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OS/2 - General => Polls => Topic started by: kim on 2007.04.24, 03:18:41

Poll
Question: With or without Faxworks disappearing - do you feel the need for a new, "contemporary" freeware fax solution for OS/2, maybe with scanner & network-fax capabilities?
Option 1: Yep - something new would be nice votes: 41
Option 2: No - I can live with what's still available votes: 7
Option 3: No - I don't need fax software in OS/2 votes: 8
Title: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: kim on 2007.04.24, 03:18:41
Faxworks disappearing - what do we do? This poll has been suggested to see if there is a need for new fax software for OS2.
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: svobi on 2007.10.26, 00:13:10
Quote from: kimhav on 2007.04.24, 03:18:41
Faxworks disappearing - what do we do? This poll has been suggested to see if there is a need for new fax software for OS2.

Hey Kim
FaxWorks already disappeard LONG ago !!!
It's a pity: PMfax, on which FaxWorks was based, is gone too !!

One of the problem is:
You and most of us are mentioning the wrong name of the product
which should have been PMfax !

Yeah, there is another little (marketing) problem:
FaxWorks provided a much better product marketing with CD, Manual ...
... where PMfax was all ONline !!

I was lucky to have the FaxWorks set and then changed to PMfax Pro
with its superb features.

Many of us do not know that the delveloper/provider of PMfax also
produced WIN &, if not mistaken, Linux version too !?

I haven't heard about them for to long ;-(
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: kim on 2007.10.28, 12:56:52
Guess that i'm going off topic here - But I'm aware of that Faxworks (pmFax) are already gone from the market; the poll itself was based on a suggestion from user that wanted to see if there was an interest for finding a solution for those who needs fax solution. I really like the products and I've used pmFax to fax quite a few fax in my days. Was involved for around 15 years ago in a project where we had around 150 incoming and outgoing fax lines where we used OS2 v2 Beta (gold code) on 386SX with 4MB ram and 4 fax cards per system.

Above mentioned activity was actually the reason why I started to use OS2 seriously; due to that Windows at that time really showed the limitations on how to handle hardware and software. We actually tried to build above solution around Windows and we just never got it to work and it also crashed all the time. Switching over to OS2, even a beta, everything just ran as it was supposed. At that time I also came from using the Amiga and I liked OS2 GUI with the combination of running command lines interfaces as well; just as we could on the good old Amiga.
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: warpcafe on 2007.10.28, 19:34:35
Hi all,

well IIRC it was me who asked for the poll.
The reason being that the existing commercial FAX apps for OS/2 suffer the (in my mind) usual drawbacks of OS/2 software: Technically solid and stable, they do their work... but they still look and feel ugly like apps from the 80s or Win3.0 software with clumsy interface.

What I've been thinking about was to do a nice GUI on top of the fax apps by Mr. Pollack, enhance and link it with SANE and perhaps come up with some kind of fax server functionality... all this done with REXX and as an open-source project for people to participate. Well... guess that's it. OCR perhaps... (need to check the Tesseract interfaces) and then - hehehe - internet-based fax/email conversion.... yeah...

Those who voted "yes I would want to..." are invited to tell their fax app wishlist: What do YOU need? What's missing from YOUR favorite fax application?

Regards,
Thomas
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: RobertM on 2007.10.28, 22:37:28
Hi Warpcafe,

I've played with Tesseract, and it's very good. The only thing it may need is a TIF conversion utility depending on the TIF format that the fax app stores the faxes in (but GBM handles that quite nicely). Tesseract only handles certain compression schemes... using GBM to convert the TIF to 1 bit or 8 bit seems to do the job quite nicely (to allow Tesseract to "read" it).

What I am trying to find (for I need to put together an OS/2 Fax Capable system) is an app that will rotate the TIF 1 degree. Reason being, Tesseract seems to be 100% accurate in OCR'ing the fax (with the TIFs we've tried) if the TIF is rotated 1 degree... and only a few characters off 100% without rotating. The only character that seems to have a problem (with the fax using Courier) is "l" and "1" (lower case "L" and the number one), which it arbitrarily OCRs the number one to either a one or a lower case L. I have yet to try using faxes with other fonts (primarily because the faxes we need to OCR cannot be changed by us to other fonts, thus we are stuck dealing with what we get)... and since the original faxes are computer generated, they are always perfectly aligned (if they were printed and then faxed over, they'd probably be a degree or two - or portion of a degree - off, and OCR perfectly).
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: RobertM on 2007.10.28, 22:43:05
PEOPLE: PLEASE VOTE!!!!

