Hayes ESP Version 2.0, available in single and dual-port models. Austel approval is pending and some local sysops will be included in a beta test program, according to Hayes founder and CEO, Dennis C. Hayes. The United States model is on the market now, having been tested and endorsed by eight major BBS operators in North America.
Boca Research displayed its 24,000bps V.FC BocaModem, which uses the Rockwell RC240ACi/VFC chipset. The external model, which retails for $US495 ($A747), includes a free 16C550 UART chip-equipped, serial card. The internal version retails for $395.
Best Data Products had their multimedia modem, the ACE5000, on show.
This is a 14,400bps fax and data-internal modem that retails for less than US$300. It is also an answering machine with voice mail and fax- back capabilities. The multimedia tag is earned because it includes 16-bit sound features, with CD-ROM and MIDI interfaces. Future upgrades will include color fax, voice-over data, teleconferencing, caller ID, text to voice, 3-D sound and JPEG compression. Zoom Telephonics had a similar offering.
`Green' Modems Rockwell International makes chipsets for modem manufacturers such as Hayes and Boca Research. It has released the RC144ACG chip, which goes into a sleep mode when not in use, dropping power consumption from 540milliwatts to less than 28milliwatts. This chip supports speeds up to 14,400bps and will be used in modems that conform to the United States EPA Energy Star rating.
Odds and Ends Interested in artificial intelligence, user-interface design, networking, chip design or RISC architecture? For a comprehensive price list of PAL-format video tapes of lectures on these topics, send e-mail to University Video Communications at the address uvc.lemon(AT)forsythe.stanford.edu.
If you are interested in computing opportunities and offerings in the former Soviet Union, the annual International Computer Forum in Moscow will be held from June 14 to 17, 1994. For details, contact levon(AT)staff.icc.msk.su via the Internet or 439-1034 via MCI Mail.
Travellers can save money by swapping homes with like-minded people who take their holidays at the same time. Others take in paying or non-paying guests. For these and other travel ideas, dial the Home Exchange Network BBS at 001114078695956. You can reach sysop Linda Allen via the CompuServe address 76420,1551 or telephone 001114078627211. Australians get a free listing in their on-line database.
If you have a topic that you would like to read about, please contact me at 72662,377 on CIS or via the Internet at 72662.377(AT)compuserve.com.
© 1993 The Age
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