🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <FPIBN-2@xds13.ferranti.com> peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva) writes:
   Like I said, it's a kludge that covers for an inadequate programming
   interface to the hardware.

True, it is a kludge.  There is a correct and standardized way to
control and dial a modem.  If all you need is to answer the phone, a
proper implementation of RS-232 will do the job.  (The usual way to
describe it is "with full modem control".)  If you need to dial the
phone, there is a standardized interface to control that, too.  (Dec
sold a device for the PDP-11 that enabled the computer to control a
standard auto-dialer.)

The problem is that all of this requires hardware which was usually
not supplied (in order to save $$$), and operating system support,
which was also usually not supplied (in order to save $$$ in
development).  In other words, it usually didn't work.

Hayes figured out a workable way to drive a modem and autodialer that
worked even if you had the most minimal hardware and operating system
support.  And as a result, Hayes-compatible modems have taken over the
auto-dialing niche of computer hardware.

Dale