Virtually all fax machines sold today offer multifunction
capabilities like printing and copying. But don't let these extra
features mesmerize you if all you really need is a fax machine.
On many low-end multifunction fax machines, print and copy quality
are inferior to what you'd get from standalone devices. Also, the more
employees you have and the higher your fax volume, the less eager
you'll be to tie up your fax machine to print and make copies.
Today's fax machines include many other advanced features you'll
want to consider:
Printing technology. You can choose between laser and inkjet
fax machines. Laser machines have lower operating costs and higher
print quality, but inkjet fax machines are cheaper than laser models.
An inkjet machine is a good choice if you receive less than 12 pages a
day. Otherwise, go for laser technology: It's faster and slightly more
reliable.
Modem speed. The three most common fax modem speeds are 9.6
kbps (thousand bits per second), 14.4 kbps and 33.6 kbps. But just
because you have a fast 33.6 model doesn't mean you'll get faster
transmissions. Fax speeds depend on both the sending and the receiving
machine; if you send a fax to a unit with a 14.4-kbps modem, your fax
will transmit at the 14.4-kbps rate. A fax machine with a 14.4-kbps
modem is probably your best bet, since these models still make up the
bulk of the installed fax population.
Memory. When your machine runs out of paper, it can store
incoming faxes in its memory and print them later. Special features
such as speed dial, fast scan and dual access also draw on your fax
machine's memory.
Vendors list memory capacity in megabytes (MB), kilobytes (KB) or
pages. But beware: The actual number of pages the machine can store is
often lower than the number the manufacturer claims it can hold.
Manufacturers base their claims on the memory required to store a
double-spaced business letter with loads of white space. In reality,
memory capacities are much lower: A fax with a listed 60-page memory
can actually store just 30 or 40 pages. For most small and medium-size
businesses, 1MB (60 pages) of memory is adequate.
Speed dial. Most faxes have a speed-dial function that lets
you store fax numbers and dial them by entering a simple one- or
two-digit code. This timesaving feature is key if you routinely send
faxes to the same numbers.
Fast scan. Developed for the hopelessly impatient, this
feature scans a page and transmits it from memory so you don't have to
stand around and wait for the fax machine to process the document.
Dual access. This capability allows the fax machine to do
two things at once, such as scan one document into memory while it
sends or receives another document.
Paper handling. If you receive many legal-size documents,
make sure your fax machine can handle legal-size paper. Some models
offer two cassettes - one letter and one legal - and automatically use
the right cassette for an incoming document.
Plain paper. Avoid inexpensive fax machines that use coated
roll paper. Plain-paper models offer a broader selection of features,
and plain paper is much easier to load and handle.
Fax/tel switch. Many low-end fax machines also have a fax/tel
switch, which enables the fax and phone to share the same line. You
won't need this feature if you have separate phone and fax lines.
