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There are many new computers out there. Unfortunately, all products have their failures. If you seek technical assistance and are met with the excuse "Your computer must have a virus...", do not settle for this excuse. The technical support rep you're speaking with is most likely trying to shed responsibility . . . . . a techno run-around. On that note, looking for a great virus information resource? Give McAfee a click at www.mcafee.com They're well respected by high-end users. For a non-commercialized ellaboration about viruses, see Bob Kanish's An Overview of Computer Viruses and Antivirus Software
Get in the habit of getting customer support from the manufacturer's website (not talking only about computers here). In many cases, other consumers are having (or have had) the same problem you're having. So, the manufacturer makes the info/tech support answers available on their website. They save overhead on "live operators" and you get your answer faster; everybody wins!!
In seeking an access provider, look for long-term contracts.
What I didn't have time to say on "the air". . . . . .
1997 is sure to see the restructuring of pricing related to Internet Access. With each passing day, there are new and useful things to do on the Internet's WWW. Along with this growth in content, there comes the consumption of network equipment resources. This means that access providers will need to increase equipment spending to compensate for the increased needs of each of their access customers. Hence, the death of unlimited access for $19.95 as we currently know it. We may be in store for some form of metered access. This being measured either by the length of time you're on-line, or the amount of information (in bytes) you access (or download into your browser).
If you (or someone you know) is in the market for a new modem, don't shop price. The current offering of dirt cheap "plug and play" (a.k.a. "plug and pray") modems can very likely leave you either:
- returning it to the retailer
- spending hours trying to get everything connected and recognized
- spending more hours on the phone listening to "Your call is very important to us. You will be forwarded to the next available customer support representative"....bla..di..bla...yak...yak...YUK !!
My own biased recommendations (based on actual experiences....results may vary):
- Go with a name brand
- Stay away from Cardinal
- Consider US Robotics first
- Also take a look at Motorola
You can cut corners on diskettes, cords, and mice, but never shop price when in the market for a modem.
Thanks for tunin' in !
Dave
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