# Using my Mac as a Phone/Fax ?



## Loafer (Jan 7, 2004)

is it possible ?

if I hook up the modem connection to the phone line


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## harzack86 (Jan 30, 2005)

Definitely yes for the Fax.

There are many software solutions for that.
There is a free version of FaxSTF available, and many commercial software too.

Check here (I think you may also find there some phone applications, although I never tested that on a Mac):
http://www.versiontracker.com/php/s...ic&action=search&str=fax&plt[]=macosx&x=0&y=0


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## Loafer (Jan 7, 2004)

I was just reading the comments on that software....not all that complimentary.
Interesting thought hat someone mentioned the fax capabilities of Tiger.

Lo and behold you can send and receive fax's!
check out the preference pane for Printing and Faxing.....I completely overlooked this before.

now.....how about making phone calls ?


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## darkscot (Nov 13, 2003)

Skype for making calls.


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## Loafer (Jan 7, 2004)

darkscot said:


> Skype for making calls.


how do I make a call through my land line though, I didn't have much luck with Skype


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## kevkwas (Feb 24, 2004)

*Looks Cool*



Loafer said:


> how do I make a call through my land line though, I didn't have much luck with Skype


http://www.skype.com/download/skype/macosx/


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## Betty Woo (Feb 5, 2005)

Loafer said:


> how do I make a call through my land line though, I didn't have much luck with Skype


Wait... now it's getting confusing... .

Are you asking about VOiP (internet telephony - like Vonage and other services that allow you to make/receive phone calls using your regular phone through an internet adapter you buy/rent from the company and that can have your landline phone number transferred to the service)?

Or are you asking if you can somehow use your Mac to receive and make calls through speakers and a mic if the Mac's plugged into your land line (eliminating the physical phone altogether)?


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## rgray (Feb 15, 2005)

Fax is a no-brainer: it is built into the OS in the Print system.

Dialing requires some additions, in particular a dialer such as abdialer.


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

I believe that bluephoneelite will dial for you using your bluetooth-enabled cell phone, as well as alerting you onscreen about incoming calls with onscreen caller ID, managing your SMS, and so on.

Not what you were looking for but cool nonetheless.

Edit: PhoneValet, which follows in the next post, looks like an awesome product.


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## Mississauga (Oct 27, 2001)

... probably much more than you're looking for, but I use PhoneValet for my small business. It's loaded with features, including the ability to select a phone number in almost ANY application and have it dialed for you. PhoneValet is an EXCELLENT product!


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## Loafer (Jan 7, 2004)

Betty Woo said:


> Or are you asking if you can somehow use your Mac to receive and make calls through speakers and a mic if the Mac's plugged into your land line (eliminating the physical phone altogether)?


exactly

I used Skype to phone someone locally and it was fine, as soon as I phone someone in Vancouver it's awful.

Phonevalet looks like a great product but way more than I was looking for....just a simple dial pad on the computer so I can use my speaker and microphone to speak through my landline.....simple really, I'm surprised it isn't built into Tiger to be honest, in my (cough) Windows (cough) days I remember it being built in to the OS.


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## Loafer (Jan 7, 2004)

I just tried Abdialer

buggy to say the least.....couldn't place a call properly, it kept ringing once then cutting out (I was calling my cellphone as a test)
it kept crashing my Address Book too.


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