I'm sure major $ are being burned to find out how price sensitive the consumer is... but $895/mo, even if it is deductible, is outside my parameters by about the distance a bullet can travel.<g>
Ameritech provides the local phone service where I am and their ADSL deal is probably representative: $150 to install "their" modem, $45/mo for the service, but you must use them as an ISP and use the NN browser. I am also assuming I would need to fish a new direct line from the telco box, thru the house to the computer, using Cat 5 wire, rather than the Radio Shack extension wire I fished in 3 years ago for a second phone line. If I understand what you are saying, that still leaves open the possibility of traffic jams.
The last time I checked, they would only allow use of "their" modem, which is an obvious obstacle to the Intel lead consortium, whose intention was to have a DSL modem on the market by this Christmas, which would technically obsolesce the V.90. It appears that the V.90 56k has not penetrated the market to the extent that it makes sense to bring out the DSL, (not to mention that most of the ISP's haven't even caught up to V.90 accessibility nationwide).
I would spend $200 on "my" DSL modem and have it installed if that left me the same options currently available with the V.90, but I don't think we are there yet. $45/mo for service is tolerable IF it includes the ISP fee, but I want to select my ISP. Any market survey lurkers to this thread can throw that into the mix. I would think it representative of a home user.
For now I will wait to see what washes out next year and put up with the the agony that even the 56k V.90 subjects me to. The added graphics to all of the sites offset any speed gain, such that even though the connection is 52k, it takes just as much time as connecting at 9600 "baud" eight years ago. (I realize I can turn off the graphics).
If you are still reading at this point, thanks for listening.
Jim |
