<s>
Popcom	B-Device
(	O
an	O
abbreviation	O
of	O
Popular	O
Communications	O
)	O
was	O
a	O
line	O
of	O
modems	B-Application
marketed	O
by	O
the	O
Prentice	O
Corporation	O
of	O
Sunnyvale	O
,	O
California	O
,	O
introduced	O
in	O
1984	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
line	O
comprised	O
six	O
models	O
—	O
X100	O
,	O
X150	O
,	O
C100	O
,	O
C150	O
,	O
C200	O
,	O
C250	O
—	O
the	O
C	O
models	O
being	O
internal	O
modems	B-Application
meant	O
to	O
plug	O
into	O
a	O
free	O
ISA	B-Architecture
expansion	O
slot	O
of	O
a	O
PC	O
compatible	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
X	O
models	O
were	O
compact	O
external	O
units	O
intended	O
to	O
be	O
plugged	O
into	O
a	O
wall	O
indefinitely	O
and	O
connected	O
to	O
the	O
computer	O
via	O
a	O
serial	O
cable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
whole	O
line-up	O
of	O
modems	B-Application
were	O
largely	O
compatible	O
with	O
the	O
Hayes	B-Device
command	I-Device
set	I-Device
for	O
modem	B-Application
–	O
computer	O
communication	O
,	O
although	O
Prentice	O
programmed	O
an	O
extended	O
feature	O
set	O
onto	O
their	O
ROMs	O
,	O
which	O
allowed	O
the	O
modems	B-Application
to	O
recover	O
from	O
temporary	O
hiccups	O
in	O
transmissions	O
and	O
switch	O
between	O
voice	O
communication	O
and	O
data	O
transmission	O
nearly	O
on-the-fly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
a	O
successful	O
product	O
for	O
Prentice	O
,	O
making	O
the	O
company	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
top	O
manufacturers	O
of	O
modems	B-Application
for	O
IBM	B-Device
PCs	I-Device
and	O
compatibles	O
,	O
it	O
could	O
not	O
save	O
the	O
company	O
from	O
filing	O
for	O
bankruptcy	O
in	O
1989	O
,	O
after	O
which	O
the	O
Popcom	B-Device
modem	B-Application
line	O
was	O
discontinued	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
X100	O
—	O
the	O
flagship	O
product	O
in	O
the	O
Popcom	B-Device
range	O
—	O
is	O
an	O
external	B-Application
modem	I-Application
,	O
housed	O
in	O
a	O
beige	O
plastic	O
case	O
with	O
a	O
built-in	O
AC	O
power	O
adapter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
two-pronged	O
(	O
non-polarized	O
)	O
plug	O
is	O
molded	O
into	O
a	O
swiveled	O
hinge	O
,	O
allowing	O
it	O
to	O
hug	O
the	O
wall	O
when	O
the	O
modem	B-Application
is	O
plugged	O
directly	O
into	O
a	O
wall	O
socket	O
(	O
the	O
prongs	O
perpendicular	O
to	O
the	O
socket	O
and	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
the	O
unit	O
parallel	O
)	O
or	O
be	O
plugged	O
into	O
a	O
power	O
strip	O
(	O
the	O
entire	O
unit	O
perpendicular	O
to	O
the	O
strip	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
three	O
communications	O
ports	O
of	O
the	O
X100	O
include	O
the	O
RS-232	O
serial	O
port	O
(	O
a	O
female	O
DB-25	B-Protocol
connector	I-Protocol
)	O
,	O
a	O
modular	O
6P6C	O
port	O
for	O
telephone	O
handsets	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
modular	O
8P8C	O
port	O
that	O
connects	O
the	O
X100	O
to	O
the	O
wall	O
phone	O
jack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
communications	O
ports	O
are	O
located	O
opposite	O
the	O
AC	O
plug	O
,	O
or	O
at	O
the	O
base	O
of	O
the	O
modem	B-Application
when	O
the	O
modem	B-Application
is	O
plugged	O
into	O
the	O
wall	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
dimple	O
in	O
what	O
is	O
normally	O
the	O
rear	O
of	O
the	O
unit	O
contains	O
a	O
radial	O
potentiometer	B-Device
in	O
its	O
center	O
,	O
which	O
adjusts	O
the	O
volume	O
of	O
the	O
modem	B-Application
's	O
internal	O
speaker	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
recommended	O
order	O
of	O
operations	O
to	O
initialize	O
the	O
X100	O
is	O
to	O
first	O
plug	O
the	O
modem	B-Application
into	O
mains	O
power	O
,	O
then	O
to	O
connect	O
the	O
X100	O
to	O
the	O
computer	O
or	O
terminal	O
,	O
and	O
lastly	O
to	O
connect	O
the	O
X100	O
to	O
the	O
wall	O
phone	O
jack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prentice	O
intended	O
for	O
users	O
to	O
have	O
the	O
Popcom	B-Device
plugged	O
into	O
a	O
live	O
socket	O
at	O
all	O
times	O
;	O
the	O
X100	O
consumes	O
about	O
4watts	O
of	O
power	O
on	O
