Getting the Fax Without the Machine

The fax machine is so yesterday. But even though it's yesterday's technology, it could be tomorrow's deal breaker if someone wants to send you one and you don't have a way to receive it. At the same time, having a phone line ready to receive a fax, keeping the machine properly stocked with ink and paper, and managing the junk faxes are all reasons to say NO to having a fax machine.

Here's what we came up with. A company called eFax supplies a fax number of your very own to give out to people. When somebody sends a fax to your private number (ours is in Illinois), eFax routes it to you as an email attachment that you read using your eFax reader. The service is absolutely free for receiving faxes. The reader lets you view at various sizes and print or save your fax. Considering that the print quality of my own fax machine borders on illegible, eFax wins there, too. Premium plans give you a local number and the ability to send faxes.

Just an hour ago, I was on my Friday night exodus from the city when someone called with an important fax for me. I asked her to send the fax to my eFax phone number and then picked it up on my laptop. So much less tedious than the old machine. Will it become filled with junk faxes, too? I'll let you know.

We're keeping our old fax around just to send an occasional fax. How about you? Ready to send your fax machine out to pasture?