The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group
In the Hot Seat
Dave Botherway
 daveb@melbpc.org.au

This month as I write, I am truly "In the Hot Seat". Your committee is closely examining and deliberating on two major matters that will have significant impact on the Group's future.

Office Location

As the existing rental arrangements for Dorcas Street are due to expire in July this year (but with renewal options), we are reviewing some of their shortcomings :
  • Cramped conditions, now too small for the number and size of City SIGs


  • Poor car parking facilities, getting worse due to nearby residential expansion.

  • Poor disabled people access, No wheelchair access

  • Incorrectly located relative to the "Geographical Centre of our Membership". Based on post codes of our 10,000+ members, that point is slightly south-east of Camberwell Junction.
We have conducted surveys amongst the membership, where 1,500+ respondees showed an overwhelming preference for the office facilities to be located in the south-east sector. The results also indicate that provided appropriate access and parking were available, SIG and training course attendance could double. This aspect is validated by our current experience where monthly meetings held out-east have double the attendance of our Parkville/City meetings. It is recognised however that some members currently attending Dorcas Street SIGs would prefer the status quo. Ways of meeting some of those City location needs must also be considered.

Our capacity problems are not limited to the City, as our three largest SIGs (Video Editing at Balwyn, EAST at Blackburn and Retirees at Syndal) all have space and/or parking issues. The Buildings Subcommittee has looked at more than 70 sites and studied their options to address all these existing shortcomings. Recommendations are now being tabled for Committee decision, really putting your President - " In the Hot Seat ".
 
Broadband Internet
 
With members increasing demand for faster Internet services and the ongoing reductions (via price wars) in broadband costs, we are very conscious of the need for the Group to also provide broadband services. The obvious method is ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line), at 5 to 30 times current modem speeds. This can only be provided at the moment using the Telstra "copper into the home" infrastructure - thus limiting some of our options.

Where dial-up access tends to be controlled or charged by the number of hours connected, ADSL is an "always-on" service, and is charged by speed selected and traffic volume. The comparison between various offerings including installation and support is thus a complex matter.

Our Internet Administration team is looking at a number of ways to provide and support ADSL.

Recommendations are imminent - further putting the Committee and your President - "In The Hot Seat".

DVD Burners

Last October, as part of "Members helping Members" to back up critical data, we negotiated a bulk purchase of LG DVD Burners available to members in November at $245. A few members were critical of the pricing but maybe overlooked that prices were rapidly dropping at that time due to technology advances and the rising Australian exchange rate. The offer was seen as very valuable to a number of members (compared to $445 even last month for the same product at one computer retailer) with 330 units being purchased.
 
I was one of the buyers, and have been pleasantly surprised by the ease of installation and performance of that model. A key function for me is weekly back-up of about 3GB of personal data. Using an incremental method with DVD-RAM media, it takes less than five minutes, and provides me with an easy and quick way to store that data away from home. I recommend this (or similar techniques) to all members - for that essential offsite backup of your critical personal data.

April Monthly Meeting
 
Our next Monthly Meeting is Wednesday 7 April at 7:00 sharp in the Besen Centre (Mount Scopus College).

Topics on the night will be :
  • Barry Martin, solving members questions and PC problems.
     
  • Peter Dingle, from Intel, explaining the future of the Intel PC Chips

  • Lisa Campbell, from InfoGuard, demonstrating their local software product to keep track of personal documents.
The monthly meeting is a chance to meet other members, discuss common problems, see new programs and win prizes (provided that you have your membership card). For those hungry, there's also the WAFFLE session afterwards at a local restaurant to round out the fun. I look forward to seeing you at the Besen Centre (or Waffle session).

Reprinted from the April 2004 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia

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