In March CRUG is fortunate to offer members and local residents a chance to learn from CRUG’s own computer guru, Joe Tarnowski. We are al concerned about the security of our computer systems, or should be. So don't miss this meeting Joe always has an array of tips and tricks that we can use to make our computing experience more secure and enjoyable. Bring your questions as Joe always has time for questions and I don't think he can be stumped.

This is sure to be a great learning experience. Mark your calendar and be sure to tell your friends to join us.

Coffee and refreshments at 6:00 and a short meeting at 6:30 p.m. followed by the presentation. For directions to the Crystal Oaks Club House see the Locations page.

Microsoft
Blain Barton

Those in attendance at CRUG’s February meeting were treated to an interesting and informative presentation by Blain Barton. I have heard Blain speak before and knew this would be great and I wasn’t disappointed. Blain started with a little history leading to up to his 14 years at Microsoft. We learned of his enthusiasm for everything from being a ski instructor to his Senior IT Professional Evangelist position with Microsoft. He had us involved by seeing who used which operating system and knew of current and developing technologies.

After learning about Blain and some general Microsoft history we got a look at some of the useful and neat features of Windows 7. Blain discussed some of the big differences between Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 and who would likely be interested in upgrading. We were shown a page on the Microsoft web site that shows the differences and who Windows & can make things simpler. To see the site click this link: Compare Windows Versions.

Next came a brief discussion of migrating from Windows XP to Windows 7. This was the right topic a large portion of the audience have Windows XP machines. Blain has recorded a webcast "Windows XP to Windows 7 Migration". It is available for viewing from his blog. So if you are interested in getting settings from Windows XP to Windows 7 take a look at his webcast. You will have to register to view the webcast. Just follow this link Blain’s blog to get on the way to viewing the webcast."Windows XP to Windows 7 Migration"

Thanks to Blain for getting us enthused about Windows 7.

CRUG Meeting Programs

April  2010	ZoomText Express & OpenOffice - I will demonstrate how ZoomText Express can help those of us who squint at the monitor or find ourselves leaning in to read small print. See how ZoomText Express provides up to 2X magnification while maintaining text clarity, applies a soft tint to white areas of the screen and helps keep track of the pointer and cursor. While using ZoomText Express we will also take a quick look at OpenOffice, a free opensource office suite.
May 2010	Mikogo & Skype - Bob Shevlin will share his experience with us in a discussion of Mikogo and Sktpe. Mikogo is a free screen capture program that the originator sets up with someone else and the originator has the option to show either ones desktop so they cam alternately look at each others desktop Great for teaching and tech support. Using Skype at the same time allows free phone service.
June 2010	Ubuntu Linux Desktop - Ray Seely will go over the Ubuntu Linux desktop. Ubuntu is an open-source operating system and as such is free. It contains a web browser, office suite, media apps, instant messaging and other useful applications. Ray will emphasize the advantages of Ubuntu Linux over Windows and point out how to get started. He will also explain the help that is available in the Linux community.

 

Focus on CRUG Education

CRUG is always striving to offer educational opportunities that interest members and other local residents. We have many interesting and informative classes and a fine group of dedicated instructors. Classes have been offered at various locations throughout the county and are currently scheduled at the Citrus Springs Community Center. For additional information on CRUG education be sure to chek out the Education and Class Schedule pages.

Current Classes 

Our President, Alfred Morton, has put his time in the dotnetnuke classes to good use. He now has a page on his site where you can fill out and submit a form to sign up for a class. To see dotnetnuke at work and sign up for a class just click the following link: http://www.dnnclass.com/morton

CRUG classes are for educational purposes and not to be used for commercial marketing. 

Word 2007 Basics - This short course on Word 2007 looks at how to use Microsoft Word 2007 to generate documents for printing or sharing. See how to use formatting, page definition options, and art to generate attractive and informative documents. A basic understanding of the Windows Operating System is a prerequisite!

FastStone Capture and Viewer - See how this useful screen capture utility lets you easily capture and annotate anything on the screen and even record screen activities and sounds into video files. The class will also look at the viewer which has image viewing, management, comparison, editing features.  These features include red-eye removal, emailing, resizing, cropping and color adjustments. Also included are a magnifier and a musical slideshow with transition effects, shadow effects and image annotation.

~ Crystal River Users Group, Inc. is a Non-Profit Racially Non-Discriminatory Corporation ~ CRUG (Crystal River Users Group) is made up of a group of people living in and around Citrus County Florida, interested in learning how to use our computers. We are volunteers dedicated to computer education. CRUG was organized in 1986. It all began when six or so people got together to try to make some gadget called a computer work. They discovered that with each other’s help they could make their computers do something useful. From that a club was organized so others might learn to use their computers. By the end of 1986 the computer club had grown to 26 members meeting in members' homes. That's how it all got started. We gather at 6:00 p.m. for social time and a meeting at 6:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month at the Crystal Oaks Club House. Our General Meetings are FREE and open to the public. We always have an interesting program featuring the latest in computer hardware and software. Come out and join us! The Board of Directors meets monthly. Members are welcome at these meetings and minutes are available for those who wish to read them. Contact one the Executive Board for information on the time and location of the BOD meeting. See our Secretary to review any of the minutes. Contact information for the Executive Board is available on the Executive Board page of the web site.

Crystal River Users Group is a proud member of the following organizations. APCUG (Assn. of Computer Users Groups) FACUG (Florida Assn Computer User Groups) UGN (User Group Network) Microsoft User Group Support Program