JVCcom can use the pactor for getting weather fax, RTTY, navtex etc. The quality may be marginally better than via a soundcard, the control is better, but the main advantage is that you don't have to keep grovelling behind the radio to change plugs when you want to change.

The serial version of the pactor would always be my preference over the usb version, but some will disagree.

Also, having the PC control the radio directly rather than through the modem has advantages. Notably there are several other useful programmes for doing various things that work much better if you give them control of the radio.