efax.com used to have a service that would let you receive a certain number of faxes for free. I think they may still have it, but it's tough to find the link for the free version. It gives you a number to use as a fax number, and faxes sent to that number convert to email and are sent to the email address you provide. There's a limit for the free version.

Some computers have fax/modems in them, although I don't think this is as common as it used to be. If you've got that, you'd need two phone lines--one for the fax machine and one for the fax in the computer.

The 640 seems like a pretty basic fax machine and I don't see any description that indicates anyway to connect it to a computer.

If you are satisfied with fax quality, you can adjust the setting in scanner to replicate a fax. That might speed up the process a little.

If you have a lot of documents you may consider using a service like FedEx/Kinkos.

On another forum somewhere, perhaps lifehacker, I read the suggestion that one get a cheap digital camera from WalMart, photograph the documents, then with the cable provided just upload (Or is it download?) the photos to the computer.

Sounds like I might take the originals and put them in a file cabinet in some drop folders. Set the computer on top of the file cabinet. Done pretty fast. If I need one someday,, scan it ;)

Thanks for the comments and the levity. Its all appreciated.

Bob

A fax scan may be mostly black or white dots - no shades of gray. Because of this, text comes through ok but most illustrations and color do not - those will be blobs of black. If this is acceptable, then you can use a fax machine to scan your documents. Email the scans from your fax machine to your email address, and then download the emails into your computer. Test the fax machine for duplication quality. Many fax machines default to low resolution scans for transmission savings and speed. Inrease the resolution as needed assuming your machine is adjustable.

If you have color documents, use a scanner.

If your documents contain graphics, but gray scale is ok, use the scanner and set the output to 256 shades of gray. (Gray scale is a much smaller file size than color scans. 256 shades of gray is adequate for duplicating most black/white photos.)

I still cannot find where I read about using the camera but I do remember that students were using this instead of the xerox at the library as it was much cheaper than even the student rate at the copy machine and much less hassle than checking out library materials.