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Technology Stocks : Echostar Comm. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Noel who wrote (578)	1/19/1998 11:57:00 AM
From: Bret P	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1394

As I said, Direct Duo is really 2 separate systems bundled together with no price savings. Well, yes I agree. But my point had more to do with the system, or bundle of systems, being able to use ONE stationary dish. This is much different than DISH's mutiple dish solution with a switching device etc. I became aware of DirectPC a year or so ago when looking into Adaptec, which supplies PC cards for such applications. The download speed was completely overshadowed (IMO) by the necessity to maintain a normal ISP account, and the pricing of the service. Several different plans were presented, based on AM or PM usage. There was even a pricing scheme based on metering the amount of data. Direct PC using a stand alone dish was the final straw. The advent of this stationary multi-usage dish application has not made the system any more attractive to me. It does demonstrate GMH's aknowledgement of market demand for multiple services on a single fixed dish however. Alternatives are currently available from Datron and FutureTrak. These antenna system Co.s offer both mechanical dish versions which automatically adjust as the mobile unit (RV,boat) moves. More interesting is FutureTrak's flat receiver that requires no mechanics and can simultaneously receive multiple feeds. Those fancy little gyro servo motor dishes can run $1300.00 Don't know about FutureTrak's pricing yet... not cheap I bet. As for DirectPC, and available bandwidth check out AJ Berger at Message 2982985 a savvy consumer of internet products and 1 year user of DirectPC. I think it will be some time before anyone provides a simplified and economical source for multiple satellite services. Until someone offers something better, I with DISH!