Fax (short for facsimile, from Latin fac simile, "make similar", i.e. "make a copy")
is a telecommunications technology used to transfer copies (facsimiles) of documents, especially using
affordable devices operating over the telephone network. The word telefax, short for telefacsimile,
for "make a copy at a distance", is also used as a synonym. The device is also known as a telecopier in certain
industries. When sending documents to people at large distances, faxes have a distinct advantage over postal mail
in that the delivery is nearly instantenous, yet its disadvantages in quality and its proprietary format have
relegated it to a position beneath email as the prevailing form of electronic document tranferral.
A "fax machine" usually consists of an image scanner, a modem, a printer, and usually a phone combined into a
single package. The scanner converts the content printed on a physical document into a digital image, the modem
sends the image data over a phone line to another device, and the printer at the far end produces a copy of the
transmitted document.
Some fax machines can be connected to a computer, and the individual components -- the scanner, printer, and
occasionally the modem -- can be used independently. Such devices are usually called multifunction printers
or MFPs. Fax capabilities are also offered as options for many high-volume workgroup printers and photocopiers.
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