By Jim Forbes
If you pace the floor while waiting to download material from
the Web, you're not alone. And you'll likely wear out a lot more
shoe leather before things get better; many users still connect
at speeds of only 14.4Kbps or 28.8Kbps. According to at least
one key observer, the situation isn't about to change anytime
soon. "For the next four to five years, 28.8[Kbps] will be
the upper limit for most people," Microsoft chairman and
CEO Bill Gates said in a recent speech.
Although devices such as ISDN modems are now available even in
discount stores, many users find that hooking them up isn't easy.
And not all phone companies have the technology or skill to offer
ISDN.
However, companies such as Microsoft, US West, GTE and Bell Atlantic
are looking at innovations that could facilitate high-speed connections.
One of Microsoft's favorites is asymmetrical digital subscriber
lines (ADSLs), a new class of phone service that sends data to
your computer over packet-switched phone lines and common twisted-pair
wires at a blazing 6.144Mbps (outbound, it's still 640Kbps). ADSL,
however, is still a year or two away.
Time was when when school districts never thought of buying anything
but Apple computers. But over time, Intel-based PCs have made
huge inroads, and other companies are chasing this
market with a slew of new products and services. Compaq hopes
to enhance its server technology, while Microsoft has struck deals
with K-12 software developers and is offering Windows 95 upgrades
at big discounts to school districts.