average	O
,	O
or	O
the	O
same	O
as	O
an	O
average	O
1980s-era	O
nightlight	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
compatible	O
with	O
both	O
the	O
Hayes	B-Device
command	I-Device
set	I-Device
and	O
the	O
Bell	O
212A	O
modulation	O
scheme	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prentice	O
laid	O
out	O
three	O
Hayes	B-Device
commands	I-Device
that	O
could	O
not	O
be	O
utilized	O
by	O
the	O
X100	O
,	O
namely	O
echoing	O
and	O
those	O
pertaining	O
to	O
transmitting	O
over	O
amateur	O
radio	O
,	O
but	O
these	O
were	O
seldom	O
used	O
by	O
the	O
vast	O
majority	O
of	O
personal	O
computer	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
X100	O
can	O
transmit	O
in	O
one	O
of	O
two	O
modes	O
:	O
in	O
strict	O
Hayes	B-Device
compatibility	I-Device
mode	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
X100	O
only	O
issues	O
commands	O
with	O
the	O
Hayes	O
set	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
Popcom	B-Device
mode	O
,	O
which	O
grants	O
the	O
X100	O
more	O
advanced	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Popcom	B-Device
mode	O
,	O
the	O
modem	B-Application
can	O
detect	O
if	O
it	O
hears	O
a	O
human	O
voice	O
on	O
the	O
line	O
,	O
if	O
it	O
hears	O
a	O
Bell	O
busy	O
signal	O
,	O
and	O
whether	O
the	O
system	O
on	O
the	O
other	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
line	O
is	O
transmitting	O
too	O
fast	O
or	O
too	O
slow	O
for	O
the	O
Popcom	B-Device
to	O
handle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Popcom	B-Device
mode	O
also	O
offers	O
19	O
additional	O
command	O
sets	O
for	O
tuning	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
seconds	O
it	O
will	O
take	O
for	O
a	O
data	O
connection	O
to	O
be	O
established	O
before	O
it	O
times	O
out	O
;	O
for	O
tuning	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
seconds	O
the	O
transmission	O
can	O
tolerate	O
in	O
disruptions	O
;	O
for	O
changing	O
the	O
escape	O
sequence	O
used	O
by	O
the	O
Popcom	B-Device
to	O
switch	O
between	O
transmitting	O
and	O
receiving	O
;	O
and	O
so	O
on	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Such	O
a	O
zip	O
tone	O
occurring	O
during	O
a	O
data	O
transmission	O
usually	O
proved	O
fatal	O
for	O
the	O
connection	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
Popcom	B-Device
could	O
have	O
carried	O
on	O
after	O
such	O
an	O
interruption	O
and	O
continue	O
receiving	O
data	O
,	O
albeit	O
with	O
errors	O
in	O
the	O
stream	O
,	O
which	O
may	O
have	O
been	O
correctable	O
with	O
error	O
detection	O
schemes	O
and	O
retransmission	O
capabilities	O
of	O
some	O
online	O
services	O
contemporary	O
to	O
the	O
Popcom	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
feature	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
was	O
contingent	O
on	O
both	O
the	O
caller	O
and	O
the	O
recipient	O
having	O
Popcom	B-Device
modems	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
X150	O
however	O
came	O
bundled	O
with	O
pfs:Access	O
for	O
DOS	B-Device
,	O
a	O
terminal	B-Application
emulator	I-Application
by	O
Software	O
Publishing	O
Corporation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
C100	O
,	O
C150	O
,	O
C200	O
,	O
and	O
C250	O
are	O
internal	O
models	O
in	O
the	O
Popcom	B-Device
lineup	O
,	O
meant	O
to	O
plug	O
into	O
any	O
ISA	B-Architecture
expansion	O
slot	O
of	O
a	O
PC	O
compatible	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
C100	O
and	O
C150	O
are	O
both	O
full-length	O
,	O
XT-case-height	O
expansion	O
cards	O
,	O
with	O
Will	O
R	O
.	O
Rosch	O
of	O
PC	O
Magazine	O
noticing	O
a	O
fair	O
amount	O
of	O
bodge	O
wires	O
on	O
the	O
board	O
,	O
overall	O
calling	O
its	O
design	O
"	O
obviously	O
dated	O
"	O
by	O
1987	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prentice	O
commissioned	O
the	O
Japanese	O
telecommunications	O
company	O
Telenetics	O
for	O
the	O
design	O
of	O
the	O
C200/C250	O
,	O
who	O
in	O
turn	O
based	O
their	O
circuit	O
design	O
around	O
a	O
2,400	O
-bit/s	O
modem	B-Application
chipset	B-Device
made	O
by	O
Rockwell	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
C200	O
and	O
C250	O
were	O
built	O
as	O
two	O
