Someone please explain why this can't be done

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ron
  • Start date Start date
R

Ron

I have an external HP 4215 all-in-one printer. I use it for sending and
receiving faxes. I have other printers for photos and text. What I want to
do, is have the incoming fax sent to my pc to be saved and/or edited instead
of having it printed out by the machine. I don't care if it does print out a
hard copy but I definitely want it to xfer the incoming image or message to
my pc for viewing. The reason is, I have had incoming faxes destroyed by a
clunking mechanical paper feeder. The transmission was fine, but the output
is unacceptable. Why can't the incoming message/image be sent to the pc as a
PDF or TIFF or some other image format so I can read the message at my
leisure. I know there are third party programs that will do this, BUT ONLY
for TAPI modems(waaaay to old fashioned). They keep looking for a dial-up
modem on my pc and I haven't had those 56k things in my system for ages. I
also know that faxes are still analog. But why in the hell can't they be
converted to digital and sent to the pc. It doesn't seem to be that big of a
deal technologically speaking that is. The fax machine is connected to my pc
via USB. Now, I know you can setup Win apps to send material to your fax
machine to be broadcast or sent, but never the reverse. WHY?? This is really
frustrating. I've tried setting the fax printer's port to PDF(Adobe) and
virtual USB and Local port, and even "Print to File" port, hoping that when
the printer starts after transmission, it will also send a copy to the
computer. But this isn't working either. I can't believe no one else has
ever wondered this. Faxes can be sent to the pc, but only if you use
outdated hardware. Go figure. Any thoughts?

Ron
 
"Ron" <[email protected]> said:
I have an external HP 4215 all-in-one printer. I use it for sending and
receiving faxes. I have other printers for photos and text. What I want to
do, is have the incoming fax sent to my pc to be saved and/or edited instead
of having it printed out by the machine. I don't care if it does print out a
hard copy but I definitely want it to xfer the incoming image or message to
my pc for viewing.
Click to expand...

Just put a faxmodem in your PC and run fax software, and have your
inbound fax line go to that.
 
Elmo P. Shagnasty said:
Just put a faxmodem in your PC and run fax software, and have your
inbound fax line go to that.
Click to expand...

Can't. All slots taken. Besides, I wouldn't put 10 year old tech back into
my system. And, my mobo doesn't even have EISA slots.
 
Can't. All slots taken. Besides, I wouldn't put 10 year old tech back into
my system. And, my mobo doesn't even have EISA slots.
Click to expand...
.... besides ... how would you 'edit' it?
A fax is an image of the document NOT and OCR'd copy.
 
J. A. Mc. said:
... besides ... how would you 'edit' it?
A fax is an image of the document NOT and OCR'd copy.
Click to expand...

Well, it doesn't have to be OCR'd to edit, if you include graphic editing in
the definition of the term. I could circle emphasized areas or edit the
image via a paint program. But I also have an OCR prog as well. The thing
is, everything nowadays is digital. But for the life of me, I can't
understand why faxes are still analog. I mainly use the fax for sending and
receiving forms and applications. It's be nice if everyone had a PDF
document maker. Then they could scan in their form, convert it to PDF, and
then send via email. Faxes would then be obsolete. Everything could be
viewed and printed out on the receiver's pc. No need for telephone lines.
 
"Ron" <[email protected]> said:
But for the life of me, I can't
understand why faxes are still analog.
Click to expand...

They aren't, not exclusively.

But you need the right kind of machine. A $89 consumer product isn't
the right kind of machine, under any circumstances.

What you're describing would be brutally simple to do; in fact, office
equipment manufacturers have been doing it for some time now. Fax
reception right to the desktop. But again, not on an $89 consumer
machine.

Faxmodems aren't old technology; Macintosh to this day can do faxing.

But anyway, how about using an online fax service instead? It'll do
exactly what you need.
 
Can't. All slots taken. Besides, I wouldn't put 10 year old tech back into
my system. And, my mobo doesn't even have EISA slots.
Click to expand...
Buy an external voice/fax modem. They're cheap and do the job, and you
can attach them to a USB port.
 
Buy an external voice/fax modem. They're cheap and do the job, and you
can attach them to a USB port.

--

Hecate - The Real One
(e-mail address removed)
veni, vidi, reliqui
Click to expand...

Then why did I buy this HP Fax machine? No, I need a solution to make THIS
fax work. But from what I'm getting in response, it seems it can't be done.
Oh well, thanks to all for the ideas.

Ron
 
yes, but what backup do you have if your cable modem goes out or your HP is
down? I use my fax modem as a backup for just that reason. It also allowed me
to buy the 3 in 1 Epson printer, whose other features far outweigh the lack of
a fax function (e.g.,a high resolution 35 mm slide scanner, built in).

Sherwin D.
 
"Ron" <[email protected]> said:
Then why did I buy this HP Fax machine? No, I need a solution to make THIS
fax work.
Click to expand...

That's like saying "gee, I'd really love to start doing landscape work;
I need my Honda Civic to tow a large trailer. Why can't it do this?
Why did I buy this car if it can't do what I want?"

You knew what the HP did when you bought it. Why are you crying about
it now?

I understand if you say, "There should be a machine out there to do
this." When you turn it into "why did I buy this machine if it can't do
something like this," that's between you and yourself.

It's a great question, actually, that the rest of us would love to know
the answer to: why DID you buy it if it didn't meet your needs?

