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General discussion

Question about faxing...

Jan 8, 2007 4:59AM PST

I have understood that you can fax items from a computer... I have never needed to since I have a fax machine. However it is packed away and I need to fax something that is already on my computer anyway (I would have printed it out to fax it).

So... I have an iBook G4 OS Tiger.

Can I fax an item and how?

also...

It is connected via airport to DSL.

Would I have to use the built in phone modem to do the faxing or can the DSL connection do the work?

No real hurry... I have a day or two to get this done.

Thanks in advance for all help Happy

grim

PS: I will do a google search on this as well but any and all advice can sometimes speed up finding the best way to do such activities. Learn from other folks experience is good don't you know.

Discussion is locked

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The answer is, the internal modem
Jan 8, 2007 8:45AM PST

Unless you subscribe to one of the paid Fax services like eFax, you will not be able to send fax's over the DSL line.
The fax option, in the print menu, uses the internal modem (if fitted) to dial the fax number directly. While it works, it is nowhere near as functional as a dedicated fax program. Remember those?

P

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Dedicated fax programs?
Jan 8, 2007 10:19AM PST

No, don't remember those.

Question came to mind as I've researched this... and been side tracked more than once Wink... what types of files can be faxed from a computer? Word documents? PDF files? I guess one opens the file in its native program and the File > Print menu offers the Fax option?

Very interesting conundrum... dealing with a technology that is obsolete for some and used everyday by others!

They didn't teach this in my MS office class at college! Grin

grim

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Dedicated Fax Programs
Jan 8, 2007 8:43PM PST

Back in the day, before what we no know as the Internet, several software company's produced software that allowed you to send and receive fax's on your Mac.
FAXstf springs to mind. Programs contained address books, cover page generators, IN/OUT boxes, pending, etc., rather like today's email client.
Once email became so prevalent, faxing (on a Mac at least) kinda faded away, but not entirely. A quick Google search shows that SmithMicro, the makers of FAXstf, are still alive and well and have produced an OS X version of their software.

As to faxing from OS X without any additional software. The rules are, if you can print it, you can fax it.
Just hit print and select the fax option. There is not a lot of feedback from the software, but it does work.
FAXstf operates in much the same way. Once installed there is a FAX option in the File menu, usually revealed by pressing a modifier key (Option if I remember correctly) when you click on File.

Hope that clarifies things a little

P

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so the steps to get there...
Jan 8, 2007 10:00PM PST

1) Identify the document you want to print... if you can print it to 8-1/2"x11" to a printer, you can fax it.

2) connect the fax-modem on your iBook to a working phone line with an RJ11 cable... same kind your analog phone would use.

3) In System Preferences, select "Print and Fax" and "set up the Fax Modem". Fill in the blanks...

4) When you are ready, open the document you want to fax - Instead of printing to the printer, print to the fax machine. It should prompt you for the phone number of the far-side fax machine...

Any Mac with a built-in modem can do this - the newer Macs have dropped the built-in piece (the modem is now an optional external USB tail)...