Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-ncis!helios.ee.lbl.gov!pasteur!ucbvax!decwrl!eda!jim
From: jim@eda.com (Jim Budler)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Junk Fax (was Re: Request for poll of ten best/worst products of 88)
Message-ID: <429@eda.com>
Date: 7 Jan 89 19:56:50 GMT
References: <210@imspw6.UUCP> <867@atux01.UUCP> <10@blender.UUCP> <5207@brspyr1.BRS.Com>
Reply-To: jim@eda.com (Jim Budler)
Organization: EDA Systems,Inc. Santa Clara, CA
Lines: 42

In article <5207@brspyr1.BRS.Com> davef@brspyr1.BRS.Com (Dave Fiske) writes:
| Although I think there are some very good uses for facsimile
| transmission, it seems that the ones whic are promoted and carried on
| are the trivial and non-cost-effective ones: sending orders to delis,
| sending requests to radio stations, and sending typewritten text
| documents (which could have been typed on a computer, instead).
            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Wow, far out! 

Not very long ago, couple years, the statement concerning need for
computers in small offices/business was "which could have been typed
on a typewriter, instead".

We've come a long way, baby!

Seriously, 8^), we use much fax, AND e-mail in our business.

	Serious reasons for fax, as opposed to e-mail:

	1. You can't put a signature on e-mail. (see 3, below)

	2. A fax works for a distant, non-technical person (eg. salesman
	in remote office), e-mail requires more technical knowledge to
	setup and maintain, and often to use. Fax machines are usually
	plug and play. (Plug and play e-mail will probably appear in the
	future. I don't consider the current level of commercial e-mail
	as adequate to replace fax. Your opinion may differ).

	3. Diagrams, etc. between offices with incompatible, or non-existant
	graphical computers (will probably disappear as a reason in time
	as standards/software/computers evolve).

| Unless the companies pushing faxes start promoting more serious uses, I
| see this as a 2 or 3 year fad.

 I agree that faxes have a limited lifespan, but I wouldn't call it fad.
 I just feel that the evolution of e-mail will eventualy replace fax.

jim
-- 
Jim Budler   address = uucp: ...!{decwrl,uunet}!eda!jim
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