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sibellc · Oct 23, 2003, 06:40 PM

Apple lists native fax support as a new feature of 10.3. This is quite nice. But it seems to fairly specificaly state that it supports sending faxes through bluetooth cell phones, but receiving only through the internal modem.

Is this in fact the case? If so, is there any reason why we can only send faxes through our phones, not receive them?

CBS

PeterKG · Oct 23, 2003, 07:24 PM

Sending a fax
When you choose to print a document from an application, the Print Panel now includes a Fax button that lets you send the document as a fax using your computer�s built-in modem. You can choose cover page options from a pop-up menu in the Print panel. The Address field automatically fills in addresses using fax numbers from your Address Book or you can enter a fax number manually. It shows only contacts with a fax number.

Receiving a fax

You can choose to save incoming faxes in a folder you select from the Printing & Faxing preference panel. You can also choose to forward incoming faxes to an email address and/or print them.

Easy on the eyes

The Preview application has been enhanced to handle multi-page Faxes. Preview converts black and white images and text by anti-aliasing and smoothing to 8-bit grayscale, resulting in an on-screen display that�s much easier to read.

gdiddy · Oct 27, 2003, 06:28 PM

Panthers faxing really bugs me! I have sent and received faxes on my computer with it. Sending is great but there is no status bar or notification when you are receiving a fax! I've missed several phone calls because of this.

The solution I've come up with is dragging the PrintAndFax.prefPane into the dock and leave receive fax's off until I know someone is about to send a fax.

I had thought Apple had acquired Coco-eFax but instead they are using FaxSTF - probably one of the worst rated pieces of software I've ever seen!

g.

Landos Mustache · Oct 27, 2003, 06:31 PM

Originally posted by gdiddy:

I had thought Apple had acquired Coco-eFax but instead they are using FaxSTF - probably one of the worst rated pieces of software I've ever seen!
.

How do you know what they are using?

kupan787 · Oct 27, 2003, 06:49 PM

Originally posted by Landos Mustache:
How do you know what they are using?

Actually I know as I have talked with someone in the Print department at Apple. They are using the unix efax program (which BTW is open source). They have of course added their own features external to the efax binary (just like PageSender and Cocoa eFax/FaxCenter did which are both also based on efax).

It is not based on FaxSTF, and Apple didn't pay anyone for rights. They did contact me (me being the author of FaxCenter) a few days before Panthers public announcement letting me know what was coming, and allowed me to ask questions. I assume they did the same for the PageSender guys, but that i don't know.

SciFrog · Oct 28, 2003, 10:30 AM

My faxes I send are blank pages from Appleworks.
The fax window says it cannot open a /var/.../spool/... file.

Any ideas?

cpac · Oct 28, 2003, 11:19 AM

Originally posted by SciFrog:
My faxes I send are blank pages from Appleworks.
The fax window says it cannot open a /var/.../spool/... file.

Any ideas?

maybe broken permissions.

Try repairing them.

I'd also see if sending a fax with TextEdit or something not quite as neglected as AppleWorks works for you.

gdiddy · Oct 28, 2003, 11:36 AM

Then how come I have a bunch of FAXstf programs in my computer (which I never installed) and the icon for my fax printer is the same as the icon for fax assistant which resides in my library/application support/SmithMicro/FAXstf/Startup/Fax Assistant?

Weird. Sorry for the misinformation. How did this stuff get in there?

gdiddy · Oct 28, 2003, 11:58 AM

Originally posted by kupan787:
Actually I know as I have talked with someone in the Print department at Apple. They are using the unix efax program (which BTW is open source). They have of course added their own features external to the efax binary (just like PageSender and Cocoa eFax/FaxCenter did which are both also based on efax).

It is not based on FaxSTF, and Apple didn't pay anyone for rights. They did contact me (me being the author of FaxCenter) a few days before Panthers public announcement letting me know what was coming, and allowed me to ask questions. I assume they did the same for the PageSender guys, but that i don't know.

I wish they had snapped your program up! Why aren't you working in their print department? Jeeez! I have used FaxCenter (when it was free) in the past and loved it. Up until a couple of days ago I had no real use for faxing software and thought I'd give Panthers built in faxing a try. Nothing compared to FaxCenter.

And I guess the really good news is it's not built on FAXstf! How that ever got bundled with a new Mac purchase I'll never know...

G.

schalliol · 08:15 PM

Originally posted by gdiddy:
Then how come I have a bunch of FAXstf programs in my computer (which I never installed) and the icon for my fax printer is the same as the icon for fax assistant which resides in my library/application support/SmithMicro/FAXstf/Startup/Fax Assistant?

Weird. Sorry for the misinformation. How did this stuff get in there?

My powerbook lacks this folder series did a clean install of Panther.

Additionally, I can't seem to figure out how to cancel sending a fax I don't want to send any longer, I get no such modem icon in the dock.

schalliol · 08:38 PM

ok, I wanted to make this a separate reply. Everyone type "man fax" and "man efax" in their terminal and get your fax manual. "fax help" also will give you a list of some commands.

mpmchugh · Oct 29, 2003, 08:42 PM

Originally posted by gdiddy:
How did this stuff get in there?

Apple shipped FaxSTF on a number of computers. Just delete them if you don't want them.

-mpm