Bluestar Productions is holding a computer show on January 16, 17, and 18 at Wentzville, MO. See below for times. We, GCC,  do not work this show....

If you are planning on attending you will have to pay the $8.00
 admission fee.

St. Louis Location:
Wentzville Crossing Expo Center
118 Mall Parkway
Wentzville, MO 63385
636-327-7220

Hours:   Friday 12:00 - 9:00 Saturday 10:00 - 7:00 Sunday 11:00 - 6:00

Admission: Adults=$8.00 Kids (12 & under)=FREE!

Regular Meeting

Wednesday, January 21st 2004

Caseyville Township Bldg. 
10001 Bunkum Rd.
Fairview Heights, IL

Directions:      Map:

Board 
Meeting

Wednesday, 
February 4th

Spring Garden Restaurant
Collinsville, IL
Meal starts about 6:00. Meeting starts at 7:00

Everyone is welcome

This
Meeting

1. Buy and sell your old, excess equipment.
2. Get your Xmas presents working and the computers you purchased at the last show fixed. 

While we fix and repair computers for FREE for anyone at the Bluestar shows in Collinsville, we only offer this service to our members at our meetings. You also must be a member to participate at our swap meet.

Let's see.....get my computer working for $15.00 and the cost of parts and sell my old stuff, ......and why haven't you joined?

Next
Meeting

Using MS Explorer 6.0 *

Using Outlook 2002 *

* Note we may decide to make two presentations out of this material. If so, this material may be moved to the March 17, 2004 meeting. 

Come to the meeting and learn how to use that new computer or operating system you got for Christmas

Hello From The Pres...
Mike Taphorn

I think everyone that came to the Holiday Party in December left with at least one prize. I know the kids enjoyed the flashlights and the rest of the prizes seemed never ending. I’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and I hope this new year brings everyone more good days than bad. I really think our club will continue to succeed because everyone in the club seems to know when help is needed and they step up and do whatever it takes to get our work done. I reflected on the success of the club and I really think we are succeeding because we have a great group of people that enjoy helping others. Everyone is willing to give a little time and little advice and that’s all it takes to solve most problems. I’d like to thank everyone that came to the club meetings and especially those that helped out at the computer shows last year. Please continue to do what you are doing and we’ll have another great year for the GCC. Thanks for a great 2003 and I’m looking forward to an even better 2004…

If you got a new computer gizmo for Christmas and you don’t know what to do with your old one, bring it to the meeting. This meeting we are going to skip the demonstration portion of our normal routine and we’re going to have a sale / swap meet instead. I told all of your spouses and better halves about it at the Holiday Party and I’m sure a few of them have already helped pile up the stuff they no longer want in their house. If you can’t trade or sell your stuff, just buy more stuff so they have something to talk about when you get home. Actually, we really are having a swap meet and a sale so get your stuff packed up and bring it with you to the meeting. You never know what it may be worth; you might be able to get enough money to buy something nice for your significant other…

If you bought a bunch of new parts for your PC, but you were too busy to put them in the case over the Holidays, bring them to the meeting and we’ll help you install them. If your computer is having problems. Bring it to the meeting. We are going to have our power plugs, monitors, keyboards and mice a the meeting so we can hook up your system and get it working correctly before you go home. If you have a bad part, I’m sure someone at the swap meet will have a part you need to get your machine working at full speed. So remember to bring you swap meet stuff and your PC’s to the meeting.

If you got a new super-geeky machine and you just want to show off, bring it along, this is the perfect time to see who has the biggest hard drive…

See you at the meeting …

 Mike

The Treasurer's Report
Don Wold

The Secretary's Report
Carlos Mariles

The Web Master
Chuck Hill

Librarian
Charles Wallace

The Librarians

The Editor
Chuck White

Miscellaneous
 Things Of Interest And Importance To Someone 

Linux Related 
Where to start? 


If you are new to working with the Windows and Linux / Unix connectivity issue, there are two excellent articles we recommend you to start with. The first one, "Windows onto Linux" is written by Ashton Mills for APC Magazine. (Please be patient - the link might take few seconds to open.) The second article, "WinaXe: Linux Hand in Hand with Windows", written by Dinesh Yadav, was featured in the LinuxForYou Magazine in March 2003. Now that you have familiarized yourself with WinaXe, you are ready to download and try the software. After having fun with the trial version, you are probably eager to take the last step: Purchase the license!.


Now You Can Have Linux and Unix
Right on Your Windows Desktop!

Israel government suspends acquisitions of Microsoft software
By Peter Enav, Associated Press
JERUSALEM — In an apparent showdown over price, Israel's government has suspended purchases of Microsoft productivity software and is encouraging the development of an open source alternative.

A spokeswoman for the Finance Ministry, which oversees government purchases, said Tuesday that government agencies would use existing Microsoft Office products for the time being rather than upgrade to newer versions.

The Israeli government also will encourage the development of lower-priced alternatives to Microsoft software in an effort to help expand computer use by the public.

To that end, the Finance Ministry has cooperated with Sun Microsystems and IBM in designing the Hebrew language version of OpenOffice software, a freely distributed open-source alternative to Microsoft Office.

"The move with Microsoft was a purely economic decision," said the Finance Ministry spokeswoman, speaking on condition of anonymity. "The Israeli government will not be purchasing new products from Microsoft, but will implement its contract to secure existing systems." 

Learn MORE

It looks like it is time to trade you old brownie box camera in for one of those new digital wonders. NEW YORK - Eastman Kodak Co. on Tuesday said it will stop selling traditional film cameras in the United States, Canada and Western Europe, another move by the troubled photography company to cut lines with declining appeal in favor of fast-growing digital products.

But the Rochester-based company will continue to sell one-time use cameras in the West and expand its sales of these and other film-based cameras and supplies in markets such as China, India, and Latin America, where demand is on the rise.

Shares of Kodak rose in early trade after the announcement, and was the biggest percentage gainer among blue chip stocks.