Free Fax Software
Q: I’ve heard there is fax software available free of charge. What is it? Is it any good? Where can I find some for Windows and Mac computers?
Free fax software does, indeed, exist, and it’s closer than you may think. Microsoft Windows XP and some versions of Vista (though not the Home version) have it built in. Mac users can download fax software and try it before they buy it.
Microsoft Fax lets you send documents and images from your computer to a fax machine directly from your computer, if you have a fax modem and phone line. (If you are on a company network with a fax server, your system administrator will help you set up Microsoft fax.) Microsoft Fax is installed with other Windows components by default, but in some cases you may need to install the fax software manually.
PageSender (www.pagesender.com) is a popular shareware fax program for Macintosh OS X. You can use free for up to 30 days, then you must register the program ($39.95) or it will stop working. Once installed, PageSender works just like any printer attached to your Mac. Just select the PageSender printer service, enter a phone number, and click Print. The fax is on its way. Of course, you need a fax modem and phone line, or a network fax server.
If you don’t have a fax modem or a phone line you can use for faxing, don’t despair. There are several Web services that let you send or receive faxes via the Internet instead of POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service).
FaxZero.com lets you upload a file and fax it to any U. S. or Canadian phone number, free of charge. There is no software to install on your computer, either. The catch is that the FaxZero logo will appear on the fax’s cover page, and you can send a maximum of two free faxes daily.
K7.net lets you receive faxes via email free of charge. When you sign up you receive a phone number to give out as your fax number. Faxes sent to that number are saved in digital format and sent to an email address you specify. But if you don’t receive a fax at least once a month, they service will terminate your account.
Do you have a question about faxing? Send me your fax question.