Faxing from the Computer

Yes, I am aware that faxing is obsolete. My parents still use a faxing machine to send out stuff. They want to fax word documents from the computer. I've seen a lot of "fax from the computer" programs, but I'm not sure which one is the best.
I'm looking for something that is cheap, with no on-going payments, and something that can schedule faxes so it can be sent in a later time/date.

If you know of something, please let me know.

They are using Windows XP, just in case you need to know.

I came across a program called EssentalFax. I'm wondering if anyone is familiar with it and has good experience in it.

 

All the ones I have use have on going payments.

Funny thing is, faxing is not obsolete. Anyone who works the legal industry will tell you they that.

 

What are the names of the programs you use?
Which one would recommend based on the things I've mentioned?

 

I used eFax. You just upload a file and it faxes it. When you receive incoming faxes, you gotta use their proprietary reader.

 

Have you tried the fax program built into XP? It's free (as it comes packaged with Windows XP) and can perform the tasks you mention.

A few support documents from Microsoft:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/hwandprograms/printfaxscan.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/crawford_02october21.mspx

 

Yeah, most versions of Windows allow you to set up faxing as 'just another printer'. Easiest way.

 

Oddly enough, I assumed he looked at the built-in options already.

Now that I think about, might have mentioned that first.

 

I use www.faxaway.com

$10- a year and I get a permanent fax phone # for incoming and outgoing faxes. My account has 500 send and receive pages included in the $10- a year account level.

I think they also have a very low cost feature wherein your fax $ gets voice enabled to receive voice mail recordings. The voice mails are sent to you vial email as .wav files.

To send faxes, I can compose a normal text email or attach a document (graphnics, text, doc/docx, pdf, lots of formats) and attach the document to an email. I send the email to a specific faxaway.com address with the destination fax machine in the subject line.

Received faxes are emailed to me as a G3/4 fax image or as a jpg. My choice.

I *think* that they also have an on-line web based incoming fax viewer but I've never used it.

Overall, very very inexpensive and very easy to use.

I know that one of your specs was for 'no ongoing payments' but for $10- a year it really can't be beat.

 

Thank you all for your input.
I will definitely take a look at faxaway.com

Yes, I have tried using the fax programs that came along with XP. But for some reason, it's not working very well. I don't know the problem.

I have tried "Essential Fax," but it can't send the same fax to a large number of people (which is essential).

Although price is important, I wouldn't mind spending the extra money for something that works. I've tried three fax programs, and none of them seem to work. It could be that my modem or phone line. That may be the problem.
For now, I'm just trying a lot of different things.

If anyone has anything else to chip in, I'll gladly accept the advice.

By the way, I am looking for something that can send faxes using the computer's modem and a telephone line. Sending faxes over the Internet may be easier, but there is no internet at the store.

Thank you.

 

faxaway.com most definitely has a fax broadcast option. You get a certain number of simultaneous sends in the base package, you can buy a larger 'pool' if necessary.

 

A word of caution about EFAX, just in case you (or anyone) is considering using this program (which is the same as JFAX, by the way). . . I've been using EFax for years, and I have noticed that many of my older faxed documents have degenerated to the point that they are barely readable. It doesn't matter whether they were saved as "efax" docs or "TIF" docs, they now look like documents that have been faxed over and over so many times that you can barely read the smudged text! Very disheartening, especially for an application that is around $18 a month. . . EVERY month -- indefinitely!!! By the way, I've checked with their tech support -- there's nothing that can be done --- it's just apparently a problem with their system. You can also have your efaxes received in PDF format -- but that isn't much better, if at all.

 

For the few times I need to fax, I use free eFax for receiving (with a free dedicated phone number) and BVRP software, which came with my Dell all-in-one printer (scanner/fax), for sending over my land line.

 

Windows 7 (same as Vista and XP) has a FAX program build in, just go to the Start Menu and type in 'fax', hit enter and it pops up. Most printers with scanners support faxing and some even support faxing to and from computers. Lets just say its easier then you think and its the only way I do Rebates because there is a time stamp when I did them.