SUMMARY: FAX software

[Loki Jorgenson Rm421]

	Sorry for the long delay; I was awaiting information before
completing this summary.

	Thanks to the following for contributing suggestions/sources:

emv at ox.com		Ed Vielmetti
edelson at sgi.com 	John Edelson Manager, Developers Relations, SGI
cnix!klaus at relay.EU.net klaus schallhorn
maz at sst.ll.mit.edu	Marc Zissman

	The known pieces of Public Domain software include:

NetFAX @ alpha-bits.ai.mit.edu:/pub/systems
faxpak @ alpha-bits.ai.mit.edu:/pub/systems

	Unknown PD software includes one piece which is due "sometime
soon" (quote/unquote from the author); it is targetted for the
the SGI 4D series.  I have no immediate details.

	Commercial sources include:

For SGI:
Keith A. Wagner                 Voice   402 554-1122
Perfect Byte, Inc.              FAX     402 554-1938
7121 Cass Street                email   keith at pbi.com
Omaha, NE  68132

For SUN3/4: IsoFax
The Bristol Group Ltd.		Voice    603 437-3700
P.O. Box 910 			FAX	 603 437-3220
Londonderry,
New Hampshire
03053

	In my limited opinion (I haven't actually implemented anything
of this time), the PD package NetFax appears to provide the most for the
least.  My first attempt at an implementation of a FAX program will be
with it.

This is an excerpt describing NetFAX:

We are using a package developed by Henry Minsky (hqm at ai.mit.edu) at
the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab.  This package requires a Group 3
Class 2 fax modem.  Henry suggests using the Everex Everfax 24/96D
modem ($450).  This modem connects to our SS1+ on one of the serial
ports.  Users create PostScript files which the system converts to
Group 3 fax and places in a spool directory for subsequent transmission
by the fax daemon.  The fax daemon also manages the arrival and storage
of incoming faxes.  Free software (pbmplus, ghostscript, libtiff) is
available and required to do the conversions between g3 fax, tiff, 
PostScript, etc.

We are using the package on a SS1+ running SunOS 4.1 and both MIT-X and
OpenWindows 2.0.  The package still has a few minor bugs, but sure
beats paying $2-3K for commercially available software.  Our biggest
problem was purchasing the fax modem.  It has just been released, and
many of the people at Everex (415-498-1111) didn't even know it existed.  
You definitely need the 24/96D (the suffix D is critical).  
					Marc Zissman (maz at sst.ll.mit.edu)

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