 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Editorial Peter Smith |
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Before I introduce myself, I would like to express my thanks to the committee for entrusting me with the editorship of PC Update. Also my sincere gratitude and appreciation to Ash Nallawalla for the excellent job he has done with this magazine for more than two years; for the considerable patience he has had with me as a new sub-editor and for his expert advice and guidance. I hope I will not let them or you, the members, down.
A little bit of background
My entire working life has been with computers. It started in 1963 using CSIRAC - then at Melbourne University - a time when the "byte" (a term not then invented) was only 5 bits long, and has continued with a great proliferation of "Mainframes", "Minis" and "Micros". These terms are only relative at the time of being used, today's "Micro" (PC) has vastly more power and capability than last decade's "Mini", which in turn out-shines the previous decade's "Main-frame". Most of my time has been in development, both systems- and application- software, together with the associated design and training. I currently consult to four clients, two of which I part-own.
About ten years ago I started to use Laser Printers for some specialised commercial applications. Then they cost about $0.75 million each - a little out of the reach of the typical PC user! A colleague and I developed the applications, both of us are still in similar lines of business - he supplies laser printers and associated services - I have one site using eleven that he has supplied! (As an aside, I am happy to see that he has seen the light and is advertising with us - personally, I have no hesitation in recommending Compustar's services.) Over the last few years, as the cost of laser printers has continued to drop-in line with all computing equipment - the possibilities for improved presentation, at low cost (i.e. the Desktop Publishing Revolution) have exercised a lot of my time. About 10% (and growing!) of my professional time is spent in this field, as is about 90% of my hobby computing - I edit and publish a number of magazines, newsletters and other things for the Pony Club youth movement, in which I hold various executive positions.
PC Update
Starting in this issue, and continuing for the next few months I will be publishing guidelines and tips for all the potential authors out there! (All 4300 of you!) Some are designed to make your life easier - some will make the editorial team's life easier - all are intended to help both of us to produce an even better magazine!
Got a Good Graphics Grabber?
A picture is worth a thousand words - and takes a good deal less space! One of the ongoing problems in producing a magazine like this is the lack of relevant "screen shots", to illustrate articles and reviews. "Power users" seem to have little trouble producing pictures that Ventura can read, but the average user has problems. I have received several articles, complete with what purport to be screen dumps - but they are illegible. Some have been created with GEMCAP, but the authors have no way of displaying the captured file to check it. So - we need a good, simple, cheap and reliable, preferably PD or Shareware "Graphics Grabber".
I visited the last Graphics SIG meeting - they will try to find something. However there must be many members, unable to attend Graphics SIG meetings, due to the tyrannies of time and distance, who know of, or could produce, something. What we need is simple to specify: it must be able to capture Mono, Herc., CGA, EGA or VGA screens to one of the many formats supported by Ventura: TIFF, HPGL, PCX, Gem, IMG, PIC, etc.; be easy to use; and be able to display the captured file as confirmation.
If all else fails
Authors who would like to illustrate their articles with graphics can also supply hard copy (printer, plotter or whatever). I have the capability to scan these - the results are usually acceptable - this is how the graphs in John Beck's membership survey article (PC Update, November 1990) were input.
AGM
A reminder - it is being held as part of the December monthly meeting. Please come, cast your votes for the contested positions, and make your wishes for the coming year known to the incoming committee. If you cannot be present (those tyrannies again!) you may appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf, as defined in the Group's Rules.
Advertising
Finally some pleas - First; support our advertisers, without them our magazine will suffer. Second; if you know a supplier of goods or services relevant to the membership, try to convince them of the benefits of advertising in PC Update - 4300 members, nearly 7000 readers, many with more than one PC at home, and most with more than one at work - a formidable purchasing power! Third; we still need someone to act as Honorary Advertising Manager (see position vacant advt. elsewhere in this issue).
Reprinted from the December 1990 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
