Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!src.honeywell.com!msi.umn.edu!math.fu-berlin.de!fauern!trantor!akk From: akk@trantor.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Andy Klingler) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.fax Subject: Re: FAX/MODEM... why not? Message-ID: <192981af.ARN0d31@trantor.informatik.uni-erlangen.de> Date: 18 May 91 23:02:55 GMT References: <2451@wet.UUCP> Organization: CSD, University of Erlangen, Germany Lines: 49 In article , Peter da Silva writes: > In article <2451@wet.UUCP> roger@wet.UUCP (Roger Niclas) writes: > > peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva) writes: > > > What I don't understand about all these cheap FAXes is why nobody has put > > > a $5 serial port in one and sold it as a combination FAX/MODEM/SCANNER/ > > > PRINTER? It's got all the parts, and the software on the computer side > > > couldn't be that big a deal. It'd be a killer product: you could sell it > Ok, Peter. If you want to buy such a thing call GUIS America, Inc. Tel (741) 590-0801 Fax (714) 590-1931 (Oh well, one of these area codes is wrong. I don't know which. They are in California) and ask for the ETFax-7. I don't know how much you pay in the US, since I got mine directly from Taiwan. You can get it with software for MS-DOS, but the protocol is fairly simple, so it should be no problem to hook it up to a real computer. > It wouldn't be compatible with Hayes or Telebit high speed modems, but > doesn't Group 3 FAX use regular 2400 baud protocols? And it'd be as good > a printer as any of the standard dot-matrix ones out there. And as good > a scanner as any other monochrome one. As for the ETFax, it can't be used as a modem because it understands only fax commands. However, the modem processor in it supports V.29, V.29 ter T.30 V.21, T.4. And if it would't print on termal-paper it would be much better than many dot-matrix printers. The printout is very sharp and has always the same darkening. One other advantage is you can switch off your computer and still receive faxes, it then just works as a standalone fax. BTW: The ETFax-7 is also sold as a standalone faxmachine without computer interface. > > And it wouldn't even require the use of a precious serial port on the > > computer side Well, how many ports do you need for a scanner, a printer and a fax? I need only one. :) (And if serial ports are precious for you you might have the wrong computer. (I have an Amiga and currently 3 serial ports)). --- Andreas Klingler akk@trantor.informatik.uni-erlangen.de Hey hacker! Leave those newsgroups alone!