Number 281 - October 2006

UPDATE
Freeware    For those of you who are beginners, freeware is the term used to refer to computer software which is made available to computer users at no cost. Often there is also a commercial version of the same software but with valuable enhancements or premium features intended to be used by corporate clients and for which a fee is charged. In the article Quality Freeware, Brian Lewis describes several very useful programs that are available free. Most of them have already been offered to our members by librarian Tom Stepanek. However, there are a couple mentioned in the article that have not been offered. Vista    In Microsoft Vista Beta--First Look, Brian Lewis has also written about the latest Beta release version of Windows which is due to be released to the public sometime in the next year. RAID    We have carried articles about the RAID system in past issues. In the article "Should Your System be RAIDed?", Vinny LaBash gives a relatively simple explanation of the system. EMail Montage A lady from the Victoria, BC user group, Charlene Brown, introduces us to an artistic approach to computer output in the article "Illustrating Emails with Digital Montage". You won't find this subject many places elsewhere. CAPTCHA    This article discusses the very interesting concept of using graphic pictures of text rather than actual text to be typed in as a password, or other entry key, to a web site. The user is asked to	physically type in the text illustrated by the graphic. The purpose of this is to defeat the automated 'bots' read real type keywords and then plant spam or otherwise clutter up web sites. Is the Universe Programmable?    The author describes a quantum computer to describe the universe that uses qubits. No, not cubits. Noah used those and look what a difference he made. Qubits are quantum values between 1 and 0. Read the article--then the book. USB Ports    Marshall Brain discusses the Universal Serial Bus (USB) which has replaced the serial and parallel ports on most new computers as the point at which to connect peripheral equipment such as printers, scanners and the like. MEETING DEMOS WORD    Bob Henkel will give a presentation on Tips & Tricks in WORD, in which he will discuss things he has learned using Microsoft's word processor. CLEAR WIRE    If time is available after the WORD demonstration. Oclad Wesley will describe and possibly demonstrate the use of ClearWire remote communications system. If such a system were available it might allow live access to the Internet during monthly meetings to illustrate program presentations and Q&A sessions.
Number 281 - October 2006