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-- Why release a 33.6K modem? (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=5039)

Hi All,

Why did HandSpring release a 33.6K modem ? It's slow like molasses. Why not just release the latest v.90 modem? After all there is not going to be another standard for regular modems. The last is the 56K standard or v.90. Everyone else will be on cable or adsl modems that are much more faster. So why release a 33.6K vs a 56K modem ??

Since the modem is primarily designed to be able to call into your PC and hotsync over a modem, 33.6 is the fastest it is going to go regardless of the modem type. The faster speeds require an expensive digital switch instead of a standard modem at the other end.

(Most people don't realize this ... if you take two 56k modems and have them connect to each other they are only going to connect at 33.6)

-Eric

this is because of technical limitations of the 56k6 protocol(s).

you can only download at 56k from an ISP and not from another modem...

Since the hanndspring modem is designed for remote syncing it is impossible to do this at 56K...unless you are an ISP yourself....

Hi All,

Thanks for the reply. What you said and described makes sense. Still, HandSpring could still have designed a 56K v.90 modem. If I was to call home, and not an ISP, it would have just connected at the 33.6K rate. And if I wanted to connect to an ISP to browse, I would have liked to be connected
at least at v.90 if possible.

Having it at 33.6K just limits your rate to 33.6K and below.

I still think 33.6 is okay. Uses of modem: (1) hot-syncing, can't use 56k anyway (2) checking pop email, don't need 56k (3) web surfing (?), it'd have to be clipped, which should be okay over 33.6, I would think. And one other thing... many places I would think you would connect (hotel, airport, etc) you're routing through a PBX, which makes 56k impossible.

Still, it would have potential. I wonder if it is easier/smaller/less-power-hungry to do 33.6 rather than 56k?

I have read before that 33.6 chips were less power hungry, but that was several years ago.Given the form factor of the screen, I don't think you'd want to do long term surfing with it anyway; so 33.6 should be fine for email or proxy service like Proxiweb.

Does anybody know where the power for modem coming from ? from visor's battery or
selfpower with a seperated battery ? how long it can stand by using modem on daily basis?
thanks

I think I read somewhere that the modem has its own power supply...