faxing in OSX.2: software, services, and fax machines

[Jill Whenmouth]

Hey everyone, 
I am still working on helping my son get his home office set up.
 We had some detours w a family surgery and post surgical complications, but
we are trying to weave in some progress here to making this all functionally
operative.... 

I am looking at the fax part  ( ibook, 900mghz,  OS x.2... )

First questions are to you who have used your computer for faxing.

I read of Page Sender several times.   It sounds all good.  Any
reservations? Any negatives?

Why Page Sender over FAXstf?

Any negatives or reservations re FAXstf?

Next, feeback on fax services?

  He  will probably receive 120 - 150 faxes per month... from the u.s. to
cozumel mexico.  And will need to send out possibly 40 faxes a month...
 Hopefully he can email lots, and not have to fax out, but if he does fax
out, as one of you pointed out before, he absolutely doesn't want to be
faxing using his modem ... not from mexico to the US... so a service would
be the way to go.

I see the following services mentioned (as compatable w Page Sender):
 eFax,  jConnect, EasyLink, or MaxEmail services.

Anyone had any experience w any of these? positive or negative?
Reliablity?  How quick are there response times?  Anyone heard anything or
experience anything with any of them?
 I plan to research their fees and run the  cost numbers that are
appropriate to his needs, but reliabilty and responsiveness are essential.

Finally, I have come to the reluctant conclusion that he should still
additionally have a physical fax machine to receive faxes, just in case his
one and only computer should have a problem someday and leave him
communicationless ... not good...

If he actually uses a fax machine to receive 120 or more faxes per month,
then I have observed that a cheap ($50 or $60) fax machine is out, given
that their print costs are high (10, 12, and even 15 cents a page and
feedback is strong that cheap fax machines are only happy when few demands
made upon them
So I am looking at a low end laser fax... at this point the brother
intellifax 2800 is at costco for $189 and runs 2cents a page to print...
which seems to make itself cost effective... of course, it has to be used to
be cost effective and I am hoping actually that it won't be used.  But on
the other hand, if there is a crisis and it must be used, and we bought a
cheap fax that broke down, then that would be no bargain.  I am hoping this
lo end laser is a workable compromise to recreating redundancy (is that the
right word for a back up alternative?)

So, ok, that is as far as I am in thinking thru this fax situation.

 Any and all thoughts, feedback, ideas, experiences are so very much
appreciated and have given greatfully appreciated direction to this learning
process.  Thank you all.

Jill