circuit	O
boards	O
sandwiched	O
together	O
via	O
pin	B-Protocol
headers	I-Protocol
and	I-Protocol
sockets	I-Protocol
;	O
the	O
sides	O
of	O
the	O
boards	O
where	O
there	O
are	O
components	O
face	O
toward	O
each	O
other	O
in	O
this	O
arrangement	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Popcom	B-Device
family	O
were	O
the	O
first	O
retail	O
products	O
of	O
Prentice	O
Corporation	O
,	O
a	O
Sunnyvale-based	O
company	O
who	O
had	O
a	O
long	O
history	O
of	O
manufacturing	O
modems	B-Application
for	O
large	O
businesses	O
since	O
their	O
foundation	O
in	O
1963	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
Popcom	B-Device
line	O
was	O
the	O
X100	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
X100	O
was	O
largely	O
designed	O
around	O
a	O
custom	O
LSI	O
chip	O
designed	O
for	O
power	O
efficiency	O
,	O
simplicity	O
in	O
user	O
interaction	O
,	O
and	O
reduction	O
in	O
the	O
size	O
of	O
the	O
modem	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
X100	O
was	O
announced	O
in	O
February	O
1984	O
and	O
released	O
to	O
retail	O
the	O
following	O
month	O
,	O
after	O
Prentice	O
had	O
secured	O
over	O
fifty	O
dealers	O
to	O
sell	O
the	O
modem	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
1985	O
,	O
Prentice	O
secured	O
a	O
deal	O
with	O
ComputerLand	O
for	O
the	O
latter	O
to	O
vend	O
the	O
Popcom	B-Device
at	O
all	O
675	O
of	O
ComputerLand	O
's	O
then-active	O
locations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
1985	O
,	O
Popcom	B-Device
signed	O
an	O
agreement	O
with	O
International	O
MarketNet	O
,	O
a	O
joint	O
venture	O
between	O
IBM	O
and	O
Merrill	O
Lynch	O
that	O
provided	O
an	O
early	O
online	O
stockbroking	O
service	O
,	O
to	O
distribute	O
the	O
Popcom	B-Device
among	O
its	O
customers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Stephen	O
Satchell	O
of	O
InfoWorld	O
called	O
the	O
Popcom	B-Device
X100	O
a	O
"	O
breeze	O
to	O
install	O
"	O
and	O
attractive	O
for	O
users	O
of	O
portable	B-Device
computers	I-Device
in	O
particular	O
due	O
to	O
its	O
small	O
size	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
We	O
have	O
some	O
reservations	O
,	O
but	O
transportable	O
computer	O
users	O
who	O
really	O
transport	O
their	O
computers	O
should	O
look	O
at	O
this	O
easy-to-pack	O
modem.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Writing	O
in	O
Microcomputing	O
,	O
Frank	O
J	O
.	O
Derfler	O
,	O
Jr.	O
,	O
said	O
:	O
"	O
Popcom	B-Device
is	O
going	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
significant	O
challenger	O
to	O
the	O
established	O
modem	B-Application
marketplace	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
I	O
recommend	O
it	O
to	O
anyone	O
contemplating	O
a	O
modem	B-Application
purchase.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
PC	O
Magazine	O
,	O
Derfler	O
also	O
wrote	O
that	O
,	O
"[t]aken	O
as	O
a	O
whole	O
,	O
the	O
Popcom	B-Device
represents	O
a	O
major	O
step	O
forward	O
for	O
modems	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rosch	O
,	O
also	O
in	O
PC	O
Magazine	O
,	O
was	O
more	O
critical	O
,	O
calling	O
the	O
X100/X150	O
"	O
a	O
refreshingly	O
original	O
design	O
of	O
doubtful	O
practicality	O
"	O
,	O
noting	O
that	O
the	O
Popcom	B-Device
would	O
be	O
liable	O
to	O
slip	O
out	O
of	O
worn-out	O
electrical	O
sockets	O
due	O
to	O
its	O
heft	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
singled	O
out	O
the	O
C200/C250	O
for	O
its	O
high	O
performance	O
among	O
the	O
crop	O
of	O
modems	B-Application
reviewed	O
that	O
issue	O
and	O
gave	O
it	O
the	O
Editor	O
's	O
Choice	O
ranking	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bill	O
Lamb	O
of	O
The	O
Paris	O
News	O
praised	O
the	O
X100	O
's	O
easy	O
of	O
use	O
and	O
out-of-sight	O
nature	O
and	O
wrote	O
that	O
,	O
"[f]or	O
its	O
price	O
and	O
characteristics	O
,	O
the	O
X100	O
is	O
a	O
step	O
ahead	O
of	O
the	O
pack	O
,	O
as	O
far	O
as	O
modems	B-Application
are	O
concerned.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Prentice	O
continued	O
selling	O
the	O
Popcom	B-Device
until	O
1989	O
,	O
when	O
it	O
dissolved	O
in	O
bankruptcy	O
proceedings	O
.	O
</s>
