WINFAX PRO 10

Richard Price
16 May 2000

With programs like WinFax PRO around, I can't understand why anyone still needs a separate fax machine.

I like WinFax PRO. I have been using it for years, so I was disappointed the installation of the latest version did not go very well.

For some reason the WinFax PRO 10 print drivers would not install. So, although I could access the program I could not send a fax.

For those unfamiliar with WinFax PRO, it works by pretending to be a "printer", allowing you to send a fax from any Windows application. It is quite easy to do, and I have been using WinFax PRO for years.

The manual was not very helpful. The on-line help raised the possibility of corrupt drivers. I couldn't locate them on the CD. I uninstalled and reinstalled about 3 times before the drivers kicked into life.

This latest version has a number of new features I was quite keen to have a look at.

You can now send a fax to any e-mail address. The recipient does not need WinFax PRO, special viewers, or even a fax machine to receive the fax.

WinFax PRO's new print driver ensures fax images are clearer. The photo-quality print engine enhances documents containing photographs or images.

The new signature button allows you to quickly insert a digital version of your signature into a document.

WinFax PRO 10 also allows you to access information from ACT, Outlook and Outlook Express and Goldmine.

It is no longer necessary to launch the entire application to send a fax. You can just drag the file into the Drag and Drop icon that sits on the desktop to launch the send screen.

If you have access to caller ID and/or CSID, you can automatically send "junk" faxes to the trash can.

After I had been playing around with Symantec's WinFax PRO 10 for a few days I still found sending a fax to an e-mail address to be a headache. According to the documentation, Lotus Notes, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Internet Mail, Eudora and Netscape are all supported.

I use Eudora. Symantec's web site assured me that Eudora was supported, but gave no specific help.

Two days later when I went back in desperation for more information it was to see they had made a slight change the previous day! Only Eudora version 4 is supported.

Once I reconfigured Netscape to access my e-mail it worked.

Not good enough guys! If you make a technical specification error, admit it, don't pretend it was never there!

It's not that easy to address the e-mail either. WinFax PRO 10 reads the addresses from your address book — tiresome if you have never bothered with the Netscape address book before.

The fax is e-mailed in a self-viewing format, so the resulting e-mail can be big. Personally, I can't see the point of sending a fax to an e-mail address.

WinFax PRO 10 is no lightweight. It needs a Pentium, 32MB of RAM and 57MB free disk space (a complete install). You also need a fax modem.

But, depending on your requirements, it could be just what you need.

I prefer WinFax PRO version 8. It has been happily sending and receiving faxes on an old 486 for some time now and I am in no hurry to upgrade.

By Richard Price, Editor EnergyME.com

For information on getting a product reviewed email richard@energyme.com