printers and fax machines and "all in one" devices suffer from this a lot too. I used to think I couldn't go wrong with HP products, but boy was I wrong. The problem is price and uneducated consumers- they think HP is a good name and an HP product (for example, but HP is not the only offender in this regard) at a good price is a good deal. Not so! Even the better brands go the Win modem route and sell products at a great price, but with a dumbed down chipset and software emulation. The fact that they push them out the door at sale prices makes it more likely that the average, noncritical consumer will have one in their office or home. Anymore I really do my homework before I buy. I think of it as planning for the future when I get windows/linux compatible stuff. Although it might be far off in computer years, I think there will be a day when windows fades and linux becomes king. Call me a dreamer.. [Linked Image]