🚀 go-pugleaf

ctually, running TOPS remotely is easy (read trivial) -- all you need is
two Hayes InterBridges, one on each end of the phone line. It's all
transparent ...
 
Some practical notes (you knew it wasn't that easy, right?) --
 
(1) You also need two modems, and the faster the better; we're running
now with Hayes 2400 modems and TOPS keeps beeping about "attempting to
connect to server". The server responds eventually, just not quickly.
Possibly the US Robotics 9600 baud async modems would work; we haven't
tried them or asked them yet.
 
(2) It's not (by most users standards) cheap; list price for InterBridges
is $699 (each), plus modems (Hayes 2400) list at $899 (again, each).
 
(3) TOPS itself works fine, and the file transfers are pretty efficient.
BUT -- if you want to see your desktop in the Finder, that implies the
transfer of the Desktop file ... (let's see: 65K bytes [on my big disk]
at 2400 baud is about 5 minutes, just to open the disk  :-( )
 
A couple of other comments:
 
-- things other than the Finder are great! It's neat to use the LaserWriter
over the phone, the Chooser works fine, mail systems are fine, etc.
 
-- AppleShare DOESN'T work, though.  (Well, it tries ... you can connect to
a server, etc., but transfers timeout way too fast for 2400 baud.)
 
 
Barry Smith
Kellerman & Smith