HOW FAST IS TOO FAST? by Bill Hibler
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I 'm often asked why Quid'.nunc only stocks 33.6K modems. After all, 56K modems are available now, way faster than the 28.8K modems that seem to be the bare minimum for surfing the net - practically four times faster than the 14.4K modems that most of us have installed - and so much faster than the old 1200 baud modems we used to use that it's like the difference between a go-cart and the space shuttle.
But there's a problem.
Up until now, all modems used the same protocol (that is, they are treated the data they transmitted in the same way). Now, manufacturers who are moving out into the Land of 56K are inventing their own protocols. That means that the connections are darn fast from two 56K modems made by the same manufacturer, but try to connect from a US Robotics 56K modem to a Motorola 56K modem, and it won't work right.
Worse, at some point the modem manufacturers will agree on a single protocol. Which means that, at best, you'll have to endure a long period of time while your modem is being upgraded (probably for a surcharge). Or, at worst, you'll have to buy a new modem.
Besides, you won't even be able to actually get 56K speed with a 56K modem. Most reliable independent sources will tell you that, at best, you'll get about 80% of that, no matter how highly touted the technology is.
So, for now, Quid nunc will sell you all the modems you want, so long as they're not 56K. Because we want your Internet experience to be a good one. Recommended is a 33.6 modem; prices are low and the performance difference between a 33.6K and a 56K modem is minor.
| WHAT IS A MODEM? A modem modulates and demodulates signals to and from computers through the telephone lines. To achieve speedier connections, modems actually compress data themselves (independently of any compression software you yourself might have used). It's the protocols used to compress the data that can cause problems if they aren't the same. Ordinary telephone lines-the kind we use for conversations and most of us plug into whether we're logging on to America Online or our Internet service Provider - begin to max out at 9600 bits per second (that's simply the rate the data move). To go faster than that-say 14.4K (which is 14,400 bits per second), the modem must compress the data. Modems make errors. And telephone lines create them, too, because they're affected by all sorts of stuff in your home. When an error happens, a good modem slows down and never speeds back up during that session. So if you're going to download a file of any size, don't do it at the end of a session; do it at the beginning. |
John Hendow Joins
Quid' Nunc
Victim of Success
Are You Hooked Up Yet?
New Items
Best Buys
Featured Item!
Great Expectations
Classes
Coupon Specials
Quidnunc Information
What's New?
John Hendow Joins
Quid' Nunc
There's always a Mac guy around.
The newest Mac guy at Quid'nunc is John Hendow - although John would be the first to tell you that while Macs are what he knows best, all "computers are just tools." In fact, John is learning to program on all sorts of platforms at the University of Washington. Still, he likes his Mac: "I think Apple's going to surprise a lot of people when they release OS 8," he says. "And when Apple releases Rhapsody, everyone will be devastated because it will be great."
Soon after he moved to West Seattle, John saw a computer store with a big Apple logo in the window and started coming in. (It's not a new story.) Most of the music applications he uses are ProTools-based, and that's how he got to be so familiar with the Macintosh.
The musically inclined might recognize John as a 13-year member of the popular band Jumbalassy, which plays all over the Puget Sound region. (John says the band plays up to 200 dates every year.) The computer helps him work with the music. In fact, he says, on one live CD he produced for the band, the ProTools-created mixes were so clean that his partners thought they actually played the songs in the order they appeared on the CD.
If you're interested in more about the band, check out its web site at http:// members.aol.com/jumbies/Index.html,or call their hot line at 206-270-5222. Or just stop by on Sundays and Wednesdays (and other times, too) when John's in the shop and you can talk everything from Apple Events to reggae with him.
Been wanting to bring your computer to the store for a hardware installation? Been meaning to buy a modem, sound card or CD-ROM?
Do it before October 1.
That's when Quid'nunc will start charging for hardware installations. We are now so busy, it's the only way to continue the top level of service we're providing without raising the price on our stock.
But you've got until October 1. And, for those who keep buying those memory-intensive games, RAM installation will still be free.
Are you still connecting to the World Wide Web through America Online? Are you hooked up at all?
If you're ready to get out on the Web, but haven't felt comfortable calling those numbers advertised in the Computer Shopper, Quid' nunc has the answer: It's us!
Quid'nunc is now an Internet Service Provider. That means for just $18.95 per month and a $20 setup charge, you can be out there surfing the Web. Even better, if you have a problem, you'll know the guy on the other end of the phone.
KIDS 5-8
Putt Putt In Time.
This adventure/
exploration game from
the creators of Freddie
Fish and Pajama Sam
follows one of your
child's favorite
computer friends as he
travels through time!
FOR MAC GAMERS
Duke Nukem 3D.
Really. It's really
here. Load up and
start firing. Heck, add
a bottle of Jolt or a
double-tall and you
never stop!
I PUBLISH
PageMaker too much of a challenge?
Microsoft Publisher a little too basic?
Then I Publish is the software for you.
Makes everything look as good as it can
short of hiring a designer who actually
understands Photoshop and Illustrator.
B-I-I-I-I-I-G DRIVE
You'11 have to put a lot of stuff on this
drive before you fill it up! From
Seagate comes a 6.4-gigabyte internal
hard drive for just $559-less than
$90 per gig! If you've been running out
of room, it'll be like trading up from a
Ford Taurus to a Peterbilt. And just as
reliable!
HARDWARE-Mac & PC
Supra 33.6 Fax Modem
The fastest way to access the Internet
with current protocols! This modem
also features a
"distinctive ring'
feature that lets
you (and the
modem) know if
you're receiving;
fax, a phone call or a data transmission
From one of the world's most reliable
modem manufacturers.
SOFTWARE
Microsoft Magic School Bus
Get Solar System
(PC), great for ages
6-10, or Human Body(Mac/PC), great for
ages 6-10.
Only $27.95.
MAC BEST BUY
Discis Jewels Of The Oracle
Oh man! If you love puzzles with
great graphics and sound effects, snap
this one up now-and cancel all of
your appointments! Just $29.95. This
game comes in a Wintel version, too.
HOT DEALS - Previously Enjoyed items
Mac
Fractal Design Painter 2.0* $99
Canvas 3.0 $49.95
Windows
WinFax Pro 4.0 $39.95
3D Dinosaur Adventure $14.95
*upgradeable to version 5.0
FEATURED ITEM!
FELLOWES GEL WRIST REST MOUSE PAD - just $15.95!
Bill is in love with this item! It's a mouse pad with a wrist rest built in - and from the moment he started using it, that sore, tired feeling in his wrist disappeared! If you're really whacking away with your mouse, you'll see the difference immediately. Try one!
| CLASSES
Internet Demo
Beginning Windows 95
Internet E-Mail
Intro to Computers
Use the World Wide Web |
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| What Now? The Official Quid'nunc Newsletter Published by Quid'nunc....... Your Neighborhood Software Store
4306 SW Oregon Street - Seattle, WA USA 98116 Tel: 932-8795. Fax: 932-8183 quidnunc@quidnunc.net
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