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By James E. Powell
In a sea of communications devices, there lurks a shark. Just when you thought it was safe to go online, fax documents and use voice mail, it is-with the new Shark Tiger 288R, a card that combines modem and audio features.
This standard ISA card offers digital simultaneous voice and data (DSVD) with a 28.8Kbps data/14.4Kbps fax modem.
The Tiger 288R supports the standard error-correction protocols (MNP2 to MNP4 and V.42LAPM) and data compression (MNP5 and V.42bis). The Hayes-compatible board has a 16C550 UART.
This eclectic card is Sound Blaster and Sound Blaster Pro compatible, and you can upgrade to wavetable capability. The Tiger 288R has a CD-Audio connector, an MPC2-compatible IDE CD-ROM interface, a microphone jack, a speaker/line-out connector and a MIDI/joystick port. A microphone is included.
Global Village Communication's FaxWorks Voice and Data 3.0 handles the telephony operations. It provides a full-duplex speakerphone, voice mail and a call center with multiple mailboxes. You can send single faxes or broadcasts.
Media Rack, the bundled audio software component, lets you play MIDI and .WAV files, and CD-Audio. The Tiger 288R can record with sample rates as high as 44kHz, and record and play back at either 16 or 8 bits.
With Windows 95, installing the modem is a Plug-and-Play affair. But the documentation couldn't bail me out when I tried a Windows 3.1 installation. A call to tech support saved the day.
The Shark Tiger 288R is a single-board solution that will help you navigate treacherous communications waters.
Info File
Shark Tiger 288R
Price: $239.95
Pros: Software; Hayes compatibility
Cons: Documentation
Platforms: Windows 95; 3.1x
Shark Multimedia
800-800-3321, 408-987-5400
WinMag Box Score: 3.0
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