SMUG - November Upgrade: News From the SMUG Bureaucracy

Author: Joe Duroux 

Date: November 1993 

Keywords: user group 

Text:
The October meeting started with auctioning off two software items
and a book, donated by Sean McNiff and Steve Kayner, with funds going
to the group treasury. Denise conducted the procedure to select the
volunteer reviewers who received the various free software items -
after the main program this time.
The main event featured Hugh Dalton, manager of the local branch of
Just Your Type. He showed examples of the printing they do. They use a
photographic process that is laser exposed with a typical resolution
of 1200 dots per inch. The max-imum size of the actual material is
11.7 inches in one dimension, and is determined by the specific
equipment, typically 25 inches, in the other dimension. He described
various techniques for preparing color separations and the best ways
to submit copy from a Mac.
Product review news:  Because of a very few recalcitrant reviewers,
SMUG is instituting a new rule. If you agree to review a product and
don't either submit the review within the agreed two months, or return
the product (intact) to Denise within one month, you may lose your
right to review software again for one year. Publishers and
manu-facturers generously provide us with products for review with the
expectation that reviews will appear in a timely manner. If we treat
them poorly, they will soon treat us poorly by no longer providing us
with such a wonderful array of free material.
SMUG Student Memberships:  Several months ago, after careful analysis
of the costs involved we realized that SMUG loses about a dollar a
year on each of our student memberships.  That doesn't include any of
the BBS costs, only the newsletter printing and mailing costs.
Reluctantly, as of January, we will be raising the SMUG membership fee
for students from $10 to $15 annually. So join before 1994 and get in
for the old price! Pass the word.
Pizza Party: SMUG has had a remark-able increase in membership since
this time last year and we will soon be welcoming our 100th member!  
To celebrate reaching # 100 there will be a Pizza party on November
17th at 7 PM. There will be prizes for Member #100 so hurry and join
and it could be you!  (We're not sure where the party will be yet, so
get online and watch the News folder or call Casey 442-3520.)
Products Available For Review in November, to be given out at the next
meeting:

HyperStudio - From Roger Wagner. Multimedia a la Hypercard... in
color!, a Mac version of the popular IIGS program.
TypeReader - From ExperVision. Optical Charscter Recognition
program.
The Mac Internet Tour Guide (book & Disk) - From Ventana Press. 
Looking Good in Print (book) - From Ventana Press.
The Presentation Design Book - FromVentana Press.
SuperPaint 3.5 - From Adlus. Paint/Draw program...new upgrade!
Now Fun! - From Now Software. Customize your desktop plus screen
saver, sounds & desktop patterns.


Coming Soon:
New Products Available for Review in December:


CopyDoubler - From Symantec. Quick file copier that works in the
background. 
Spiral (PB notetaking utility) - From TechWorks. Electronic note
taking application. 
WordPerfect 3.0 - From WordPerfect Corp. New upgrade to a highly
acclaimed word processing program.
Adobe Acrobat Starter Kit (for 12 work stations) - From Adobe. View
and print documents across computer platforms without compatibility
problems.  
Print Shop Deluxe - From Broderdund. New for the Mac!
Kid Cuts - From Broderbund. Over 200 fun projects to design, print &
assemble for children from 4 to 12 from the publishers of Kid Pix.

Copyright © November 1993 by Joe Duroux