 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Prez Said Anne Rouse |
Another lively month! A "sellout" at our desktop publishing seminar; another new SIG starts up; a great monthly meeting on AI; some fascinating new local software products; graduation of our self-help training group (to Advanced DOS) and, (at last) the Amended Constitution and Tender documents finalized!
Read on to see what you're getting for your $25...
MONTHLY MEETING
The September monthly meeting was jam packed - with people and with items. The star attraction was Tony Davidzik's presentation on Artificial Intelligence. Tony (whose company Applied Expert Systems is a pioneer in the AI field m Australia) gave an excellent overview of Expert Systems, and AI, using a range of commercial Expert System as illustrations.
We also saw a couple of local new software releases: a new Modula 2 Compiler from Jed Microprocessors (see their ad this month) (theirs is the product Jerry Poumelle talks about in Chaos Manor in Byte) (it's distributed in the US through Workman and Associates); and a product which I find hard to summarise - a visually-oriented flowcharting product which generates source code!!! Sounds fascinating? You should have had a look - it was very impressive. This product "Flowmaster" has been designed in Australia, and is expected to be released in the US through De Marco's own company (De Marco being one of the major gurus of system development methodology.) If you are looking at system development tools designed around the non-computer-ist, you might find it worth having a look at.
Finally, OUR SPECIAL DEALS were highlighted. Don't forget, we have negotiated some great prices on The Norton Utilities, and Turbo Prolog. (Details in last month's magazine). There will be copies of these on sale at the October meeting at our special prices of $119 with tax for Turbo Prolog, and $138 with tax for the Norton Utilities. Postage and Packaging is $10 extra if you want to order by mail. (Details in last month's mag).
NEXT MEETING
At our next meeting we will be covering the EGA graphics board - what it is, and what it means to the average PC user or purchaser.
CONTINUING ACTIVITES
The SELF-HELP TRAINING group is going strong, and Alan and Gordon are still doing their stuff. The original Introductory Course has finished, and a number of the trainees have now moved onto an Advanced Course.
One of our members (a system engineer from IBM) has offered to run a PC INTERNALS seminar in October, and at our September meeting a show of hands suggested that this would be very well attended. Details of date/time/venue haven't been ironed out, but if you are interested, you should given our Training Coordinator, the lovely Gordon Castle, a ring.
Incidentally, all offers of assistance in the training area will be well received. If you are willing to run a seminar or training session please give Gordon a ring. We have had a number of offers of facilities and training venues, now we need the trainers!!!
ADMINISTRIVIA
A continuing source of irritation over the last few months has been that our answerphone system is not being manned as well as people would have wanted.
This is largely because Joe De Simone (who had been handling it) has been tied up on other things. We hope, though that we have solved the problem, thanks yet again to the energetic Gordon Castle. Gordon has offered to take over the answer phone, and to provide his own office as backup phone number.
Unfortunately, as a number of you have found, most of the Committee members are out of their offices more time than they are in ( and I am a major offender). Gordon's kind offer may make it easier for you to get in touch with us.
As I said in the first paragraph, the Committee has finally been able to meet and nut out our Tender Requirements Document, so we should be sending copies out soon to a number of organisations so that they can tender for our administrative work. IF YOUR ORGANISATION HAS NOT CONTACTED US YET, BUT YOU ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF PROVIDING BOOKKEEPING AND SECRETARIAT SERVICES you may still have a few days left. Please contact me (on 609 5860 or 882 6338 (AH)) if you would like us to include you in our list.
FINANCIAL REPORT 1985/6
A number of people have asked what happened to the promised financial report for 1985/86 (at the AGM the former Treasurer, Joe De Simone could only provide an interim report).
Joe has explained that he has been tied up over the last few months and hasn't had the time to finalize our books, but he has arranged to hand over the books to our Auditor by 22 September. By the time you read this, we should have a much better idea of what our financial situation is.
AMENDED CONSTITUTION
At the July AGM the former President, Lloyd Borrett, promised members that a full review of the constitution would take place. In this issue, you see the results of many hours of work on the part of the Review Group who undertook to do this, and of the Committee.
Although we promised that correspondence on the Constitution would be published in PC Update, we found that those who felt strongly about the issue preferred to meet with the Review group and provide verbal rather than written comments. We have thus only published the full Amended Constitution for all members to evaluate.
This Amended Constitution, which has the support of both the Review Group and the Committee, addresses a number of glaring omissions in our earlier constitutions. It probably seems ponderous and perhaps cumbersome, but that is largely because our constitution must satisfy the Corporate Affairs Office, who have provided a number of guidelines on what should be included in the constitution of an incorporated body. (Our members gain considerable protection from the incorporation of the User Group, because it limits the liability of individual members - in other words you aren't liable personally for the debts of the User Group.)
