fax software

$700 for fax software? Where?? FaxSTF Pro is $90! FaxSTF Server is $400 for five clients, $600 for 10 clients! What kind of fax software are you talking about?

Multiple-user fax software for Windows, such as GFI FaxMaker, costs up to $2000 for 100 clients. It's certainly not free with the OS.

Personally, I used to use FaxSTF until Panther. Then I used Apple's fax software. It meets my (limited) requirements. If I needed more, I'd get FaxSTF. Or FaxSTF Pro. Or I'd buy a cheap dedicated fax machine like this one Fax. Or if I needed heavy-duty faxing, I'd get a heavy-duty fax machine.

And I think that Apple's fax software does everything you want except multiple users and fax logs. I know that FaxSTF Pro does everything except the multiple users, and FaxSTF Server does that!! There's also something called 4 Sight Fax which supports Macs and Windows, multiple lines, and other stuff... but which, of course, you pay for.

Why should the OS have that built-in when most users don't need or want it?

fax machine is out of the question - this is something a computer shoud be doing (period).

Why is it out of the question? Why do you insist that the Mac, and only the Mac, do this? And why isn't the fax software that comes with OS X good enough?

And, if you can't get what you want using software, why can't you get one of the many multifunction devices which will fax as well as print and scan and copy?

www.4sightfax.com is another software package but i am sorry this is not quark express or cad software - this fax software that basically sends a pdf document over a phone line.

News flash: that's what any fax software on Macs will be doing. Macs print PDF or PostScript, depending. Fax software is just a printer driver for the modem, so it'll be printing PDF or PostScript, depending.

I use my mac business everyday corporate users will like to use macs everyday but they have to use pc's because small things like these are missing from apple software (apple doesn't need to create it but someone should).

Ah... some of us (me, for example) use the built-in fax drivers. Some of us use FaxSTF or other fax software. You haven't explained what your problem is with such solutions, despite my specifically requesting the data, other than you're being unwilling to pay $700 for fax software... which you don't. FaxSTF costs $90. Please say what the problem is.

I agree
As much as I like the Mac, faxing is really bad.
Address book does not work when trying to fax.
And when you just try to enter in a number to fax it starts to grab stuff from address book and changes the number you are trying to enter in.
If there is a name added before the fax no. (automatically by Address Book) it errors out.
I agree faxing really needs work.
I could print out the document that I need to fax then go to the fax machine and wait for it to be available then send my fax and throw away my copy.

I can and do send faxes on my Mac. Macs can send and receive faxes. You seem to have a problem with the fax software which comes with the OS, but you have yet to say what that problem is. In fact you have repeatedly dodged the question, despite my asking you twice before. Let me ask you one more time:

WHAT, EXACTLY, IS THE PROBLEM WITH THE FAX SOFTWARE WHICH SHIPS WITH OS X? WHAT, EXACTLY, IS THE PROBLEM WITH 3RD-PARTY SOLUTIONS SUCH AS FAXSTF?

Please answer concisely.

If I cared about fax logs, I'd use FaxSTF, which generates such logs. Just as I'd use 3rd-party fax software on a Windows box. (Hint: I have such software on the WinXP box sitting next to my Mac. I usually use Apple's fax software, anyway, unless I've been working on the XP box and it's too much like work to transfer the file over to the Mac just to fax it.) There's a reason why 3rd party software performs some functions that software which comes with the OS performs. (Classic example: Disk Warrior.)

If I wanted heavy duty faxing, which is something I want at the office, I'd use either a dedicated computer running dedicated network fax software (which is what I do) or a fax machine. I simply fail to see why ordinary workstations, Windows or Mac, should have high-end fax software installed as a matter of course. Most people don't need the functionality.

Apple's fax software works well enough for its target audience, people who infrequently need to send or receive faxes. Just as Font Book is not intended to be a professional level font manager, just as Text Edit is not intended to be a professional level text editor, just a iDVD is not intended to be a professional level DVD authoring system, the built-in fax system is not intended to be a professional-level faxing system. If you want a pro fax system, buy a pro fax system. Why should the rest of us pay for something we neither want nor need?

Global Village fax software came with GV modems... the same way that fairly good Windows fax software comes with modems for WinBoxes. It was built by a 3rd party, for their stuff. And, as you had to buy a GV modem to get it, it was not 'less expensive' than FaxSTF. Depending on the modem, it could be twice the price for a standalone system. GV made a network fax system, too... and that boy wasn't cheap. I know, I used to have two of them on my network back in the 90s.

You are making a mountain out of a molehill.