If you see a Poll, PLEASE vote in it. If an option that you think should be there isnt, please let one of the moderators know (or post such in the poll's thread) so we can consider adding it...

eCS doesnt have the largest development pool out there, but it does have a dedicated one, as well as numerous apps that can be ported from Linux or someplace else, or apps already in existence that just need a nice interface and installer. It's hard to determine what eCS needs if no one answers these polls. It doesnt just show a lack of interest in the software, it shows a lack of interest in the OS itself. If you run eCS or Warp, you have to have some sort of opinion about the need for a particular piece of software...

Over 100 people (as of yesterday) voted on the Warp vs Windows poll on another site (linked to from here)... yet so few people took the time to vote here (even though this poll has been up WEEKS longer)...

And if someone does port or write something... please send them an email, or msg through the forums or something saying "Thanks" or providing feedback about what works and doesnt. If you dont want to spend lots of time, a simple "I'm using ______, thanks for your efforts on it" is, I can assure you, appreciated by the programmer.
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: magog on 2007.11.02, 16:22:47
PMFax Pro has been released as Freeware:
Quote
On 31. Dec 2003 CDS gave away PrimaFax Pro for Windows and Linux and also PMFax Pro for OS/2.

Free Fax software for Windows, Linux and OS/2
=============================================

To celebrate the New Year CDS is GIVING away full, non-expiring
versions of our poplar PrimaFax Pro and PMFax Pro fax software
products for Windows, Linux and OS/2. 
These fax products normally cost up to $99.00 each, but as our
way of saying thank you for your past support, you can now download
the full version of these products and enable the full functionality
with the license key listed below:

Windows Key: 10-00054-273-937-727-579-251
Linux Key..: 10-00042-185-182-616-225-873
OS/2 Key...: 10-00040-974-912-151-306-952 (s/n: 12-00002-100-015-68)

Faxworks is included in eCS but PMFax Pro is a little bit better.
What is still missing a some kind of remote support so you can send a fax from a client when PMFax runs on an eCS server.
You can share the printer on the network, but you need to access the server via VNC or whatever to enter the number to dail.
There is a REXX description and module available but it wasn't included with the free version (see keys above).

I've got the OS/2 package of PMFax Pro on my harddrive. If you can't find the file (pmfpro_o.exe - 1.242 KB) I think there is no problem to upload it on hobbes for example.
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: kim on 2007.11.02, 18:02:22
Quote from: magog on 2007.11.02, 16:22:47
What is still missing a some kind of remote support so you can send a fax from a client when PMFax runs on an eCS server.

Well, FaxWorks was available in a LAN version as well; so it would be great if that code could be released as well.
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: RobertM on 2007.11.02, 21:01:53
Quote from: kimhav on 2007.11.02, 18:02:22
Quote from: magog on 2007.11.02, 16:22:47
What is still missing a some kind of remote support so you can send a fax from a client when PMFax runs on an eCS server.

Well, FaxWorks was available in a LAN version as well; so it would be great if that code could be released as well.

I could be wrong, but I thought it was the Faxworks Pro/PMFax Pro package that included the LAN support... though I am not sure. I own(ed) a copy... I'll look and see if I can find it.
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: Lumo on 2008.05.20, 10:21:28
I voted no. I haven't seen or used a fax in years.
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: BigWarpGuy on 2008.05.20, 22:16:16
With cable modems and DSL connections and other high speed internet connections, how many people still have an analog modem that the FAX software would connect to? Most can send it as an attachment to an e-mail.  ;D I have not used a software fax in many years.  8)
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: isycoed on 2008.05.21, 12:30:31
In the legal business and real estate business, faxes are still very important.
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: Bill on 2008.05.21, 21:01:43
Quote from: RobertM on 2007.10.28, 22:43:05
PEOPLE: PLEASE VOTE!!!!

If you see a Poll, PLEASE vote in it. If an option that you think should be there isnt, please let one of the moderators know (or post such in the poll's thread) so we can consider adding it...

eCS doesnt have the largest development pool out there, but it does have a dedicated one, as well as numerous apps that can be ported from Linux or someplace else, or apps already in existence that just need a nice interface and installer. It's hard to determine what eCS needs if no one answers these polls. It doesnt just show a lack of interest in the software, it shows a lack of interest in the OS itself. If you run eCS or Warp, you have to have some sort of opinion about the need for a particular piece of software...

Over 100 people (as of yesterday) voted on the Warp vs Windows poll on another site (linked to from here)... yet so few people took the time to vote here (even though this poll has been up WEEKS longer)...

