USB (*gasp*) modem?

[Joshua Judson Rosen]

Ben Scott <dragonhawk at gmail.com> writes:
>
>   If the laptop doesn't have an RS-232 port, one can obtain
> USB<->RS232 adapters for small money.  The later are a
> well-established product with a universal interface (USB serial
> communications class.  They shouldn't need vendor-specific drivers
> under any OS that supports USB.

Oh, you'd be surprised. Apparently there are a zillion different
USB<->RS232 adapter chipsets, and a zillion different drivers
required to drive them. Linux is in good shape here, but some
of other OSes..., not so much. Mac OS X, for example, needs
third-party drivers to be able to use the most popular adapter-chips--
and what's more, the drivers apparently suck and tend to crash the whole OS.

> These also come in handy for connecting to the serial consoles on
> routers, switches, and other IT gear.  Small pieces, loosely joined.

It's funny--I was discussing working definitions of "nerd" with
a colleague, the other day..., and one of the two qualifications
that we came up with was something like `carries a multitude
of interconnectable devices'....

-- 
"Don't be afraid to ask (λf.((λx.xx) (λr.f(rr))))."