If you don't want to buy the available fax software packages, that's your problem and that of the vendors of those packages. Not Apple's. It's especially not Apple's problem that you elect to decline to try out 3rd party software and cannot articulate your reasons for doing so. (You state, flatly, that PageSender doesn't work in a business environment. Okay... what problems did you have with it? On what basis do you say this? Given that you have previously stated that Apple's fax software has problems, but that you have been unable to articulate those problems, and some people, [e.g., me] have not encountered any show-stopper problems with it, I decline to accept your assertion without some kind of supporting data. Something that I can test locally. Please provide that supporting data. Thank you. As for FaxSTF, it has its problems, that's certain... but they're no-where nearly as severe as you make out. Just as Apple's fax software has its problems... but not anything even close to your assertions.)

Ah. Some one who will actually state what the problem is with the fax software.

It is a pity that you contradicted yourself; Address Book cannot both not work when trying o fax and feed wrong info.

(BTW, I just faxed the fax machine something from Safari; Address Book seems to work here. <waits for fax to finish coming out of fax machine> and what I sent appears to be what I got. Gee. Works here, man. Lemme send a fax to this machine from the fax machine... <waits, waits...> Look at that. I got a fax. That works here, too. I don't see the problem. I really don't.)

I am not at work at the moment and I have a bad modem at home so I can't actually fax anything, nor do I have any fax's in address book, but I set up a test user in address book with name of
test user and a fax no. of 888-888-8888.
Now lets say I want to send a fax to 888-555-1234 so I start to enter in the fax no. in the "To: box" as I type an 8 it will auto fill
8test user <(888) 888-8888>
and I continue to type I now have 8t88 and it will continue to auto fill so I will have to keep typing and then go and edit out the letters.
I may have to check into it more because I may have a problem with my iMac at work. It did it at home the first time then I could not recreate the problem.
When I choose fax PDF here at home it says no fax modem selected but my modem is out.
Also one day I clicked the address book icon and then double clicked who I wanted to send a fax to and it would just beep and not enter the address.
Another time when I double click on the person I was faxing to it entered like my example above "test user <(888) 888-8888>" and would not fax I think it was getting an error because it was trying to send using the name with the number.

I don't do much faxing from my computer but it is kind of handy once in awhile.
I do love my Mac's and I also Service and Support them at work. One Mac tech. Eight PC tech's I am always showing up my PC tech's with the cool and well working Mac's.

I am lucky because I get to use a Mac at work as well as home.

Okay, you have the autofill problem. That's a known bug with Address Book. It was very annoying in 10.4, less annoying in 10.4.1, and I haven 't seen it in 10.4.2.

I don't know why it wouldn't pick up your fax modem, unless it can't find a dial tone. I got a 'modem not found' error once when the problem really was that the line was unplugged. As 90% of computer problems are due to bad or disconnected cables, the first thing I did was to unplug and replug the modem cable. Problem went away. Bad Apple for the false error message, but not a show-stopper.

I don't fax from the Mac anywhere nearly as much as I used to. When I do, there's usually not much trouble.

charles no one is dodging the issues.

You just dodged. Again. Why can't you answer the question, if you really have a problem?

it seems that you are blind to fax issues on mac osx.

You have failed to show that there are any issues to see. One other person has shown that he has real problems; you have not, despite repeated requests for something, anything, to support your position.

in my first post i listed items that are needed with a basic fax system. let me repeat a BASIC fax system.

You really shouldn't have brought up your first post. That was a major mistake. Your first post listed several major inaccuracies.

You said, and I quote:

can anyone recommend a decent fax software application for the mac.
this needs to fax software that works in a business environment (who else uses faxes other faxes).

I recommended FaxSTF. It's not great software by any means, but it works.

also the concept of paying $700 for fax software is crazy as well.

I asked you to let us know which software you were talking about which cost $700. I pointed out that FaxSTF Pro costs $90, and that the server version costs $400 for five clients, $600 for 10 clients.

You did not reply on this point. Dodge #1.

Let me repeat:

WHICH SOFTWARE ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT WHICH COSTS $700? Please point it out. Gimme a URL so that I can check this out for myself and see what they want $700 for.

You went on to say:

fax software should be able to handle:
multiple users.

Why? The majority of Mac users are in a single-user environment. They don't need fax software which handles more than one user. The majority of those who are in a multiple user environment have multiple users on one Mac... and Apple's fax software handles that. I know. I have three users set up on this Mac, and Apple's fax software handles them.

fax logs and faxes should be accessible to all (network or all users on a single mac).

FaxSTF does logs. Apple's fax system is visible across the network if you turn on shared printers. Most Mac users don't need logs. If they needed logs, they'd buy professional-level software which produces logs for them. Software like FaxSTF.

create cover pages (gosh it's crazy to event request - shouldn't it be standard).

Apple's fax software creates cover pages.

select attachment (group fax documents).

FaxSTF does this.

sync with address book.

