Why We Still Have Fax Machines

"Poor line condition... what the heck does that mean?"

"Arghh! This machine is eating my pages!"

Ah, the joys of the fax machine! This surprisingly old technology (patented in 1843) is still holding its own in offices worldwide (consuming about 200 billion pieces of paper per year), despite the advent of the Internet and e-mail. So why is it still around?

For one thing, fax machines are everywhere: doctors' offices, grocery stores, real estate offices, your mechanic's shop... the list goes on. It includes the many small businesses that haven't yet joined the Net revolution. (Yes, they are out there.) Furthermore, fax machines are easy to use. And they are all completely compatible with each other. You can even use your computer to send a fax to a fax machine, or vice versa.

(Source: Wired)