Textfax—Principle for new tools in the office of the future

Abstract

By taking a closer look at today’s office, we observe the following trend: The conventional typewriter is gradually being replaced by word-processors. These may merely be electric typewriters with a storage added or they may take on the form of highly sophisticated CRT workstations featuring screens carrying an entire standard size page and exchangeable storage media. These systems, which originally had been intended for local word-processing, are now increasingly being supplemented by communication functions, permitting direct text communication from one’s own buffer to that of a business partner—i.e. to his electronic "mailbox." Whenever desired, the recipient can then call up the text from the buffer for reading or, if necessary, for editing and subsequent filing or forwarding. These functions can be summed up under the catchword "electronic mail."