Symantec, best known for its utilities (Norton AntiVirus, Norton Utilities, WinFax PRO,
etc.), has introduced Mobile WinFax, faxing software for the growing legions of 3Com Palm
Computing device users. Designed to work as a standalone application or in tandem with
WinFax PRO, Mobile WinFax allows users to send and receive faxes directly from their Palm
Computing Connected Organizer.
Mobile WinFax integrates well with WinFax PRO and Graffiti, which allow the user to
compose, sign, and even illustrate the fax with the Palm’s built-in
handwriting-recognition software. Sending and receiving faxes directly from the Palm
device requires the attachment of a compatible modem or GSM cellular phone adapter, which
is not included. Faxes can be composed without the modem or cellular phone adapter, but
must be synched with a PC loaded with WinFax PRO to be sent and received from the desktop.
INSTALLATION
We tested Mobile WinFax using a Palm III Computing Device. Installation of Mobile WinFax
was as easy as installing the Palm Desktop software that came with the Palm III. We
installed the software onto our Dell Dimension running Windows 98. We then performed a HotSync to the Palm III. The software is
designed well enough to allow seamless installation on both the PC and the Palm III.
DOCUMENTATION
At 64 pages, the user’s guide for Mobile WinFax is compact, but thorough. There
aren’t many graphics, but the few illustrations and screen shots included are
helpful. Since the product is easy to install and use, a lot of graphics are not
necessary. Every topic includes at least one paragraph describing what that particular
function does, followed by numbered steps describing how to perform that function.
There is a troubleshooting section at the back, a glossary, and phone numbers and
addresses for Worldwide Service and Support. There is also additional help available under
the Help menu on the desktop. The Mobile WinFax User’s Guide is also available in PDF
format in the Mobile WinFax folder on the PC.
FEATURES
Mobile WinFax gives users the ability to fax to numbers already stored in the
Palm address list, and up to 16 pages can be directly faxed from the Palm Computing
Device. It also comes with a collection of cover pages, including one that allows you to
add your company logo. Additional custom cover pages can be added using WinFax Pro. Other
features include:
- Attachments of different types of documents (Microsoft Office, HTML, bitmaps, text
files, and more) can be added.
- Frequently used fax documents can be stored on your Palm, and you can send them anytime,
anywhere.
- Faxes can be sent immediately or held in the Outbox to be sent at a later time.
- Mobile WinFax allows the user to navigate the entire page of the fax.
- Faxes can be sent using HotSync in conjunction with WinFax Pro.
- Faxes (including those that haven’t been downloaded into the Palm device) can be
forwarded.
- Desktop may be set up to send and receive faxes.
- Remote access to your desktop, via HotSync, is available, so you can see what faxes have
been received.
- Multiple users can HotSync their Palms to a single PC.
OPERATIONAL TESTING
To test Mobile WinFax, we used a 3Com modem on a Palm III. We installed the
software from the Symantec’s CD onto our Dell Dimension, which met all the hardware
system requirements. We had previously installed the Palm Desktop 3.0 software onto the
Dell, and performed a HotSync to the Palm III. We filled in all the necessary preferences,
and composed our first fax.
Sending Cover Pages
Our first test was simple: we sent a one-page fax to ourselves. We left all
Mobile WinFax settings at their default values, with the exception of the sender
preferences. We opened the cover page set-up window and chose the basic cover page, which
displays a drawing of a fax machine at the top, and includes fields for sender information
and the date. We faxed the cover page to our computer, which used RightFax software. Then
we printed our page. The outcome was not quite the quality of a conventional fax. The font
was small and a bit jagged, but legible.
Sending Documents
Next, we sent the same document to a fax machine. We ran the same test again,
except this time we used the quick cover page option. The quick cover page is the same as
the basic cover page, except the drawing of the fax machine is replaced with the words
“Mobile WinFax Quick Cover Page” at the top, and gives the time as well as the
date. The sender information is compactly presented, which leaves more room for the text
of the fax. This time the quality was greater. We noted that faxes sent to computers that
use fax software suffered from diminished text and graphics quality.
We sent a Microsoft Word document as an enclosure to the same two fax devices. (We made
sure we respected the 16-page limit on enclosures.) We opened the Mobile WinFax Desktop
software and added the Word document. We then performed a HotSync, which brought the
document into the Palm III. We faxed the document to both the RightFax software and a
regular fax machine. The quality of the attachment was the same as before: lower quality
on the faxes sent to the computers, higher quality for those going directly to fax
machines.
Receiving/Viewing Faxes On The Palm III
Finally, we wanted to receive a fax on our Palm III. We opened the software on
our Palm, and selected Wait for Fax. We faxed a Microsoft Word document to the Palm III,
and set up the software to receive a fax. Since the Palm III shuts off if idle for a brief
time (in our case, one minute), we thought that setting up the Palm III to wait for a fax
would be pointless, because it would power off. However, the Mobile WinFax software
overrides that setting, and allows the Palm to remain on. This is a battery drain, though.
We discovered that viewing the fax on the Palm III is not easy. Since the screen is a
fraction of the size of even the smallest laptop screen, navigating the fax on the Palm is
difficult. In addition, the refresh rate on the Palm screen is not nearly the speed of the
slowest PC. Reading the entire fax is time consuming and frustrating. There is an icon
that allows you to pinpoint any section of the document, but the displayable area of the
Palm screen is about 1/16th of the size of the document, and as we mentioned before, the
screen’s refresh rate is extremely slow.
Reviewing The Log
We performed a HotSync when we were finished with our testing, and opened the
Mobile WinFax Desktop software. The faxes we sent and received were listed in the log, and
we were able to view and print them. However, we were not able to save them in another
format, or manipulate them. We could view them only at 100 percent, no larger. Since the
text is so small, the ability to zoom in closer would be helpful.
When we printed our faxes, the text was somewhat distorted — much smaller than the
original document, and crowded towards the top half of the page. This was the worst
quality of all, which is unfortunate because faxes received with the Palm would probably
be printed this way.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
With the exception of the average quality found in outgoing faxes, and the
below-average quality found in incoming faxes, there are scarcely any improvements we can
suggest for Mobile WinFax. All the same, quality alone is an important issue. As mentioned
earlier, the quality of the type is below average, especially when received by a fax
software solution, such as RightFax, in our case.
We suppose that the limitations of the Mobile WinFax software are unavoidable, given the
limitations of the Palm devices themselves, or even the modems that might be used with the
Palm devices. However, more powerful Palm devices might well be capable of supporting more
powerful software.
Nevertheless, the interface (both on the Palm device and on the host PC) is excellent,
easy to use, and very intuitive. There are no surprises in either the installation or the
use of the software. The documentation is complete; nothing is missing.
CONCLUSION
Touted as “a professional image for people on the move,” Mobile WinFax
keeps its promise to give you the ability to fax from your Palm device. However, faxing
from the Palm isn’t the most convenient or efficient way to get the job done,
especially with below-average print quality.
Fax machines are everywhere, including airports and hotels, so it’s hard for us to
imagine a situation where faxing directly from a Palm device would be the most efficient
solution to on-the-road fax problems. Nevertheless, Mobile WinFax is extremely easy to
install, configure, and use, and it gives Palm users yet another way to take advantage of
their device. |
Internet Telephony Magazine
Click here to read latest issue
CUSTOMER 
Cloud Computing Magazine
Click here to read latest issue
IoT EVOLUTION MAGAZINE
