Perhaps you've seen the ad in computer magazines: The flashy yellow surfboard with turbine engines.
It's the first skirmish in a techno war between two major modem manufacturers. The winner will reap big financial spoils by licensing its technology for millions of super-fast modems.
But before the war has even started, many think that a winner has emerged. More about that later.
Modem technology - with concepts like data compression, analog-to-digital conversion and something called Shannon's Limit - is enough to make the jaw slack and the eyes glaze over. Simply put, here's how the new super-fast modems work:
Most home PCs today use modems that can send 28,800 bits per second. The fastest standard modems available can send 33,600 bits per second, if you have a very good connection.
These modems use an analog signal (it modulates), and it's affected by other electrical signals along the way, called noise. Because of basic laws of physics, the most data you can move on a home line is about 35,000 bits per second, and many home users never get beyond 28,000 bps.
(Some PC users might be confused, since they may see ''Connecting at 57,600 bps'' messages from their computers. That's because v.34, 28.8 kbps modems use compression, which can double the amount of data sent.)
The pokey analog signal is necessary for the copper phone wires in homes. But after the signal leaves the home, it passes to digital circuits used by the phone company. These circuits carry lots of information at very high speeds. If a PC modem could send a digital signal, it would really zoom.
That's the idea behind the two competing technologies. They treat the copper phone line as an extension of the digital phone company network and have figured out a way to move data over the short copper section at digital speeds.
Still confused? OK, the bottom line: Using one of these new 56K modems, Web pages and America Online's graphics pop on your screen much, much faster. It's almost like having an expensive ISDN line.
But there's a caveat: X2 modems and K56Flex modems can't talk to each other.
So before you run out to buy a 56K modem, make sure that whomever you want to call supports that modem.
To be really safe, you should contact your ISP and ask its tech folks which 56K modem to buy.
It's not always going to be this way. In about a year, the modem industry will agree on a 56K standard, and everyone will be talking again.
The two standards are:
- X2 from U.S. Robotics http://x2.usr.com .USR claims to have 100 Internet service providers using X2 modems, including one in Cincinnati, WWW Internet Solutions http://www.isoc.net .And the company has the mother of all online services, America Online, in its camp (use keyword X2 to read about it). Unfortunately, only a few cities (not Cincinnati) have local AOL numbers for X2 access.
- K56Flex, developed by Lucent Technologies and Rockwell. Rockwell, which makes the chips used in most modems, claims to have agreements with more than 600 high-tech companies (including Compaq, AST and Toshiba) and more than 500 service providers (AOL isn't mentioned).
Locally, One.Net will soon be offering K56Flex connections, according to company executive Rodney Sizemore. (The Enquirer's GoCincinnati! service has not announced which 56K technology it will support.)
Industry watchers think that while X2 was the first technology on the market, K56Flex will win the war. According to a study by Rockwell and electronics industry analyst Dataquest, Rockwell chip sets are used in a majority of ISP telecommunication hardware. Network heavyweights such as Motorola and 3Com have lined up behind K56Flex. And U.S. Robotics recently merged with 3Com.
So here's some 50-cent advice:
While the 56K modems are very tempting ($150-$200 for blazing speed), wait to see what your ISP or online service is doing. And if you want to jump in early, be prepared to upgrade in a year or so.
E-mail Charles Brewer with questions, comments and suggestions at CBrewer@enquirer.com Charles Brewer's columns can be found at http://enquirer.com/columns/brewer