hrose@eff.org (Helen Trillian Rose) (06/14/91)
(I'm fairly new to the NeXT community so no newbie flames please :-) I'm looking for a fax machine to hang off of a NeXT Cube (with an 040 board running System Software version 2.) Some kind of "lpr" interface would be nice, because we have a Sun that we'd like to send things from, also. Thanks! --Helen -- Helen Trillian Rose <hrose@cs.bu.edu, hrose@cobalt.cco.caltech.edu, hrose@eff.org>
dave@nucleus (Dave Coder) (06/14/91)
In article <HROSE.91Jun13170944@eff.org> hrose@eff.org (Helen Trillian Rose) writes: > (I'm fairly new to the NeXT community so no newbie flames please :-) > > I'm looking for a fax machine to hang off of a NeXT Cube (with an 040 > board running System Software version 2.) Some kind of "lpr" interface > would be nice, because we have a Sun that we'd like to send things > from, also. > > Thanks! > > --Helen > -- > > Helen Trillian Rose > <hrose@cs.bu.edu, hrose@cobalt.cco.caltech.edu, hrose@eff.org> I've had the InterFax 24/96 FX from Abaton working for several weeks (Next Connection in Vermont has a good price). Installation using /NextApps/PrintManager is simple. The interface for outgoing fax is like computers are supposed to be--it works the first time and spools to run in background (and it sends you a mail message to report its success). Anything you can print you can fax. With the needed options--fax cover letter, automatic page count sent, etc. (Clone your letterhead (scan it or make a template using a word processor) and use it as your default cover sheet.) Problems: won't answer incoming fax; still needs to be setup. The Abaton (Everex makes it for the Mac) modem has a 40 character limit (could be a problem with long strings for long distance service access and credit card numbers). A few oddities seen with printing to fax from FrameMaker--not consistent enough to see a real pattern. I haven't tried setting it up as 2400 data modem yet. This and most of the problems mentioned above should be fairly easy to fix. This on the list of things to get done Real Soon Now.
mikec@wam.umd.edu (Michael D. Callaghan) (06/16/91)
In article <1991Jun14.003752.12627@milton.u.washington.edu> dave@nucleus (Dave Coder) writes: >In article <HROSE.91Jun13170944@eff.org> hrose@eff.org (Helen Trillian Rose) >writes: >> (I'm fairly new to the NeXT community so no newbie flames please :-) >> >> I'm looking for a fax machine to hang off of a NeXT Cube (with an 040 >> board running System Software version 2.) Some kind of "lpr" interface >> would be nice, because we have a Sun that we'd like to send things >> from, also. >> >> Thanks! >> >I've had the InterFax 24/96 FX from Abaton working for several weeks (Next <<Stuff Deleted>> > >Problems: won't answer incoming fax; still needs to be setup. The Abaton >(Everex makes it for the Mac) modem has a 40 character limit (could be a >problem with long strings for long distance service access and credit card >numbers). A few oddities seen with printing to fax from FrameMaker--not >consistent enough to see a real pattern. > >I haven't tried setting it up as 2400 data modem yet. This and most of the >problems mentioned above should be fairly easy to fix. This on the list of >things to get done Real Soon Now. I would like to point out that the DoveFax, while small and frail looking, has not yet failed me once. It answers every call, and FAXes every message. From Frame, TopDraw, Edit, or whatever. What I would like to know is this: Is there a way to FAX a document from the Command Line? MikeC -- --------------------------------------------------------- Michael D. Callaghan, MDC Designs, University of Maryland ---------------------------------------------------------
Irving_Wolfe@happym.wa.com (06/16/91)
I have been using Dove Computer's DoveFax for NeXT product for a few months, and it works well. (It doubles as a 2400 baud data modem, but we have never used that feature.) I think Dove's is the least expensive of the fax modems available for the NeXT, yet it is compact, robust, and reliable, I'm happy to say, definitely one of the better third-party products we've used. We have not done an lpr interface, but I believe that that would be fairly straightforward.
