Modem Ratings

March 1997 / BYTE Hardware Lab Report / Modem Ratings

Best Overall: U.S. Robotics Courier V.Everything/V.34


Ratings
                                    

Top performance, excellent documentation, and business-like features
make the Courier BYTE's choice for Best Overall among the 33.6-Kbps
external modems tested. Achieving an average of 91 percent of the
maximum possible performance in NSTL's throughput tests, the Courier
also had excellent results in both the impaired-line and TIA tests.  

                    Price  Tech-  Implemen-  Perfor- Features  Usabil-  
Overall

                           nology  tation     mance              ity    
Rating



U.S. Robotics       $395    ****    ****      *****    *****    *****    *****

 Courier V.Everything/V.34

Zoom V.34X Plus     $189    ****    ****      ****     ****     *****    ****

Diamond Supra-      $249    ****    ****      ****     ****     *****    ****
 Sonic 336V+

Cardinal MVPV34XSP  $169    ****    ****      ****     ****     ****     ****
 33.6 Speakerphone

Motorola VoiceSURFR $179    ****    ***       ****     ***      ****     ***
 33.6

Digicom ScoutPro    $395    ****    ***       ****     ***      ****     ***

Logicode Quicktel   $270    ****    ***       ****     ****     **       ***
 II 33X-ASP-C

Boca V34 33.6       $239    ****    ***       ****     **       ****     ***
 BOCAMODEM

Best Data Smart-    $159    ****    ****      ***      ****     ****     ***
 One 33.6 FLX

Practical Periph-   $109    ****    ***       ****     ***      **       ***
 erals PM336MT INET

Global Village      $239    ****    ***       ****     ****     **       ***
 TelePort 33.6
 Speakerphone

Hayes Accura 336    $169    ****    ***       ****
     ****     **       ***

Archtek SmartLink   $209    ****    **        ****     ***      *        **
 3334AV


Key:

***** Outstanding
**** Very Good
*** Good
** Fair
* Poor


Weightings:


Performance: 65%
Features:    15%
Usability:    9%
Price:        6%
Technology:   5%

Best Data Modem: U.S. Robotics Courier V.Everything/V.34


Ratings


The criterion for Best Data Modem is speed and only speed. BYTE uses
the results of NSTL's throughput, impaired-line, and TIA tests to me
asure modem performance. The Courier V.Everything/V.34 finished first
in the throughput tests (especially in the two-way transfer tests)
and had above-average performance in all the other tests.

                    Price  Tech-  Implemen-  Perfor- Features  Usabil-  
Overall

                           nology  tation     mance              ity    
Rating


U.
S. Robotics       $395   ****     ****      *****    *****    *****    *****
 Courier V.Everything/V.34

Cardinal            $169   ****     ****      ****     ****     ****     ****
 MVPV34XSP 33.6 Speakerphone

Logicode Quicktel   $270   ****     ***       ****     ****     **       ***
 II 33X-ASP-C

Zoom V.34X Plus     $189   ****     ****      ****     ****     *****    ****


Key:

***** Outstanding
**** Very Good
*** Good
** Fair
* Poor


Weightings:
  

Performance: 65%
Features:    15%
Usability:    9%
Price:        6%
Technology:   5%

Low-Cost Modem: Zoom Telephonics V.34X Plus


Ratings


The V.34X Plus offers the second-best-overall score and a price of
just $189. If you're looking for voice features, both the Cardinal
MVPV34XSP 33.6 Speakerphone and Motorola's VoiceSURFR 33.6 modems
provide speakerphone capability for under $200.



                    Price  Tech-  Implemen-  Perfor- Features  Usabil-  Overall
                           nology  tation     mance              ity    Rating

Zoom V.34X Plus     $189    ****    ****       ****    ****     *****    ****
Cardinal MVPV34XSP  $169    ****    ****       ****    ****     ****     ****
 33.6 Speakerphone

Motorola VoiceSURFR $179    ****    ***        ****    ***      ****     ***
 33.6

Best Data SmartOne  $159    ****    ****       ***     ****     ****     ***
 33.6 FLX


Key:

***** Outstanding
**** Very Good
*** Good
** Fair
* Poor


Weightings:


Performance: 65%
Features:    15%
Usability:    9%
Price:        6%
Technology:   5%

Matthew Wilson
My approach to software engineering is far more pragmatic than it is theoretical--and no language better exemplifies this than C++.

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