|
April 2001 Meeting Report |
||
|
The April 12, 2001 meeting of the Alaska Computer Society was held at the Anchorage Museum of History and Art. President Gene White called the meeting to order at 7:06 pm and opened with the Question and Answer session. Question & Answers Warren reported having a lot of trouble running QuickView on his NT machine. He received lots of sympathy but no helpful ideas, (We can't win all the time.) A member reported he has signed up for the AT&T digital wireless service. He has 512 kbs download speed and 128 kbs upload. Along with the connection speed he gets free Internet service. The antenna is mounted outside the house. Inside is a transceiver which is about the size of a VCR. To use the service you must be using AT&T as your local and long distance service provider. Howard reported on his strange problem with WordPerfect 9 which started after a recent Windows 98 crash. The problem starts when there is a misspelled word with a period behind it. If he continues typing it keeps working. If he touches the misspelled word with the mouse cursor, the program locks up tight. The mouse freezes and <CTRL><ALT<>DEL> is the only thing that works. Once the Task Manager menu is open then the mouse works. It usually takes about three times of selecting "End Task" before the program closes. The spell and grammar checker has been turned off. Because of all the other problems with the system, the cure is obvious, reformat and start over with a clean machine. Main Meeting Gene explained about the monthly board meetings held the third Thursday of each month at the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) Information Center at 7:00 pm. Anyone interested in sitting in are welcome to attend. Howard explained the software and book evaluation programs and the Computer Training classes at the AARP Information Center at Northway Mall and at the Anchorage Senior Center at 1300 East 19th Avenue. You must be a member of AARP to attend their free classes on Beginning Windows, Microsoft Word, and the Internet. At the Senior Center you must be a member of the Senior Center and there is a $10 charge for each four-lesson class. Both programs are looking for volunteer instructors. Please contact Howard if you are interested in a worthwhile and satisfying public service opportunity. Both program's classes are two hours a week for four weeks with a new series starting the first of each month. ACS has acquired a quantity of the CD-ROM disks distributed by the APCUG (Association of Personal Computer User Groups) containing lots of interesting utilities. We are giving one free with every new and renewal membership. They may be purchased for $2 each at the sign-in table. Warren reported on the upcoming Association of Information Technology Professional's (AITP) annual InfoCom technology show to be held May 22/23 at the Egan center. Check their site at www.AITP-AK.org for details. Dawn reported on the search for a new meeting location. She welcomes any ideas for suitable locations. UPCOMING MEETINGS The May meeting will be presented by ACS member John Scudder demonstrating several mapping software packages and how they interface with a GPS device (Global Positioning System). A representative from Garmin International will also be on hand previewing some of their latest GPS products. The June meeting will be on Computer Intrusion Detection. Charles Preston will discuss and demonstrate ways to detect, identify the type, and block intrusions into your computer when connected to the Internet. He will discuss firewalls and other products, and will talk about current virus issues. For one of our future meetings we are working on having a session with the APD (Anchorage Police Department) computer cop. He will discuss criminal activities using computers. AND THE DOOR PRIZES. Microsoft provided us with copies of their popular software packages Encarta Spanish Deluxe, Windows ME, Works suite 2001, Metal Gear game, and Combat Flight Simulator 2. Winners went home happy to be members and at the meeting. Main Meeting Mr. Adam Kovac, Microsoft Sales Representative for this area, gave a very interesting demonstration of several of the more popular Microsoft products for the home users. The laptop based presentation included slides and video clips, screen shots, and audio. It was an effective demonstration of how the new PC speeds and power now available can be put to good use. LANGUAGES Encarta Language Learning for Spanish or French languages features interactive video and advanced speech recognition technology. The system provides the equivalent of a private tutor at home. You can proceed at your own pace repeating any lessons at any time and as many times as necessary to get it right. You can customize your own Study Planner to suit your schedule. The Progress Tracker charts your language development automatically so you can see how you are doing at a glance. Adam's demonstration of his own progress showed us that there is hope for any of us wishing to learn a new language. METAL GEAR SOLID This game introduces a new genre where a cool head and stealth are your best weapons for a successful mission. You are a government agent called Snake on a mission to take back a secret nuclear weapons base from terrorists. Great graphics and a gripping story with multiple endings make this fun for all who enjoy a good challenging game. COMBAT FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2 Combat Flight Simulator 2 (WWII Pacific Theater) is the latest issue of this very popular game. With it you can learn to fly the Grumman F4U navy fighter plane and sharpen your dog fighting skills until you finally get good enough to avoid crashing. The graphics includes finely detailed aircraft, cockpits, and scenery. Attention to details like chipping paint, realistic aerodynamics, and scenery make it an exciting experience. You can almost feel the G forces as you dive and roll. Mistakes cause spectacular crashes. MSN EXPLORER AND COMPANION MSN Explorer offers the best of Microsoft's Internet Explorer features which provides everything you need to feel at home on the Web. It offers e-mail, instant messaging, chat and communities, It makes it easier to stay in touch with the people and information YOU care about. Other features include listening to music and watching video to managing finances and shopping online. The MSN Companion is the new Internet appliance that is the answer for people who want to browse the web and keep in touch family and friends, but don't want the expense and complexity of buying a PC. OFFICE 2000 A brief demonstration and video of some of the capabilities of Office 2000 in managing business and personal affairs just touched the surface of this highly integrated and powerful set of utilities. With several packages available targeted for different market segments, you should be able to find the mix that best meets your needs. WINDOWS XP Windows XP, the latest version of Microsoft's Windows Operating System, will be released in a few weeks. There will be several versions of it targeted for different types of users. It is based on the NT operating system. MORE INFORMATION For more information on any of these products, check Microsoft's web site at www.Microsoft.com and search their data base. |
||
|