NVMUG eNews 03/15/2008
Last updated 03/17/2008
Discussion Circle at NVRH
This was our first meeting at NVRH, and the facilities were excellent.
The meeting's discussions included learning on the Internet, buying a less expensive PC, how members use their computers, and security.
1. Learning on the Internet
Kyle Procter joined us as a new member. He has had his Macintosh for about a year since his brother persuaded him to try a Mac. He saw the notice of our meeting at the NVRh where he works. Kyle is using Tiger is waiting to be sure the bugs are out of Leopard before he considers upgrading.
The new meeting room at NVRH and Kyle Proctor in the right foreground.
Geof Gonter has connected everything in his house to a Mac Mini which set up to run Tiger OS X 10.4.11 Client and Server and Leopard OS X 10.5.2 Client and Server.
Jane Fuller said she would like to learn more about streaming audio on the Internet, and educational opportunities like some Canadian lectures she found on Dharma.
Harold Turner said that TED (Technology, Education, Design) has some excellent talks with really good video or free. Google "TED" or go to
Harold said they have 200 talks archived. They are some of the most thought provoking talks anywhere. Last week I downloaded one by a Harvard trained brain scientist, Jill Bolte Taylor. She talked about how she had a stroke and was dying. One side of her brain was enjoying the sensation and awareness of the world. The other side of her brain was telling her she aught to do something. I won't tell you more because I wouldn't want to spoil the talk for you. You can subscribe to these talks for free.
Stephen Farber said people should get Miro which is a program library catalog to search and find information. Google for "Miro" or go to
They claim that their open source internet tv and video player gives you access to more free HD content than any other video player.iTunes has many courses and university lectures for free. Click on podcast in the left sidebar and search iTunes by name or subject. iTunes acts as a clearing house for these podcasts. iTunes provides a description and a connection to download the content.
Geof Gonter said that schools are using SmartBoard, electronic whiteboards, to show the whole class what is on a computer screen. The whole room can see what a student is doing to learn. The teacher can circle items on the Smartboard and write in notes. There are podcasts that cover the Smartboard with an expert teacher in Wisconsin, and the Mac in education available through iTunes.
iTunes also has many Apple tutorials among the podcasts that you can download for free. I downloaded Anatomy of a Mac which is supposed to be for new users, but I found it interesting. Two other new ones are Move to Mac, and Windows on a Mac. You can search iTunes podcasts for them by name.
2. Buying a Less Expensive PC
Harold Turner asked about using a Lenox box instead of a Mac to save money. Geof Gonter said it is more difficult to use applications on Lenox because you have to use line item codes, and Lenox will not run lots of the most used commercial software.
Harold said you can get a real nice Del laptop for $600 and a great one for $900.
Geof said these machines are slower, built with cheaper parts, and do not last as long. He said they buy about as many Dells as Mac for the schools, and the machines they buy for the schools are no cheaper than Macs. He does not mind if they buy Dells because they make more work for him to maintain than Macs.
Geof said that Lenox is a great program if you want to develop an application, but it is not neat for installs - just to install Real Player is a problem. Apple has the advantage that it develops both the software and the hardware. If you want to install a new printer, you don't have to go looking for the right driver. It is already there on your Mac.
Midge Lubot said at the Kiwanis convention most people were using Macs, but the Kiwanis auction program is on PCs. Geof you get better service from Apple.
Barry Hayes said that he knew the person he called about a software problem did not know Macs when he insisted that "First you must go to your Start Menu." Someone said, many of them are taught how to read a script and do not understand what they are telling you. If you ask a question they cannot answer it because it is not in the script.
Geof said that for a long time Apple would not let anyone repair computers except themselves, and now they still have to be certified by Apple. Anyone can say they are a PC computer technician, and can put one together. They build a PC with the cheapest parts and sell Êthem at a rock bottom price. You really have to watch.
Geof said that, if he was going to buy a PC, he would buy a Dell, but kids can mess them up faster than you can mess up a Mac with not problem.
If you compare a Dell Tower and an iMac, the iMac does Windows updates faster than a PC does. Apple puts receipts in a receipts folder and compares receipts to do updates in half the time.
Harold guessed that you get what you pay for.
3. How Members Use Their Computers
Geof Gonter, Midge Lubot, and Stephen Farber at the meeting.
Stephen Farber asked why you use a computer. The reason he asked is that he had an 88 year old woman who was having trouble getting her computer to print. She wants to learn to use her computer and the Internet. He knows another 84 year old who only wants to get email. ÊStephen is interested in the concept of separating your computer and the Internet and your interface.
Warren Walker said that his mother only uses her PC for the Internet and playing solitaire.
Stephen is interested in the diversity of people who have chosen the Mac, and how many are willing to learn the new technology and at the same time getting the job done.
Warrens said he uses his computer for digital photography, and email and family. ÒI am a better photographer because of digital photography. Digital photography without the computer is crippled. Warren said he learns from books, never from computer video. He learns about other things on the computer, not what he is trying to do on his computer. He likes to fill the screen with what he is doing, and to do one thing at a time.
Jane Fuller used her computer first for transcribing audio sound and word processing. They now have electricity at their house, and she needs another computer so she can relax and use it at home. They had adapted to going to the Atheneum to connect to the Internet. She is curious about job search and housing search on the Internet. She would like to get back into transcribing.
Kyle Proctor uses his computer for photos, and email with family and kids. He spends a lot of time on the computer at the hospital. He is interested using it to get things done more quickly, a lt of research, shopping, and so forth. He can get his Internet banking done in five minutes. He he uses it to do little personal things quicker and easier, and keeping in touch, while playing iTunes in the background. The Internet is a major component of his use.
4. Security
Jane Fuller was concerned about security. It is a subject on the Internet. She signed Êup for Pay Pal and used it for a Canadian Dharma package.
Geof said that some schools block My-Space, and Comcast restricts peer to peer use of computers by slowing them down. He said AOL may block certain political sites. Some organizations block specific content, the Chinese government does it all the time.
Harold Turner said you register when you purchased a new computer, but does Apple capture information from your computer when you do software updates? Actually Apple stores data about your Apple software on your computer so that it can see if you need updates.
Geof said that when you send a report of a problem to Apple, he has seen what is transmitted. They collect no personal data.
ÊStephen said it is NSA which brings up the question of your personal privacy rights, and FTC which is concerned about identity theft.
Midge said she used a credit card for making telephone calls at shows in New York. When she got home the telephone company called to ask if she had made a number of calls to Iran, etc. The phone company was affirming that it was, in this case was not, her activity to protect her account.
Kyle said that when he made 5 purchases in one day, he was called by the credit company to affirm that they were his purchases.
Someone said there is software that all banks in world have which Êsees all transactions and searches for patterns that might indicate money laundering, which usually occurs in small transactions, so everybodyÕs records are seen.
Midge said she received an alert from Kiwanis when their file of credit card numbers was compromised.
Stephen said there is no lock you can put on your life that someone else canÕt break.
There is probably more risk when you give your credit card to someone and they take it away to process it than there is on the Internet.
Barry Hayes said his credit card company checked with him when there were two purchases on his card at a gas station in Virginia.Ê
