dacs.doc electric

When DACS President Allan Ostergren sent me the APCUG CD, I thought to myself, "Oh, boy. Another compilation CD." And then I saw what was on the CD. Then he told me it was free for DACS paid members--and I was really surprised. (APCUG = Association of PC User Groups)

It’s great for a compilation CD. The folks at APCUG know what we need - and they put it on the CD. O.K., so it doesn’t have the latest versions of everything on it--most products are updated so often it’s impossible. But it’s a great CD to have around if you’re trying to quickly rebuild a machine and don’t want to spend the time downloading all of your applications again.

So exactly what is on the CD? I have to admit it wasn’t the sexiest piece of software I’ve used, but they make up for it in content. My quick count shows more than 100 programs. They include Web browsers, image and document viewers, MP3 players, virus tools, Zip/Unzip utilities, and Internet tools.

My favorites from the disk include:

• Web Browsers--I absolutely HATE downloading them on a modem. Keep this CD handy--it has all of the top ones.
• Ulead GIF Animator--I adore this program. It’s easy to use and it works. Can’t say that about much software these days.
• Acrobat Reader--Who wants to download 5meg every time you reformat your machine?
• AOL Instant Messenger--No, you don’t have to be an AOL member to use this great communications tool.

Everyone knows that there is no such thing as a free lunch, and that includes some of the software on the disk. Be sure to check out the license agreement after trying the program out--you might have to pay $20 or so to use it forever. But this goes for all software you use on a regular basis--you should pay the guy who wrote it or he won’t do it anymore. There were a lot of great shareware programs that stopped development because the developer couldn’t make any money doing it. Take a few minutes and look at what you use or need on a regular basis. Think about what you would do if you didn’t have that program, and send a check. Sorry - I work in the software business.

If I had to really complain about one thing, it would be the lack of Mac software.

The APCUG CD is an unexpected benefit of being a DACS member--one you should definitely check out. If you’re not a member--keep reading.

DACS Membership Benefits

So what are some of the other benefits of being a DACS member? Well, you’re not supposed to attend the meetings without paying (except for the first time). The meetings are great—they are informative, fun and only occasionally silly. We have some of the best speakers in the user group circuit come visit us, as well as John Patrick from IBM every December.

I belong to DACS for the networking, since I never win anything at the raffle. There are some great members, each of whom specializes in one area or another. Unix? Mac? Commodore 64 (well, maybe not), Networking? They are all covered. Just ask Allan or anyone who seems to run the meetings and they’ll tell you whom to talk to. Some of these people charge $100 or more per hour, and will speak to you (within reason) at the meetings. The best place to drain their brains is at the "Pig SIG" after the main meeting. Buy them a beer and they’ll pretty much tell you anything you want know. Several are also on a list of experts whom members may call for help.

If you’re already a member, I’m sorry for preaching to the converted. If not, sign up today. The award-winning newsletter is easily worth the price, and the other benefits are immeasurable. In the more than 15 years that I’ve belonged to user groups I’ve made some great friends, and I hope to be a DACS member for the next 15 years.