Apple's software does this. (the other person had a problem with how Address Book works, indicating that he knows that Apple's software does this. It gives him trouble, yes. It's a known bug, yes. I noticed that problem in 10.4 with some fax addresses, yes. I didn't see it with 10.3.x, yes. I no longer see it at all, yes. It was there. It's been fixed. Move on.)

apple scriptability would be nice as well

That would depend on the application you're faxing from, now wouldn't it? And this means that those apps which are scriptable already have this, don't they?

I see that in the current post you're busy moving goal posts. It's no longer a 'basic' requirement that fax software create cover pages; instead, it's a BASIC requirement that it create multiple cover pages. Why, it's almost as if someone actually had a look at the fax software after they ran their mouth and found out that it does one of the things they said it didn't.

Professional fax software has the features you want. Home fax software does not. Use pro software where required.

You want Apple to deliver an industrial-strength system so that you can avoid paying for pro software. This ain't gonna happen. Stop being a cheapo and buy the software which matches your needs... or if you can't afford $90 for FaxSTF, perhaps you should think carefully about getting into a new line of work, you don't seem to be making a living wage at the old one.

And I see that you've dodged the PageSende

And I see that you've dodged the PageSender question... again. Why am I not surprised? And, by the way, PageSender is shareware. It's fairly good shareware, but it's shareware. it ain't industrial-strength and it ain't supposed to be. There's a reason why it only costs $30! It's perfectly adequate for its design purpose. I suspect that you may be being a cheapo again, and are trying to use it for purposes beyond its design envelope.

And, unlike darock, the other poster, you have yet to define what actual problems you have... as opposed to your wish list for features you'd like to see. Features which you ain't gonna see, not on home-level fax software.

I actually bought pagesender and without writing too much about the lack of customer service provided by the company

It's shareware. it has about the level of support I expect from middle-of-the-road shareware apps. My brief contact with them indicates that they're willing to provide support even to those who haven't paid up... such as me.

they also have an equally bad product.

Gee. Lots of other users seem to like it, as can be seen at <http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/14537&vid=234381&mode=info>. It seems that the overall rating is 4.7 out of 5 stars; the rating for the current version is a mere 4 out of 5 stars. Seems that your opinion is in the minority. What a surprise.

you can not install the software on a user that is not an admin. let me totally explain because i know charles is going to say you have to be an admin to install software. even if you are an admin you can not install the software on a user that is not an admin.

You are doubly incorrect. First, you can install the software to a user account which is not an admin. You do need an admin account password to do so; that admin does not need to be logged in. (Guess how I know this.) Second, Charles ain't going to say that you need an admin account to 'install software' because unlike you Charles knows that this is not so. Some software (including Page Sender) insists on getting an admin password. In some cases, it's because they actually need admin access. (Hint: Page Sender is one of those cases.) In many cases, they do not. Some software does not demand an admin password to install. (FireFox, for example.) It is patently absurd to say that you have to be an admin to 'install software'. You may need an admin account to install software which requires admin access... such as stuff that has to talk to hardware. You know, like fax software.

And, it's clear that you didn't read the read me, which explains exactly why Page Sender requires admin access.

Quote:
Why does installing pagesender require admin access?
Printer drivers are stored in the system-wide Library folder, and access to that folder requires admin access. The Unix efax utility is stored in /usr/bin and its man pages are stored in /usr/local/share/man, both of which require admin access.

If you're gonna complain about something, please don't complain about something which is in the read me. it shows that you never read it...

if there are 2 users using the same machine (fast switching) the logs get saved in various locations.

This is a feature. That way each user has his own log!

if you create a custom cover page and the 2nd user tries to use it to send a fast fax the default cover page gets used instead. you also can not send a 1 page fax (cover page only) in this scenario. it send 2 pages.

This is also a feature! Each user has his own custom cover pages! If you want to use the same cover pages, copy 'em over to the other user!

the documentation states one way to create a custom cover page but it totally the wrong way to create it. only after 3 or for emails back and forth with tech support only do you find how to create a custom cover page. opps i said i wasn't going to talk about customer support.

So you did get support, eh? Thought so. And, btw, the method in the read me (which you don't seem to have read) works here. I installed Page Sender after I read your screed specifically to see if your complaints (if/when you got around to actually presenting them) had any validity at all. I was not surprised when I found that this was not the case.

there is no way for the logs to be shared in 1 database.

This is again a feature! There is a database for each user!

Better rewind and try again, kid, 'cause this effort don't cut it. You have yet to show an actual problem with Page Sender...

the auto fill problem is persistant in 10.4.3, nor am i able to add addresses via the address book pop up window (drag and drop, double click, voodoo chants, etc.), but then again when i do get a number entered i cannot get it to send either.