Content area
Full Text
There are some options you just don't buy with a new car unless you're really going to use them. The same is true when buying a PC.
One decision is whether to buy PCs with preinstalled modems. By next year, more than one-third of the PCs in the U.S.--and more than two-thirds of the portables--will ship with preinstalled fax/modems. Although the numbers are growing and manufacturers are offering competitively priced modem options, buyers must still weigh the pros and cons.
Buying PCs with preinstalled modems is often cheaper and more convenient than installing modems later, but there are drawbacks.
One concern is matching user requirements. Some may need a simple 9.6K bit/sec. modem for an occasional file transfer, while others require a high-speed, 28.8K bit/sec. modem with the latest in error correction and data compression protocols. Furthermore, a 9.6K bit/sec. modem may not be enough for the next user, prompting a swap-out. Many users won't need a modem at all.
One relatively new alternative to the built-in modem is the LAN modem server, which in many cases can...