Some modem manufacturers have jumped their guns on this and are now offering 56kbps modems even before the approval of the standard. If you buy a 56kbps modem now and a standard is approve in the future, you may end up with a modem that will not be able to communicate at all at 56kbps with modems meeting the approved standard. They will, however, be able to communicate at slower 28.8kbps speed so long as they support the v.34 standard. Almost all modems sold today have fax capability. This will give your PC the ability to send and receive faxes using your ordinary voice telephone lines.
Some modems are smart enough to know whether the incoming call is a voice or fax call.
The most difficult decision you will have to make when buying your PC is where to buy it from. If you are on a tight budget, a no-name brand is probably your only option as they cost a lot cheaper than the popular brands. When buying no-name brand, be sure to choose a vendor who has been in the business for a long time to ensure that someone will be looking after your equipment during its entire warranty period. . Another decision you will have to make is whether to buy a desktop PC or a laptop computer. Warranty Finally, make sure the vendor specifies the warranty conditions clearly.