Is a fax machine still a valid piece of office equipment?

[fastfredracing]

I broke mine about 3-4 months ago, and have not really missed it. I just request all documents that are being sent , be sent electronically. If I have to sign and return something, I simply print , sign, scan, and return.
I am just wondering if I should even bother replacing it. Would clear up a nice big place on my office counter.

[masraum]

Lots of people and places still use them, but your method is better.

[Steve Carlton]

I would keep one. Some people can't e-mail stuff. If you have a scanner, the fax can be the same machine.

You could also receive faxes through your computer.

[Jferr006]

Nope. We fax online with is just scanning or attaching electronic documents. Scanner is probably a must.

[onewhippedpuppy]

We still use them occasionally, some places do request faxes instead of scans. We bought a Brother all in one printer/scanner/fax to consolidate our home office boxes on the counter.

[GH85Carrera]

98% of the stuff we get by fax is junk. We have just a few customers that can't move out of the 90s. Our fax machine is a Brother all in one that is hooked to a computer. It receives that fax ans makes a PDF so most of the time we just delete the junk fax and don't waste paper. It is also our copier.

[Don Plumley]

I use a couple of different online fax services - cheaper than a separate fax line and avoids use of paper altogether for the few that still insist on sending faxes for contracts.

[kaisen]

I do the same as Don

MyFax.com

Ten bucks a month, total....with a dedicated local fax number

[shadowjack1]

Not used very often. But being that the machine is an all in one I still use it from time to time.

[BReif61]

A what machine?

[id10t]

An old linux box w/ a fax modem, hylafax running, saving incoming faxes to either a file share or resending via email.

[rattlsnak]

Use mine quite a bit actually. But I have one machine that's a printer/scanner/copier. But faxing is way faster than having somebody email me something, printing it, signing it, scanning it, emailing it back.

[kinein]

At the lab i work at we use fax machines to send and receiv documents and lab slips from doctors.

[Baz]

My Brother fax machine, which is over 10 y/o now, stopped receiving a couple years back so I just used it occasionally when something had to be faxed.

I just found out now the outgoing function on the Brother isn't working so I picked up a newer Panasonic on CL for $15.00 the other day. It's a little smaller than the Brother so at least I have one now that works.

I try to use email as much as possible though. Sometimes you do need a fax machine.

[Aragorn]

For some businesses a fax is still a must. After reading this I am now interested in Don and Eric's online fax services though. Might be worth looking into.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by kaisen

I do the same as Don

MyFax.com

Ten bucks a month, total....with a dedicated local fax number

I've used efax .com for about 6 years now. We use that for sending and receiving them. My Printer/Scanner also functions as a Fax. I bought a NetTalk unit for the occasional time we need to send one direct.

I have one business which will not take scanned documents and requires actual faxes or mailed documents. It sucks when I need to send them 29-30 pages. Easier to send them the paper FEDEX overnight.

[vash]

the department of fish in game in Idaho only accepts faxes, or postal mail.

i was stunned. had to fire up the office fax machine. the whining and beeping noise sure is a fun sound.

[Head416]

I'm fascinated by this. I think most faxes these days start with an electronic document from a scan, which is converted to a fax by the sender's company's fax server (either via fax software or simply forwarding to an internal fax email acct), transmitted to the recipient's fax number like a traditional fax, converted by the recipient's fax server to an electronic file and then delivered to their email as an attachment.

That's a lot of work to keep an old technology alive.

[red-beard]

[cashflyer]

+1 for myfax.com