||| ROUGH GUIDE for Linux ||||||||||| http://www.o2.net/~gromitkc/rg/ |||
||| usual disclaimers apply -- everyone makes mistakes ||| 2000-05-29 |||
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Life is rough enough without having to shop for modems at....
 _______                  _     _ ______ _______ 
(_______)                (_)   (_) _____|_______)    REVIEW OF AVAILABLE
 _       ___  ____  ____  _     ( (____  _______     HARDWARE AT A
| |     / _ \|    \|  _ \| |   | \____ \|  ___  |    PARTICULAR STORE ON A
| |____| |_| | | | | |_| | |___| |____) ) |   | |    PARTICULAR DAY-
 \______)___/|_|_|_|  __/ \_____(______/|_|   |_|(R) YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY
                   |_|                         

CompUSA has an Apple section, but I will not review it because for the
most part Mac people are used to fending for themselves.  I also forgot to
check the PCMCIA section, which is separate from the rest of the modems :(

--WINMODEMS TO AVOID FOR SURE:
PRIME PERIPHERALS PCI		MODEL I56PSP-F1   -- $ 29.99
ARCHTEK SMARTLINK PCI	        MODEL 5634PEW     -- $ 29.99
3COM VOICE WINMODEM PCI         MODEL 5690-00     -- $129.99
3COM WINMODEM PCI               MODEL 5699        -- $ 49.99
VIKING 56K ISA                  MODEL RFM56KICLA  -- $ 49.99
ACTIONTEC PCI                   MODEL PCI56019-01 -- $ 49.99
"56K" BRAND                     MODEL PCI56019-10 -- $ 29.99
CREATIVE                        MODEL DI5630      -- $ 39.99
DIGICOM                         MODEL DI3635      -- $ 29.99
MACH 2                          MODEL A56FW-PCI   -- $ 29.99
I/O MAGIC MAGICSURFER           MODEL DR-M56WP    -- $ 29.99
HI-VAL PCI                      MODEL H56P-00R    -- $ 29.99

----External (RS232) modems tested and "OK" for Linux:
3COM/USR EXT                    MODEL 5686-03     -- $129.99
3COM/USR EXT                    MODEL 5605-00     -- $149.99
US ROBOTICS EXT                 MODEL 0839-09     -- $109.99
CREATIVE FLASH 56 II EXT        MODEL DE5620      -- $ 79.99
VIKING 56K EXT                  MODEL RFM56KEXT   -- $ 99.99

----ISA Modems tested and "OK" for Linux:
CREATIVE ISA                    MODEL DI5601      -- $ 69.99
SUPRAEXPRESS ISA                MODEL 56I SP      -- $ 79.99
BEST DATA ISA                   MODEL 56SP        -- $ 69.99
VIKING PNP-ONLY 33.6K ISA       MODEL RFM336INC   -- $ 49.99
3COM/USR ISA                    MODEL 5687-03     -- $ 99.99

----PCI Modems tested and "OK" for Linux:
ACTIONTEC PCI CALL-WAITING   MODEL PCI56012-01CW  -- $ 79.99 - $30.00
3COM/USR PCI                    MODEL 3CP5610     -- $ 99.99
                          
   .-""-.            .-""-.   There is a large number of "sucker punch"
  /    ,.`.  ____  .' _    \  Windows modems here for $30.  Tread care-
  \   /  \ `"    "' ,' \   /  fully.
   `-'    Y        Y    `-'   
          |  _  _  |          <rant>It is quite clear that CompUSA
          | (O)(O) |          couldn't care less about its Linux
          /   __   \          customers.  Even Best Buy does a better job
         |   /# \   |         knowing their stock, and that's a pretty low
         |   \__/   |         standard.</rant>
          \        /          
           `.____.'           BOTTOM LINE: The "mainstream"-ing of the PC
           --"  "--     hjw   has wrecked this place.