More importantly, why are you coming here to bitch if you bought the
wrong machine for your needs? You aren't blaming the MACHINE, are you?
 
Elmo P. Shagnasty said:
That's like saying "gee, I'd really love to start doing landscape work;
I need my Honda Civic to tow a large trailer. Why can't it do this?
Why did I buy this car if it can't do what I want?"
Click to expand...

Yeah, just like that.
You knew what the HP did when you bought it. Why are you crying about
it now?
Click to expand...

Nope. Didn't know that. That's the reason for the original post. Not crying
about it either. But now you're getting tweaked because you have nothing
meaningful to add so you throw it back on me. It's typical of would-be
resident officianados who, if they can't be the savior du jour, cry "you're
an idiot".
I understand if you say, "There should be a machine out there to do
this." When you turn it into "why did I buy this machine if it can't do
something like this," that's between you and yourself.
Click to expand...

Yes there should be one. Haven't found it yet. Thought this one would.
That's why I bought it. All the separate fax machines I saw(Brothers mostly)
do not connect to your pc. The question was to emphasize the absurdity of
the suggestion that I simply use a faxmodem rather than this new printer
that I ALREADY have and my unwillingness to plug ten year old tech back into
my computer. Apparently the poster, who suggested that I simply ignore my
new purchase and put in an old EISA fax modem, thought that was a rational
suggestion( like that's what anyone would do). I thought that perhaps
someone would have a workaround or a way of monitoring printer output and
logging that output so it could be replicated on your pc via a viewer or
something like that.
It's a great question, actually, that the rest of us would love to know
the answer to: why DID you buy it if it didn't meet your needs?
Click to expand...

The "rest of us"? Are you the mouthpiece for this group now?
More importantly, why are you coming here to bitch if you bought the
wrong machine for your needs? You aren't blaming the MACHINE, are you?
Click to expand...

*yawn* see above

Really, it's ok if you can't help. No need to get irate.
 
That's like saying "gee, I'd really love to start doing landscape work;
I need my Honda Civic to tow a large trailer. Why can't it do this?
Why did I buy this car if it can't do what I want?"

You knew what the HP did when you bought it. Why are you crying about
it now?

I understand if you say, "There should be a machine out there to do
this." When you turn it into "why did I buy this machine if it can't do
something like this," that's between you and yourself.

It's a great question, actually, that the rest of us would love to know
the answer to: why DID you buy it if it didn't meet your needs?

More importantly, why are you coming here to bitch if you bought the
wrong machine for your needs? You aren't blaming the MACHINE, are you?
Click to expand...

Besides ... FAXing is 30 year old technology ... why is he/she/it even using
 
J. A. Mc. said:
Besides ... FAXing is 30 year old technology ... why is he/she/it even using
it? <G>
Click to expand...

Exactly. That's why I said I wish everyone had a PDF maker and a scanner.
No more TAPI.
 
Faxes are at least 30-year-old technology. You want to be compatible
with them, ...

Well, it doesn't have to be OCR'd to edit, if you include graphic editing in
the definition of the term. I could circle emphasized areas or edit the
image via a paint program. But I also have an OCR prog as well. The thing
is, everything nowadays is digital. But for the life of me, I can't
understand why faxes are still analog.
Click to expand...

Are they really analog? Regardless, it's a standard. Like telephones,
you can't obsolete old equipment by changing the format.


Get an external 56k modem; people are throwing them away now.
Alternatively, you can use a fax-to-email service. I use
<http://www.efax.com/> which is free, if you accept some spam, or you
can pay for more messages and no spam. I only need to use it about
once a month so the free service is fine for me. They email an image
file of any faxes sent to the number they give you.
 
10 year old technology. What's wrong with that? You are a PC salesman's dream
who runs out and upgrades their machine, just to have the 'latest' technology.
You
already have a 3 in 1 machine. You are probably anxiously awaiting the 4 in 1
so you
can see how many functions you can cram into one device. I use my cable modem
to
get high speed Internet, but I don't need that high speed for faxes. It's
called adapting
to the available technology. Some of us gave you, what I thought was a
reasonable
work around, but you appear to be a technology snob who wouldn't want to violate

their machine by plugging in that ten year old stuff. I commend you trying to
protect
your PC. By the way, if you have a mouse, you better get rid of that old
technology
and update to voice actuated input, just to be consistent.

Sherwin D.
 
E. Barry Bruyea said:
On 21 Nov 2004 09:39:34 -0800, (e-mail address removed) (Alan) wrote:
Click to expand...
A little trivia here; faxes were around during the mid fifties.
Click to expand...
You gotto go back a lot further than that. I believe the first pat.
on the concept predates the telephone. Actual application isn't
anywhere near that old.

I was using them in the 60's and they were not new then. Early fax
machines used rotating drums with "carbon paper". At connection both
machines had to work at sync their drums and then signals told
receiving machine when to strike the paper and leave a mark. Don't
think you could even call them analog and signal was bi-tonal.

Mickey
 
Ron said:
Exactly. That's why I said I wish everyone had a PDF maker and a scanner.
No more TAPI.
Click to expand...
Ron, you're making a BAD assumption that there is a computer sitting
near every fax machine. You are also making an assumption that the
person on the receiving end has same setup as you and is able to
receive your non-std fax transmission. Some restaurants with busy
lunchtime business use fax machine to receive orders so food is ready
when customer gets there. Don't think you'll find a computer sitting
on the counter in the kitchen.
 
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