These amendments will be debated at the November meeting. However, this time we WILL provide that film on buying a PC to lighten the evening.
If you would like details about the thinking or background to these amendments, you may want to talk to one of the Review Group members: Leon Cohen, David Jitts, David Owens, John Beck or John Drake.
A special thank you to those people, who have undergone major harangues and heated discussions as we waded our way through the words. (This goes twice for David Owens, (a constitutional lawyer) who did our drafting for us.
We think the results are worth it, because now all members have had the chance to have their say on the constitution. We expect the results will satisfy those who expressed doubts at the AGM.
PRODUCT RECALL
Gordon Castle has a Product Recall on those issues of The Complete PC Tutorial which were sold at the September meeting, or since then. Apparently this edition (5.1) is BUGGED, but In-Touch will replace your bugged copy at no charge. Please let Gordon know if you are one of the unlucky purchasers. (Note, this only applies to the last batch of the software, ie that on sale last meeting, or since then).
Incidentally, with sales tax, the Complete PC Tutorial is now $59 dollars. Still a bargain, though.
DESKTOP PUBLISHING SEMINAR
Last month we told you about the Desktop Publishing Seminar we were putting on in conjunction with SCA. We were a bit worried that the delay in getting PC Update printed would limit the numbers. NO WAY. In fact, only half of those who rang to book their places got in, due to an onrush of excited members.
To satisfy those who missed out (or those who didn't hear about it in time) there will be another seminar on 15 October. (see the Calendar). And talking of Desktop Publishing...
DESKTOP PUBLISHING SIG
If you hanker to be a pioneer in the desktop publishing arena, and want to get involved with state of the art equipment, why not stay to talk to David Watson after the October meeting about helping to publish PC Update.
David has had a number of general enquiries about what we are doing with the Laserwriter, and how people could get involved, so if you can make it see David then. If you can't, but are still interested, give David a ring on 611 3583 BH (he promises faithfully to answer his answerphone as soon as he gets back from Canberra/Sydney/Adelaide or wherever.) (It's a hard life being a jetsetter!)
Talking of PC Update, you'll notice the flow of local articles is still strong. We still need more authors though, and lots more articles. Volunteers should contact me, David Watson, Leon Cohen or John Beck. (Leon and John are now taking over as coordinators of the PD SIG, seeing that I seem to have about three hats in this outfit at the moment, thanks to Lloyd's resignation.)
AUSTRALIAN ORGANISATION FOR QUALITY CONTROL
We had an offer of training facilities, and "exchange of information" from AOQC (see above for translation). I asked them to prepare a summary of who they were and what they were above, so here are some details:
The Australian Organisation for Quality Control (Victoria Division) is a voluntary organisation with the object "to promote Quality and Reliability within Australian Industry". Since 1968, AOQC has conducted meetings, seminars and a comprehensive education programme to train people in the statistical and managerial techniques for quality control and quality assurance. Cooperative efforts with tertiary institutions hae led to the development of courses in the quality control field.
More recently they have dramatically expanded their activities to include: a Quality Information Service which has assisted over 100 Victorian companies; Certification of quality personnel; appointment of a full-time Training Officer and Executive Directory; and entry into the microcomputer field.
This last item will be of interest to Melb PC members. Quality control has been poorly catered for in computing circles until recently but at a workshop on microcomputers in quality control conducted in June this year, AOQC was swamped with applicants. The workshop will be repeated on 18 November.
AOQC has purchased Eight JXs, together with a training room at the Australian Chamber of Manufactures, 370 St Kilda Road. 40 people can be accommodated for training, and these facilities are available for hire. Projects currently under way are the preparation of a Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) package in statistical techniques, in conjunction with the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT) and the development of quality control software.
Any PC user who feels they could assist AOQC's work in helping Australian industry would be assured of a warm welcome. Norm Brasch (Executive Directory ), or Mike Allison (Convenor-Computer Committee) on 657 2503 would be happy to provide more information, or tell you more about what they are up to.
AND FINALLY, ANOTHER SIG!!!! FOR NEC PC OWNERS
You'll notice in our Calendar that another inaugural SIG meeting has been scheduled, this time for NEC PC owners. This is the result of some talks I have been having with David Power, who has agreed to coordinate the SIG. Apparently NEC "almost compatible" owners feel a bit lacking in support, so this SIG should fill a real need.
And talking of compatibles, the long-awaited amalgamation of the Apricot Users Group and Melb PC won't be happening - that group voted to postpone any amalgamation until they had developed more of an identity. (So far they have only had two or three meetings). But in the meantime ten of their members have decided to become members of both organisations, so welcome Apricot users!
Reprinted from the October 1986 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
