I cannot get my modem, printer, or webcam to work in BeOS 5 PE. I have heard that BeOS only supports external modems, but my modem's an internal & I don't have a spot to hook an external one up to. The specs are as follows: SuperVoice Motorola 56K Kflex modem, Lexmark Z12 Photoprinter, IBM PC Camera. Please assist.

As long as the hardware is supported, it'll work just fine. Check the BeOS Ready Hardware list.

If you've got something that isn't supported,you might be able to get it to work anyway. For example, BeOS does not officially support internal modems; however, I have never had any problems using internal modems under BeOS. (Modem tip: Only use "real" hardware modems that actually have a real UART, data pump, and controller, like most ISA internal modems and external modems. If you've got a controllerless ("WinModem") or HSP (Host Signal Processing) or other type of software-based modem, you might want to consider sending it to the nearest landfill. (Although I personally know people who have apparently never had problems with U.S. Robotics or 3Com WinModems, using these things is just asking for problems--especially if you want to use certain operating systems that expect actual hardware to talk to.) If your modem is a PCI modem or integrated into the system's motherboard, it is almost certainly a software-based modem (although there *are* some very, very few exceptions to this.)

Third party drivers for devices not officially supported can often be found at BeBits.com. If it's audio drivers you're looking for, check LeBuzz.com as well.

Printing has always been a weak spot for BeOS. This is because the developers wanted to get the core operating system exactly right before working on less critical aspects of the OS. Your best options are to print the way UNIX users have been printing for years--using character mode, PostScript, or GhostScript. (If your printer supports PostScript (or emulates it), you should have no problem.) I've seen a few third party printer drivers on BeBits, but as far as I remember, it was all for HP printers and maybe a couple of models from Canon. Just use PostScript if your printer supports it.

I've never heard of the IBM PC Camera. Is this a USB device? It almost certainly isn't supported, but you might look around for third party support.

In short, if your modem's a real hardware modem, you'll have no problems, you may have to print using PostScript or GhostScript, and your camera probably won't work.

For a list of hardware supported under BeOS, check the BeOS Ready Hardware list.