glenn@heaven.woodside.ca.us (Glenn Reid) (06/17/91)
Michael D. Callaghan writes > In article <1991Jun14.003752.12627@milton.u.washington.edu> dave@nucleus (Dave Coder) writes: > >I've had the InterFax 24/96 FX from Abaton working for several weeks (Next > > <<Stuff Deleted>> > >Problems: won't answer incoming fax; still needs to be setup. > > A few oddities seen with printing to fax from FrameMaker--not > >consistent enough to see a real pattern. > I would like to point out that the DoveFax, while small and frail looking, > has not yet failed me once. > > It answers every call, and FAXes every message. From Frame, TopDraw, Edit, > or whatever. My DoveFax has performed flawlessly since I took it out of the box, too. It was easy to set up, and it has handled every fax, both incoming and outgoing, that has come up. This includes FrameMaker and lots of other apps, and lots of incoming faxes as well. I chose it over the Abaton fax by very scientific method: the Dove sales person called me back right away and was courteous, helpful, and friendly. The Abaton rep did not, and was not, so I bought the Dove :-) It looks like I did the right thing, by accident :-) > What I would like to know is this: Is there a way to FAX a document from > the Command Line? Sure, if it's a PostScript file. You can use "lpr" to ship it to the "printer", something like "lpr -Pfax_machine file.ps" -- Glenn Reid RightBrain Software glenn@heaven.woodside.ca.us NeXT/PostScript developers ..{adobe,next}!heaven!glenn 415-326-2974 (NeXTfax 326-2977)
glenn@heaven.woodside.ca.us (Glenn Reid) (06/17/91)
Glenn Reid writes > Michael D. Callaghan writes > > What I would like to know is this: Is there a way to FAX a document from > > the Command Line? > > Sure, if it's a PostScript file. You can use "lpr" to ship it to the > "printer", something like "lpr -Pfax_machine file.ps" I think I spoke too soon. I don't think this works. Sorry about that. -- Glenn Reid RightBrain Software glenn@heaven.woodside.ca.us NeXT/PostScript developers ..{adobe,next}!heaven!glenn 415-326-2974 (NeXTfax 326-2977)
louie@sayshell.umd.edu (Louis A. Mamakos) (06/17/91)
To lpr files to the Fax Modem directly, you have to arrange to have some additional PostScript comments inserted in the document header which specify destination phone number, etc. Grab a copy of the file out of the spool directory while its being transmitted to get an idea of what's going on. Yes, this is the ugly way to find this out. It is not, to my knowledge, documented. BTW, I've got a Dove Fax modem on my cube at work, and it works just great. louie
eps@toaster.SFSU.EDU (Eric P. Scott) (06/17/91)
In article <1991Jun17.020823.1506@ni.umd.edu> louie@sayshell.umd.edu (Louis A. Mamakos) writes: >Yes, this is the ugly way to find this out. It is not, to my knowledge, >documented. Look in Developer RelNotes for AppKit. -=EPS=-
mheubi@itr.ch (Heubi Matthias) (06/18/91)
louie@sayshell.umd.edu (Louis A. Mamakos) writes: >I've got a Dove Fax modem on my cube at work, and it works just >great. A few people state that they are really happy with their Dove Fax modems. so, WHERE CAN I GET IT ??? and how much is it?! is it able to recognize both, modem and fax calls and to route them correctly to fax-reader/getty/SLIP? I heard there are some problems by mixing both, modem and fax operation. Matthias -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Matthias Heubi / NeXT / Atari ST / HP-48SX / mheubi@itr.ch -----------------------------------------------------------------------
aozer@next.com (Ali Ozer) (06/20/91)
In article <536@heaven.woodside.ca.us> Glenn Reid writes: >Glenn Reid writes: >>Michael D. Callaghan writes >>> What I would like to know is this: Is there a way to FAX a document from >>> the Command Line? >> Sure, if it's a PostScript file. You can use "lpr" to ship it to the >> "printer", something like "lpr -Pfax_machine file.ps" >I think I spoke too soon. I don't think this works. Sorry about that. It doesn't; but to make it work all you need is the following in the header: %%NXFaxNumber: 415 555-1234 %%NXFaxTo: Building 67 %%NXFaxNotify: NO %%NXFaxHires: YES Someone can probably write some script to insert these lines (with the appropriate values inserted) into a regular .ps file before shipping it off to lpr as Glenn suggests. However, I should note that this is not a documented feature and can very well go away or be changed in a future release. Ali, Ali_Ozer@NeXT.com
cyliao@eng.umd.edu (Chun-Yao Liao) (06/23/91)
A lot more people seem to be interested in fax modem for NeXT now. FYI
I ordered the 9600 modem package from Neuron Inc (Gee! they are REALLY
busy people). I should be receiving it this comming Monday or Tuesday.
I've heard good comments from people at comp.dcom.modems who use that
same modem on other platforms
I will give a brief preview once I have it installled.
--
cyliao@bagend.eng.umd.edu o Q. Who am I?
NeXTmail o.k. o A. A NeXTed person with 320meg HD and OD
I have MailService o An Apple // guy
and a 2400 modem w/o MNP o An airplane pilot (I hope)jim@shiva.com (Jim Rinaldo) (06/25/91)
The Boston Computer SocietyUs Next group just ran an article on Fax modems with the Next. It is in the vol 3 #3 May U91 issue and reviews the Abaton, Dove and HSD OCR Servant products. Check it out! There is also a look at a number of SCSI devices we hooked up to a Pizza Box one meeting. Jim Rinaldo BCS-Next My opinions, etc. etc...