Fax is distributed as a demo version which can be unlocked after purchase.

You can download the latest Public Beta here:
Fax 1.0d12 (zip file, about 120K)

• Mac Conduit
• PC Conduit
• Support for additional fonts
• Support for Class 1 Fax Modems (Class 2 and Class 2.0 already supported)
• An API/SDK for software application developers

What versions of the PalmOS are supported?

Fax works on all devices running all versions of the PalmOS from 2.0 right up to the current release. This includes (but is not limited to) the Pilot 1000/5000 (if upgraded to OS 2.0 or later), Personal, Professional, Palm III, IIIx, IIIe, V, Vx, VII Palm VII as well as the IBM WorkPad, Handspring Visor, TRG Pro and other devices running PalmOS 2.0 or later.

What modems/phones are supported?

In general, any modem that does Fax Class 2 or Fax Class 2.0 is supported. Some phones/modems only handle the older Fax Class 1 standard, which we do not currently support. A partial list of phones we have tested is listed below. If your modem/phone is not listed, send the command AT+FCLASS=? to the device using a terminal program (such as Online) and send us the results.

Is the Palm clip-on modem supported?

Of course! As well as all clip-on modems that have a serial interface (such as the "snap-on" GSM modem from Option International).

Can I connect to an external modem?

Yes, just use a DataCord modem cable available from Mark/Space. It has a Palm connector (III, V or Visor style) on one end and a DB-25 modem/serial connector on the other end.

My phone/modem reports 'NO CARRIER' even though I know the number is correct. Why?

First dial the number you are trying to reach with a land line phone to verify that a fax machine really answers at that number. Then verify that you are dialing the same number from the fax software (including any special numbers to reach an outside line, country codes, area codes, etc. If all the above is correct, then note that:

With many carriers (especially GSM) you need to pay extra to be able to make a fax or data connection. Verify with your carrier that data and fax services are enabled for your phone/account.

Success has also been reported after turning the phone off and then back on (causing it to reset).

How do I access the "Options" menu? Is it disabled in the demo?

All program features are available in the demo - You gain access to the menu bar by tapping the "menu" button in the silk-screen area of the device. This is the silk-screened button to the direct left of the "abc" button of the grafitti input area.

(For further details on using menus and PalmOS in general, please consult the user guide that accompanied your PalmOS device.)

My phone/modem only does Fax Class 1 - will it work?

No. The current release of our software only supports Class 2 and Class 2.0 fax modems. We may add support for Class 1 in the future if we get enough feedback requesting it.

Can I fax using an OmniSky modem or a TCP connection?

No. OmniSky provides a TCP connection to the internet. It does not have the ability to connect to a fax machine over phone lines.

Can I fax from the wireless modem in my Palm VII?

No. The Palm VII wireless modem provides a network connection to palm.net, it does not have the ability to connect directly to a fax machine over phone lines. However you can fax using a regular fax modem or fax capable mobile phone connected to your Palm VII via cable, wireless, or snap-on.

How can I use an IR modem or phone and my Handspring Visor?

If using a newer Visor with OS 3.5 or later, just select "IRComm" from the port menu.

Older Visors run OS 3.1, which does not (directly) support IRComm. However you CAN use IRlink 1.5 software from from IS/Complete. This software adds what is needed to your Visor (or other pre OS 3.3 PalmOS devices) so that it can work with IR enhanced modems such as the Ericsson Di27 and phones such as the Ericsson 888.

Can my PalmOS device wake up when a call comes in ("wake-on-ring") to auto-receive a fax?

Not that we know of, at least with anything "off the shelf". We are researching the issue further.

Some issues to keep in mind (why this may not happen) are that even if the PDA were sleeping, the modem would have to stay awake, and a AAA powered modem would not be able to stay awake very long. Adding a circuit to a modem so that the modem could sleep while waiting for a call as well as the PDA is possible, but would add a cost to each modem made, and it is not clear that the number of people that would benefit from this feature would justify the added cost to each modem made. If you would find this a very valueable feature, please communicate it to the modem hardware vendors.

However, it should be possible (in theory) to use an external modem with a special cable such that the "ring indicator" line would trigger a hotsync message. You could then set the app to run on modem hotsync to be fax instead of hotsync. Anyone wanting to give this a try, send us email for the geeky details.

I had to restore my handheld from a backup and now I get various errors refering to bad or missing UIDs. Why?

The Mac version of Hotsync does not properly restore UIDs from a backup. This bug has been reported to Palm and should be fixed in the next release (at the time of this writing, the current release, with the bug, is Palm Desktop for Mac OS 2.6.1 or earlier).

If you run into this problem, you will need to delete fax from your handheld, (which also deletes the database) and then re-install just the application. This way it will create a new database.

Why does the text on fax that are sent appear 'chunky'?

All the Palm fonts are bitmap fonts meant for viewing on-screen and at (roughly) 72dpi. A fax is usually 144 dpi, so unless you halve the font size (which you can do in the software, but they would appear very small on the resulting fax), they are already going to look twice as "chunky" as they do on the Palm. If you elect to double the size of the fonts (which is the default setting in the software) they then may appear up to 4 times as 'chunky' (ie, each pixel in the ROM font would be represented by a 4 by 4 pixel on the fax).

We may be able to address this by either providing a custom extra large font (so it would scale better), better scaling, and/or anti-aliasing, but this isn't something we would be doing in the initial 1.0 release.

I can't seem to fax with my clip-on modem if Afterburner is active. Why?

There is likely not much we can do about that - the PalmOS serial routines are timing sensitive, and Palm doesn't vouch that their OS will work when the device is overclocked. We will make a note of it, however for the time being we recommend that you disable Afterburner when using Fax.