| ★ HARDWARE ★ PERIPHERIQUES CPC - MODEMS ★ MODEM - WS 4000/GW 4000 ★ |
Let your PCW do the talking | MODEM - WS 4000/GW 4000 (8000PLUS) |
Lacking an RS232 interface, the PCW hardly seems an ideal micro for communications. Peter Worlock tries out Miracle Technology's WS4000 modem, which could change all that Computer communications has something of a suspect reputation among computer users Enthusiasts rate it as the best thing since the computer itself. The majority of users look on it as something potentially great -with a heavy emphasis on "potentially". But it's easy to overlook how far things have come in a few years. It isn't so long since comms meant manually-operated modems. all operating at 300 baud, and the only thing to connect to was an enthusiastic but amateurish bulletin board Now there are hundreds of bulletin boards, all of them enthusiastic but the majority of them highly professional. There is also a host of commercial services from the ubiquitous Prestel to electronic mail facilities. And, not least, there has been constant development of the modems themselves Today the auto-dial, auto-answer, multi-rate. "intelligent" modem is commonplace But some computers remain better suited to communications than others, and If you had to pick one that looked like a loser in the comms stakes, you'd probably tag the Amstrad PCW. For one thing it lacks an RS232 interface - the primary requirement of would-be communicators. And the lack of colour and viewdata graphics put it behind the field for services like Prestel Now PCW owners have been given a boost by Miracle Technology The Ipswich-based modem maker has released a spe cial version of its award-winning WS4000 intelligent modem When coupled with a good software package like Sagesoft's ChitChat (see panel). the WS4000 allows PCW communicators to hold their heads high. Features Instead of the normal RS232 cable, this version of the modem has a ribbon cable terminating in an edge-connector that plugs directly into the PCW's expansion bus, This means that fitting the modem to the micro is simple, and eliminates the need to buy an extra interface Miracle Technology has established a reputation for quality in the modem market, and this version of the WS4000 will do it no harm. The modem itself is of a size and shape to comfortably accommodate a telephone on top. but the ribbon cable is of precisely the right length to give you only one possible position - immediately next to the right side of the monitor. Since this is where 99 per cent of PCW owners will have their printers, some rearranging of the desk will be necessary. Pressing the reset switch, and turning the power on and off at the mains is as much as you can do from the outside Everything else is controlled through software. For this reason, you'll need a decent software package to get your moneys worth from the hardware. “Miracle Technology has established a reputation for quality in the modern market, Along the front of the modem is a row of status lights. These indicate power on, high speed mode, on line, terminal ready, request to send, clear to send, carrier detect, send data, receive data, and auto answer mode These lights may be off, blinking or steady on, depending on the modem's activities Once you become familiar with them you can determine at a glance the status of the modem, and whether it is functioning as expected You can watch them pushing out the number being dialled, and you'll also see the resulting tone - ringing, engaged or unavailable - blinking once dialling is complete. The modem itself is fully programmable -either through your own programs or through suitable software. For example, you can set the time the modem will ring a number before it gives up, how long it will wait after answering tor a carrier signal, how long after a carrier is lost before the modem hangs up (useful for overcoming temporary signal losses), whether the modem should re try an engaged number, and so on. The WS4000 is a multi-rate modem. The model under review supports full 300 and 1200/75 protocols, and 1200/1200 halfduplex. In auto-answer mode, you can set the number of rings required before the modem answers, and there are very powerful automatic search commands For example, you can set the modem so that it will try and determine the speed of the incoming transmission, match to it. and complete the connection. The accompanying documentation is thorough and clearly-written, with a host of practical examples In addition to the relevant user information, there's a section for potential software authors containing more detailed technical specs Conclusions The WS4000 was named penpheral of the year in last year's British Micro Awards, and was a deserving winner. There are cheaper modems around, but few match the WS4000 for features, and almost all of them require the purchase of an RS232 interface as well. Amstrad PCW owners looking for a high-quality modem at a reasonable price should put it high on their list of potential buys Product WS4000 V2123 modem
Popular Computing Weekly 87-05 |
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