And if someone does port or write something... please send them an email, or msg through the forums or something saying "Thanks" or providing feedback about what works and doesnt. If you dont want to spend lots of time, a simple "I'm using ______, thanks for your efforts on it" is, I can assure you, appreciated by the programmer.
:(Problem is that I cannot persuade the system to let me vote???????????     I am sure that I have done so in the past but I just cannot remember how.  HELP.    Bill
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: diver on 2008.05.22, 19:16:44
you need to login first :)
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: Bill on 2008.05.22, 21:09:07
Thanks for replying but I AM logged in. I have let the cursor roam all over the area at the beginning of the item where the Poll result is shown but, nothing makes the cursor change to a 'select' icon. Please, where do I vote?
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: Terry on 2008.05.22, 21:22:40
Two items...

[1]  5-in-1:  Brother Fax Machines, to the best of my knowledge, have the only fax hardware solution built into their hardware/drivers for Win or Mac platforms as 5-in-1 => not the typical 4-in-1.

My HP-printer also just quit.  I then bought an HP-4200 3-in-1 without the fax option due to my recent Brother Fax Model #MFC-7220 purchase.  I am also ordering a parallel port PCI-card from newegg.com to use the parallel cable connection instead of the USB connection.

Under my new barebones desktop configuration there will be...

- Parallel motherboard connection for HP-4050 Black Laserjet.
- Parallel PCI-card connection for Brother Fax MFC-7220.
- USB connection for HP-4200 Color 3-in-1 (no fax 4+5 functions).

I bring up this "tid-bit" for the programmers out there in OS/2-land since a Brother Fax already has some of the capability built into their hardware.

[2]  PMFax:  Many years ago I purchased a FaxWorks upgrade through (not yet addressed in this thread) Global Village Communications.  There were two sources of FaxWorks upgrades, and; I remember that there were a few minor differences between Global Village and Keller upgrades.  So, it is Global Village Communications - FaxWorks Pro for OS/2 upgrade - to version 3.0 (copyright 1996).
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: John on 2008.05.23, 13:30:36
Hi All,

I bought Faxworks Pro many years ago and used for only a short period of time until my modem was struck by lightning, the only available modems I could get after that were USB type modems or internal Winmodems so never really got a chance to make serious use of the software.

With a range of combination Printers, Scanners and faxes available on the market I'd like to see an updated Faxing solution. I personally find that a lot of people and companies still respond to a Fax faster than via email. Optical Character Recognition would also be a "must have" with the software.

Cheers,


John.
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: Sander on 2008.05.23, 22:32:30
Quote from: BigWarpGuy on 2008.05.20, 22:16:16
With cable modems and DSL connections and other high speed internet connections, how many people still have an analog modem that the FAX software would connect to? Most can send it as an attachment to an e-mail.  ;D

Fax is an essential tool for much of the business world.  Try doing non-local financial, or real estate deals without fax.  Without fax you wouldn't get far in distribution, or most sales catagories either. 

Here we use the Brother MFC-8660DN networked multi function duplex laser Print, Copy, Scan, 33.6 Fax. Most small business use similar multi function machines.  The sad thing is that while all of the features are available to Windows, Mac, and all versions of Linux, they are NOT available for OS/2.   While the printer works under OS/2, and it works fine as a stand alone fax, and copier, it can not fax or scan directly from OS/2.

I would LOVE to see a fax solution for multi function machines like this. 
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: Dave Palmer on 2008.05.24, 20:25:55
Quote from: Bill Scarlett on 2008.05.22, 21:09:07
Thanks for replying but I AM logged in. I have let the cursor roam all over the area at the beginning of the item where the Poll result is shown but, nothing makes the cursor change to a 'select' icon. Please, where do I vote?

need help too.  Like Bill, I can't find out or select anything to 'vote' on or with.
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: RobertM on 2008.05.25, 21:11:28
Hey gang,

Try it now... if you see an option that says "Remove Vote" now, that means you already voted (which would be why you were not seeing a voting option before).

-Robert
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: Dave Palmer on 2008.05.26, 00:00:21
Robert
Thanks - guess senility has hit me sooner than I wanted it to.
Though it would be fun to vote twice.
Dave
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: Bill on 2008.05.26, 01:32:52
 :-[  I must have voted as I see the 'remove vote' sign also.   Sorry about that but I have no recollection of voting. It must be put down to the approach of senility I fear.

      Thanks for sorting it out,  Bill
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: RobertM on 2008.06.01, 01:57:24
Quote from: Bill Scarlett on 2008.05.26, 01:32:52
:-[  I must have voted as I see the 'remove vote' sign also.   Sorry about that but I have no recollection of voting. It must be put down to the approach of senility I fear.

