gsnow@pro-freedom.cts.com (Gary Snow) (08/30/90)
Can anyone recommend a GOOD FAX modem (2400baud Modem/9600baud FAX), and
REALLY GOOD FAX modem software......I have heard that the InterFAX FAX modem
and the BackFAX software are pretty good......which out of them all is the
best to get?
Gary
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UUCP: ogicse!clark!pro-freedom!gsnow | Pro-Freedom: 206/253-9389
ProLine: gsnow@pro-freedom | Vancouver, Wa
ARPANet: crash!pro-freedom!gsnow@nosc.mil | Apple*Van
InterNet: gsnow@pro-freedom.cts.com | Vancouver Apple Users Groupboris@world.std.com (Boris Levitin) (08/30/90)
gsnow@pro-freedom.cts.com (Gary Snow) writes: >Can anyone recommend a GOOD FAX modem (2400baud Modem/9600baud FAX), and >REALLY GOOD FAX modem software......I have heard that the InterFAX FAX modem >and the BackFAX software are pretty good......which out of them all is the >best to get? First, it's 2,400 and 9,600 bps, not baud. Baud means one bit of the transmi- ssion, bps refers to one bit of the data being sent. High-speed modems (2,400 bps and, I believe, even 1,200 bps) compress more than one bit of the data being sent into a bit actually sent across the serial port; the 1,200/2,400 rating refers to how much source data they can send, i.e. bits per second (bps). Now: BackFax comes with most faxmodems out there (except for Prometheus ones), and I don't really see much reason to treat them other than as commodities: features vs. price. Consider, though, the ProModem 9600M from Prometheus (that comes with its own background-faxing [networkable] and communications [Mackno- wledge] software packages): 9,600 bps fax AND 9,600 bps (effective throughput up to 19,200) MNP-5 data modem, $1,000 or cheaper at certain mail-order places. Boris Levitin ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- WGBH Public Broadcasting, Boston boris@world.std.com Audience & Marketing Research wgbx!boris_levitin@athena.mit.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (The opinions expressed herein are my own and do not necessarily coincide with those of my employer or anyone else. The WGBH tag is for ID only.)
mikek@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Mike Kranzdorf) (08/31/90)
In article <1990Aug30.142804.6645@world.std.com> boris@world.std.com (Boris Levitin) writes: >gsnow@pro-freedom.cts.com (Gary Snow) writes: > >>Can anyone recommend a GOOD FAX modem (2400baud Modem/9600baud FAX), and >>REALLY GOOD FAX modem software......I have heard that the InterFAX FAX modem >>and the BackFAX software are pretty good......which out of them all is the >>best to get? I have an Aboaton Interfax 24/96 and it works very well. I receive faxes without even noticing, and they print just fine (although it's slow to print, as any tiff-like image is). The fax-maker chooser device works fine too. It comes with two good manuals, one for the modem part and one for the fax part. There are ads for $370 or so. --mike internet: mikek@boulder.colorado.edu uucp:{ncar|nbires}!boulder!mikek
gsnow@pro-freedom.cts.com (Gary Snow) (09/02/90)
In-Reply-To: message from mikek@boulder.Colorado.EDU
What about the Dove Fax modem.......the price of $279 seems to good to be
true.
Gary
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UUCP: ogicse!clark!pro-freedom!gsnow | Pro-Freedom: 206/253-9389
ProLine: gsnow@pro-freedom | Vancouver, Wa
ARPANet: crash!pro-freedom!gsnow@nosc.mil | Apple*Van
InterNet: gsnow@pro-freedom.cts.com | Vancouver Apple Users Groupcox@stpstn.UUCP (Brad Cox) (09/03/90)
In article <25472@boulder.Colorado.EDU> mikek@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Mike Kranzdorf) writes: >In article <1990Aug30.142804.6645@world.std.com> boris@world.std.com (Boris Levitin) writes: >>gsnow@pro-freedom.cts.com (Gary Snow) writes: > >I have an Aboaton Interfax 24/96 and it works very well. I receive faxes >without even noticing, and they print just fine (although it's slow to >print, as any tiff-like image is). The fax-maker chooser device works fine too. >It comes with two good manuals, one for the modem part and one for the fax >part. I have an Abaton 24/96. Although I'm delighted with its *functionality*, I'm extremely unhappy with its *implementation*, to the point that I'd not recommend buying it until the next release, or at least buying from a fax vendor with better software. The biggest problem is that the InterFax application is problematic under MultiFinder. The problem is performance related, not an out and out crash. I noticed that it was taking forever to format a rather ordinary Word document with a couple of graphics in it (i.e. over an hour formatting a single page for background transmission, during which all other Macintosh capabilities are locked out...totally modal) I called InterFax customer support and they asked if I was using MultiFinder. Sure enough, when I rebooted under unifinder it clipped along at its normal snail's pace. Rebooting to get unifinder is totally unacceptable. That's the fatal problem. The others are more subjective. Although sending and sending faxes via Mac seems wonderful at first, the glory quickly pales once you begin using the thing for real. The problem is not with the fax send/receive process itself, which is acceptably fast and reliable. The problem is in the speed with which incoming faxes can be viewed and printed (intolerably slow), and with which outgoing faxes are converted into disk-resident form for background transmission. Intolerably slow and clumsy. The InterFax application itself is the source of the former problem, and the printer driver that converts to disk-resident form the latter. The application is wildly inconvenient to use (bad user interface). -- Brad Cox; cox@stepstone.com; CI$ 71230,647; 203 426 1875 The Stepstone Corporation; 75 Glen Road; Sandy Hook CT 06482
drew@objy.com (Drew Wade) (09/06/90)
In article <1990Aug30.080649.3959@clark.edu> gsnow@pro-freedom.cts.com (Gary Snow) writes: >Can anyone recommend a GOOD FAX modem (2400baud Modem/9600baud FAX), and >REALLY GOOD FAX modem software......I have heard that the InterFAX FAX modem >and the BackFAX software are pretty good......which out of them all is the >best to get? > There's a recent (last couple months?) article comparing fax modems in either macuser or macworld. We just installed Orchid's faxmodem with the faxgate plus software from solutions. It allows any user on the net to send faxes just like s/he sends email with quickmail (works with ms mail ,too, they say). Also, users can send application documents with print command like in backfax, except backfax is limited to one user, and faxgate plus (with their "mailsaver" feature) allows you to address it like any quickmail mail. Seems very nice. Only complaint so far (after a couple week's use) is that it cannot be used for both faxmodem and quickmail's dial-in-to-get-you-mail modem. Maybe that's much to ask, though they say they will do it in future. For now, you must install regular modem on quickmail server (if you want to allow dial-in access to mail) and install faxmodem and faxgate software on a different mac, using some cycles and memory on that machine and another phone line. -Drew Wade drew@objy.com -- ---- Drew Wade drew@objy.com
kap1@phyllis.math.binghamton.edu (Dietrich Kappe) (09/07/90)
I have absolutely no problems with the speed/functionality of the Interfax 24/96 Hdw & Sftw. I run this stuff on a stock mac+ with 1meg under multifinder. No waits, no fails, no crashes. --Dietrich--
kjelll@dront.nada.kth.se (Kjell Lundesten) (11/03/90)
We are about to develop an application on the Macintosh which will include a number of faxes. One immediate problem we discovered is the need for a fax to which communication can be made via an API (Application Programming Interface), i.e. controlling the fax transmissions from our program. I would very much like to receive information in this matter. Please reply by mail to kjelll@dront.nada.kth.se Thanks