5. Faxes - pros and cons

Advantages
Disadvantages

Faxes are a fairly inexpensive method of sending a message - just the cost of a telephone call along with paper and ink for receiving faxes

If the fax is using the same number as the telephone then it can prevent callers from getting through or calls being made.

They are simple to use and require very little training

There is no immediate response or feedback from the recipient like there is with a telephone conversation

They allow exact copies of hand written information or images to be transmitted without having to prepare it in any special way.

You might dial the wrong number and send your document to someone else

As long as the fax machine is switched on, messages can be received at any time day or night.

If the receiving machine is busy, your Fax will not be delivered, although you can set it to re-try a few times

They don't need any specialist installation or cabling as they make use of the existing telephone line

The quality of the document which is received is often poor and might have lost some of the fine detail.

 

If the receiving machine is busy, your fax might end up under a whole load of other faxes which arrive after it

 

It can take a long time to transmit if you have many sheets of paper

 

The fax machine can run out of paper without noticing it.

 

Challenge see if you can find out one extra fact on this topic that we haven't already told you

Click on this link: Fax