Definition of a Fax Machine
A fax machine is one of the most invaluable methods of transmitting information that was ever invented. It has allowed transactions ranging from sending letters and photos between loved ones to finalizing major corporate mergers. The evolution of the fax machine spans over 165 years and has gone from being a great product to know about to being a necessary tool in today's time-sensitive world.
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History
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The first fax machine was invented in 1843 by an Englishman named Alexander Bain. It was composed of two pens swinging from a pendulum and would make stains on a paper consistent with each electrical charge through a wire. The first commercial fax machine was made in 1860 by Italian physicist Giovanni Caselli, and it was called the "Pantelegraph." Several other inventors were key in the evolution of the fax machine, including Elisha Gray, Arthur Korn and Edouard Beeline. In 1966, Xerox created the first fax machine that transmitted through the use of telephone lines. In 1987, Canon invented the first plain paper fax machine.
The Facts
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A fax machine, originally called a facsimile, is a device that uses light to copy and transmit images of a document to another fax machine. Once an unpopular item due to its high price tag, big size and difficulty of use, it didn't catch on until modern advances, such as the use of telephone lines and better product design, became standard. The boom came in the 1980s when the number of fax machines in use swelled from 300,000 to over 4 million. Today it is estimated that over 50 million fax machines are currently in service.
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Benefits
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In a world where time is money, a fax machine saves on both. A fax machine can send important documents to another fax machine within seconds from the comfort of a home or office. Adding to its list of credentials are the facts that it is safe to use, because no one is able to read or interfere with a transmission. There are no computer viruses to worry about, and the reliability of the fax being received is assured due to its land line use. Over the years, fax machines have become smaller, faster, less expensive and easier to use. The service has even been integrated into a printer along with copier and scanner technology to combine essential office duties into one product.
How it Works
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A machine is composed of a printer, telephone dial pad, cylinder, beam of light and a photoelectric cell. An image or document is placed into position, and when a transmission is authorized, the cylinder rotates and the image or document is wrapped around it. A beam of light then scans the image or document by moving across the cylinder. The photoelectric cell sends a transmission of signals that interpret the scanned image on a grid. The signals are 1 for light colors and 0 for dark colors. The receiving machine deciphers the transmitted signals and creates an image based on the incoming data. The receiving machine prints out the image once all the signals have been deciphered.
Significance
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The fax machine has drastically changed the way we do business around the world. As more technology began to make the fax machine user friendly, the audience grew accustomed to its blazing fast transmissions and accurate printouts. A faxed copy of a signed legal tender is now acceptable, and one no longer needed to wait for the postal carrier. Newspapers, magazines and other editorial content can be instantly delivered instead of settling for tomorrow. The fax service has evolved into authorizing a transmission through emails by computers, cell phones and PDAs.
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