>Verizon says "we don't support Macintosh. It might work, it might not. But >we don't support Macintosh, and we won't even talk to you about Macintosh."
I have Verizon ADSL, home version, $39.95 a month. And they have never said this to me about not supporting Mac. In fact, they have taken my calls (and my money) and gladly switch me over to their Mac "specialists," who unfortunately don't seem particularly hip to this glorious machine. What OS are you using?, they always ask, even when I am complaining about their sometimes-whacko mail servers. Claris Emailer? Not a clue. But their software disk has Mac code on it, including Netscape. (One explanation for this discrepancy: I think Verizon may outsource its DSL/ISP services in some parts of the country, but to whom, I am not sure. Just a sense I have from things they've said on the phone.) As someone who believes that it's our duty to fight monopolies and encourage competition, I would like to see everyone buy phone service here, Net access there, cable TV somewhere else, cellular still elsewhere, electricity there, and so on. Spread the bucks and keep 'em all on their toes. Of course, service bundles can be attractive. And I should talk: We unplugged the tube, barely have a cellphone, and don't make that many long-distance calls. I just remember how Verizon and other RBOCS thought nothing of crushing the CLECs (Covad's one of the few survivors) that were started to create real competition, and now these RBOCs are dragging their feet in giving us the level of broadband IP service that we might have. They're afraid, of course, that real broadband would enable us to go Voice-over-IP, for a penny a minute or less, and thereby ditch them as phone providers. About all they've got left in the world is their last-mile copper and, in some cases, a few cell towers. Meanwhile, many other countries, especially in Asia, are giving their households (for a monthly fee, of course, but not much) 10 megabits per second or more of IP service, precisely in hopes of spurring full-blown info-economies and pushing the U.S. into the sea. So to speak, you understand. I mean .... well, please don't tell Ashcroft I said this, OK? Please. I mean it. -- John W. Verity So. Orange, NJ 973-763-1241 ___________________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe send a mail message with a SUBJECT line of "unsubscribe" to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> or <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
