Very, Very, cheap.
VERY VERY tied to MS Windows...
And Very Very Proprietary.
They are so cheap that the manufacturers are paranoid that others will
employ their "technology", meaning software to create their own Winmodems.
As a result no one wishes to reveal programming specifications.
This is the fault of the manufacturers who do this to sell something to you
that you think is a bargain.
It's not a bargain at all.
I don't think you have used them long enough to find this out...
Personally I hope Linux never supports these types of devices, winprinters,
winmodems, etc. unless the manufacturers release the specs... and even then
I have my reservations.
Winmodems are EVIL.
-JMS
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of faisal
Sent: Saturday, January 27, 2001 11:37 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [expert] winmodems
with all do respect to your opinion .... i have seen most
people turn linux down cause they dont have a linux supported modem & they
dont want to spen extra buck & external modem for linux so they stick to
windows ...
if linux is aiming for people homes then maybe people sholud think diffrent.
i used winmodems my windows machine & i am sorry to say that i have not find
any problem with them in fact if you come to look @ it they are very very
cheap.
----- Original Message -----
From: "civileme" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, January 26, 2001 4:17 AM
Subject: Re: [expert] winmodems
> On Friday 26 January 2001 20:44, you wrote:
> > so many peoples have problems with winmodem in linux
> > i wonder why they dont dont make drivers for them ?
> > is it that hard ?
>
> It is when no information is available.
>
> It is when no developers are interested in supporting people who replace
$40
> worth of hardware with less than $3 worth of hardware, and charge
consumers
> nearly the same price.
>
> Remember, this is a community based on free software. If a piece of
software
> is to be written, _someone_ has to write it. With a HUGE job of reverse
> engineering and fighting upstream to avoid infringements on software that
is
> often a) patented and b) secret, it is downright amazing that as much
> progress as is current has been made.
>
> If one lives in the United States, he not only has to reverse engineer the
> product, but he also has to hire a lawyer to defend him in case he
infringes
> inadvertantly on the secret, patented software for which it is a license
> violation(and likely a felony) to disassemble, even if it is for the
purpose
> of avoiding infringements. For all of this effort, he receives notoriety
as
> his only pay.
>
> On top of that, the problem has to be interesting to the programmer and he
> wants to see the product used. If you read the page at the linmodem site,
> the folks there are more interested in using the devices for telephony,
where
> they are considered appropriate devices.
>
> Read a few of the posts from the archives, search on the word "Gandia".
> Ramon Gandia is an ISP in Nome, Alaska, and he often explained winmodems
in
> detail. The other thing stopping more effort on them is that many
potential
> developers feel they are doing users a _disservice_ by providing the
drivers,
> because they cannot compare in quality of service to dedicated hardware
> modems.
>
> Civileme
>
