Apr 16, 2020
Advantages and Disadvantages of Fax Machines
Society has been heavily reliant on technology. It plays a big part in our everyday lives. Technology has been advancing as time passes by. In a decade, we went from walkman to iPods or MP3s, typewriters to computers, landlines to cellphones. In 20 years, we went from VHS and movie rental video stores to streaming series and movies on Netflix. We went from buying albums at Record City to streaming music in Spotify. Technology has come a long way, and as it advances more, it also means that another invented technology becomes obsolete. Obsolete refers to outdated technology, services, computer hardware, and software that are no longer in use. One obsolete machine that would be the focus of this article is the fax machine.
Fax machines or technology may have been obsolete, but many companies still use them to keep their documents safe and secure.
The reason why some companies still use them because of its advantages:
Security
While the invention of computers and the internet have made our lives easy, and emails are more convenient, there are still disadvantages to it. Emails and computers can still be hacked or contain viruses that will corrupt your computer and files. This doesn’t happen when receiving documents through fax. To some industries where important and confidential documents are to be received immediately, fax machines are still invaluable.
Reliability
Fax Machines are easy to use and more secure. You received the documents right away, and it won’t get lost on your spam or junk mail. There won’t also be a threat of viruses and software malfunction. Once you enter the correct information on your fax machine, faxes will be simply sent.
Accessible
When sending a fax, the recipient gets it immediately and physically. You’ll save money transferring physical documents. Emails may also be quick; however, for documents to be sent via email, it needs to be scanned and uploaded first. A fax machine offers a quick and cost-effective transmission of documents.
There’s also a reason why fax machines are now obsolete. It does have its disadvantages:
Less Convenient
Faxes are convenient speed-wise, however, they can’t be reached easily. For instance, if you’re not in the office and you need to send a document, you won’t be able to send it until you return. You also can’t multitask with a fax machine.
Maintenance
For fax machines to work, you need ink, toner, paper, and other equipment. So you need to regularly maintain and check if you have enough supplies for your fax machine. Unlike emails, all you need is a computer and the internet.
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