🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <327@uhccux.UUCP> todd@uhccux.UUCP (The Perplexed Wiz) writes:
>I'd like to ask you net-folks for opinions if you have played with the
>Migent Pocket Modem any.  The street price of the Migent is supposed to
>be around $150, so the price is right for me.
>Thanks...todd

Talk about your coincidences... I just bought a Toshiba T100 laptop,
and as it is totally battery operated (when you want it to be), I
wanted a modem to go with it that I could use "from a phonebooth"
(so to speak). The salesman at Fry's Electronics (Sunnyvale, CA)
pushed the Migent Pocket Modem, at $149. I got one, and I've used
it (briefly, so far) both with the Toshiba and with my Fortune System.

With the Pocket Modem I got (included) the "Bitcom" communications
software, which seems to do the job. It seems to handle 9600 baud
o.k. (when I plug the Toshiba straight into the Fortune), and also
knows all about the Pocket Modem (of course). You set up a bunch
of predefined scenarios, and then to dial one of them you just
put the cursor on it and "dial". (Direct connect is one possibility.)

The modem itself is *TINY*, and is supposed to run for a long long
time on a 9v alkaline battery. It gives you a warning beep 20 min
before running out (if you don't diable the beep). It also comes
with an A/C adapter, BUT they were backordered (you get a little
coupon good for one when you send in your warranty registration card).
In addition, it comes with a modular telephone jumper cord (the
Pocket Modem has two jacks on the back, wired in parallel), a short
DB-25 extension cord (in case you can't screw the Modem directly on your
P.C. -- it's designed to screw right onto the back of an IBM or clone),
and even comes with a DB-9 to DB-25 cord (which is nice, since the Toshiba
uses a DB-9!).

All in all, not a bad deal for $149 + tax.

As I'll be mostly using it from the Bitcom software, I haven't looked
at the Hayes compatibility too much, but just looking at the manual
(actually, TWO manuals! one for the modem and one for the software,
about 120 pages total) it looks like a superset of most of the latest
and greatest Hayes functions, including some that are normally only
on the 2400 baud guys.  (After I get MINIX ported to the Toshiba,
I'll have to learn all the command sequences, I guess, in order to
teach Unix\\\\MINIX about it.) I did try a few of the usual, e.g.
"ATDT(800)555-1212<cr>", and it works.

Like I said, it seems to work o.k., but I haven't had a chance to
bang on it "in the field", so I don't know how it likes noisy lines.
Also, you would want to be quite careful with all the programmable
options if you were using it as a dialin modem to your host system
('cause there's a LOT of options, and you need to get them all right;
the Bitcom software takes care of that for a dialout-only situation).
It DOES use NVRAM for the options, so even if the battery dies (or
a power failure, if using an A/C adapter), you don't lose your
settings.

p.s. The software is not copy-protected, so you can move it to your
hard disk. In my case, I had to get it copied from the 5-1/4" disk
it comes on to the little 3-1/2" guys the Toshiba uses. (The salesman
at Fry's was kind enough to do that for me.)

p.p.s. The software claims to handle XMODEM file transfer, but I haven't
tested it yet.

DISCLAIMER: My only connection is as a (for the time being) satisfied
customer. ("More news at 11...")


Rob Warnock
Systems Architecture Consultant

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