Thanks everybody for your answers. The end of it is that now I know that there exist at least two programs, "KMsgModem" and "mepl" (see also www.freshmeat.net), and some hack to get my 3Com modem use Independent mode under Linux.
Being the 'technical' issue now solved, I've been left with some doubts about their (3Com) policy, and about their view of "customer satisfaction". What follow are just some comments that might be inappropriate to post in this 'technical' mailing list. I apologise to you if that would be the case. Or just skip them. ====== JUST SOME COMMENTS ======== About my complaint that their 3Com 56K Message Modem was NOT a windows-specific modem, and I expected some software under Linux to be around, here is how they answered to me: On Tue, 30 Nov 1999 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Hi Alberto, > Please read the minimum requirements in the box of the modem. It > doesn't > speak about linux or any Unix on there, only windows. I'm afraid that > there are no scripts available for Linux that use the ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > Independant mode capabilities. Which was not true, indeed. About the "minimum requirements" then, isn't it a bit like a computer manufacturer said: look, this Pentium computer is good for Windows only? I'm not an expert, but isn't a modem in the end just a piece of hardware that should be made to be programmed? Linux and Unix aren't this odd OSs that it's so difficult for a big company, as they are, to provide proper software for other OSs in the package or at least point you to some existing software. Why don't they do that? Shouldn't they be just happy if more people could happily purchase their products? I found interesting what some of you wrote: On Tue, 14 Dec 1999 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > It's probably something they want to keep hidden to boost use of that > other OS, I'm guessing. > I recently had a run-through with them regarding > a firmware update for my USR Sportster over a non-intel machine. On Tue, 14 Dec 1999, Emile Schwarz wrote: > I too have a 3Com USR 56K Message Plus Modem WITHOUT Windows. > I too am still waiting for answers... > But the specific software communication (voice/fax) sold in what > they > call a MacPak (350 Francs vat included) was out of date at the > time I > buy it (but I don't know that when I buy it). Should the conclusion be like Emile's: > So, I have to make my consumer work: the next Modem I have to buy > will > not be a 3Com, I check the software versions given in the box > before I > buy anything, etc... > > It's a shame... or maybe like ferret's: >Perhaps if enough people request support from 3com they'll start >offering >support. :> What do you think? Alberto. -/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/ Alberto Bigazzi, PhD. Dept. of Mathematics, Politecnico di Milano, -/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/ http://www1.mate.polimi.it/~albbig -/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/