      Thanks for sorting it out,  Bill

No prob gang! And now... you all can vote again, and again, and again if you wish!  ;D

Rob
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: ModZilla on 2008.08.09, 22:58:32
RE plea for pollers! Yea, hey anyway its election yr here in the good ole USA - its good practice, I don't fax any more myself so I voted that I do not really need/use same, but its nice to be asked. I think its about time to query the crew as to whether or not it would be a good time to start an open project that in essence unloads an hastala_Vista like desktop and runs off a CD based on backtrak2 for os/2 eh? ;D ;D ??? :D :'(whatdya say?_?

MZ
Title: Re "OFFTOPIC" :: Poll about Faxworks disappearing ::
Post by: ModZilla on 2008.08.09, 23:17:01
ohk, faxwerkx long gone, whatever, the question wuz-and I paraphrase: "do we need an open os/2 fax project going on or not"? ie should it ]faxworks or pmfax or whatever it is that is defunct[ be replaced by something like it but more mod? I say no, but I am not really against the idea so maybe the poll should have had an "other" ambivalence column: neither yea or nea that way I wouldn't come off as being againt anything here...so if you even thought about voting, YES your vote really does count on Os2w-its a virtual poll, and its not senility software that gets your tinkers damn goin it Serenity. Seriously, interesting enough to me though, Kim and I quote you:

"Above mentioned activity was actually the reason why I started to use OS2 seriously; due to that Windows at that time really showed the limitations on how to handle hardware and software. We actually tried to build above solution around Windows and we just never got it to work and it also crashed all the time. Switching over to OS2, even a beta, everything just ran as it was supposed. At that time I also came from using the Amiga and I liked OS2 GUI with the combination of running command lines interfaces as well; just as we could on the good old Amiga." .. ..I find that very interesting... :-*

I am not surprised windows "crashed all the time" on you, hey, with four fax cards in a box, it may have turned out that persuing the project with one fax card only, tWinDose would have still crashed back then, due to all the problems with IRQs, eh, speaking of Amiga [as I drift even further off topic], I liked the old video toater in those machines, that was the hot setup...video in WINDOWS uh not so great, uh fax with windows, not so great, uh deskview or delrina fax uh, OhK, but NO TANKS!
Title: Re: Poll about Faxworks disappearing
Post by: RobertM on 2008.08.10, 03:09:59
Quoteohk, faxwerkx long gone, whatever, the question wuz-and I paraphrase: "do we need an open os/2 fax project going on or not"? ie should it ]faxworks or pmfax or whatever it is that is defunct[ be replaced by something like it but more mod? I say no

My perceptions (as wrong as they could be) are that any fax solution for OS/2 should be easily scriptable, and as capable as PMFax and FaxWorks Pro (and like them, preferably with REXX).

I base that on the fact that all of my clients who need faxing solutions, all need them for automated things... one client needs fax-out capability where the faxes can be created and sent via an address book (part of the fax app, or from a database) to numerous recipients, all "personalized" - that was trivial with FaxWorks Pro.

Another client needs to be able to receive faxes, have them OCR'd automatically, call an external app (or preferably a REXX script) to parse the OCR'd text, and then insert the data into a MySQL database, and trigger a notification script/app that then sends out pages (ie: pager pages) and/or sends the data to various remote stations (or makes it available via polling from the remote station). Again, very trivial for FaxWorks Pro.

Other than a fancy GUI and support for newer modems, I dont know of anything that FaxWorks Pro is lacking - and it's a true, native OS/2 app (and performs as such).

For my second customer example, I plan on buying a bunch of old faxmodems to install, and run FaxWorks Pro. For the first, it's a "future plan" that they may never implement - but I need a solution for if they do. And as always, I'd prefer it's a "running on OS/2 or eComStation" solution. We have a support contract with each customer... and I thoroughly enjoy never having to come up to update/fix/de-virus the servers we have installed (all are running eComStation). I plan on keeping those servers that way - even if it means dusting off as many copies of FaxWorks Pro and buying as many old faxmodems as I can find. The only problem I have, is if we get as many of these accounts as we can (125 total potential ones in this area alone), I am sure to run out of available/findable copies of FaxWorks Pro and available/findable supported faxmodems.

IF we were guaranteed all of the accounts in this area, we would subsidize part of the cost to update FaxWorks Pro... but we dont know whether we will get one more account... or 120 more accounts... so we aren't in a position to want to do that, since spending such money (for what may be one more account) would be a stupid business move. We'd buy it for each if it were available, on an as needed basis.


Robert