{fb1000000I have the privilege of being able to have my own small column on this wonderful disc mag and hope that I can provide you with some useful tips on getting the best out of your modem or trying to get you to buy one! *;)
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Who am I?
{fb1000000My name is John Stonier, and I run an Acorn Bulletin Board System called the 'Digital Databank BBS'. I've been running it since December 14th 1992, when my system consisted of an Acorn A420, 210 meg hard drive and two phone lines, connected to two 2400bps modems. Since then the BBS has steadily grown to become a well known and popular focal point for comms users around the United Kingdom. There have been many highs and lows throughout the time, but it's been well worth the effort, specially when I see so many people get a lot out of using it. I will no doubt be passing on my experiences in future issues of Spectrum.
However, suffice to say it is not a piece of cake to set one up and it takes a lot of effort to maintain one. I shall be passing on some important advice to those thinking of setting up a BBS in the next issue. Watch this space!
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Three reasons why you shouldn't buy a modem:
{fb10000C0My phone bill will soar!
{fb1000000I won't deny this can happen, because there has been times in year's gone by, where my telephone bill has been on the high side, but with a little thought and the right utilities, you need spend very little time on a BBS and reap the benefits. The rule of thumb is to do as little online and as much offline.
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Modems are too expensive!
{fb1000000When I first started in comms, around 1984, my first modem cost me eighty pounds. It was an old Prism 1000 that reached the staggering speed of 1200/75 full duplex! The cost of a 2400 modem was around three hundred pounds and you had to justify the cost of one not only to your other half, but also the bank manager. Since then, the prices have tumbled, while the speed has rocketed. You can pick up a 14,400 bps high speed modem for around one hundred pounds.
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Comms is too technical for me!
{fb1000000It is true that if you enter the world of comms and Bulletin Boards for the first time, it can be a little awesome as you try to grapple the concepts of downloading messages, finding your way around menus and generally making a hash of things. However, most Bulletin Board Sysops are extremely helpful and will certainly not spare the advice on setting you up on his or her BBS. The basic concepts of using a Bulletin Board are very easy to learn.
These questions have been asked me from various people, who find it difficult to get over the initial barrier of justifying the use of comms. My answers have been well though through and I hope that my answers will overcome any of your worries if you are thinking of buying a modem. My advice is, 'you won't regret it'.
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What modem should I buy?
{fb1000000This is a question that is often put to me from various users. I normally break them down into two sections:
• Those who have never been involved in comms before.
• Those that have been using modems, but would like a more powerful one.
Let us deal with the two sections in turn.
Faster modems are obviously more expensive than slower ones, so the price comes into the equation at some stage. If a person is interested in getting involved in comms and is prepared to spend one hundred pounds plus on a fast high speed modem, knowing that it might be put on the shelf to gather dust after a few weeks, then I would advise they go for the high speed modem. But if like many, a person would like to dabble a bit and pay a small price to put their toe into the world of comms, then a 2400 modem is ideal for this.
You can normally pick a second hand one up from a friend who has got a spare one or perhaps from the local paper. You can expect to pay around thirty to thirty five pounds for one. You will also be able to grab some Public Domain comms software from an Acorn PD library. _ZANSI_"PD.Apps.Morph/121" springs to mind as I write this. If you spend some time using your 2400 modem and you find that it gets into your blood, then it is time to think about getting a nice shiny fast modem.
Whatever type of modem you decide to buy, you won't regret it, as a vast new world opens up where you don't have to wait for information and files to come to you; you go to it.
John
Why not phone John's own bulletin board, '_Digital Databank_"Regulars.£700Comp"' on (01707) 329306/323531.
