Groups Phone, fax, PC

Press, 1 August 1989, Page 32

Groups Phone, fax, PC

Contacts are listed with their home telephone numbers: Amiga User Group (New Zealand).— Meetings at Shirley Boys’ High School, Contact: Mr Greg Evans, 229-412. Amstrad Canterbury.— Support group for all CPC and PCW computers. Meets 4th Wednesday of month, Four Avenues School, cnr Edgeware and Madras, 7.30 p.m.—lan (524-064) or Graham (382-495). Ashburton Computer Society.—c G. T. Mattingley, 89 Creek Road. Meetings first Monday of month, Ashburton College campus.

Atari Information Exchange.—Bruce (852-333), Ray (50-918), Kean (39-685) Box 7087, Sydenham. Atari Users’ Group,Christchurch:—Meets 7.30 p.m., third Tuesday of month, second floor, Bishopdale Community Centre (off Farrington Ave). Mr Terry Dolby, (830-538). Atari ST Users Group: Con-tact-Bill Gillanders, phone 894-933, P.O. Box 24-116, East Linwood.

AutoCAD Users’ Group.— Meets Sullivan Avenue site, Christchurch Polytechnic, every second month, second or third Wednesday. Contact: Geoff Blokland, Polytechnic, 798-150.

BBC/Electron Users’ Group.—Basil 585-215, Mike 585-215, Paul 661-983. Blenheim Computer Club.—lan Scott (Blenheim 80-479 or 81-364). Buller Computer Users’ Group.—Mr R. J. Moroney (Box 310, Westport, 7956 Westport). Canterbury Computer Education Society.—Mr B. Polsen, 49A Good Street, Rangiora (0502) 6693.

Christchurch Apple Users’ Group.—Meets last Wednesday of each month, 7.30 p.m., third floor. Tower Building, Christchurch Teachers' College, Dovedale Avenue. For information, Peter Fitchett (328-189).

Christchurch Commodore Users’ Group.—President: Ernie Dalton (480-556); Secretary: Pat Whitty (892272).

Clone Owners’ Group.— Contact Les (382-216) or Jack (883-787). Meets last Wednesday of month. IBM and Compatible PC Users’ Group.—David (851149). Meets first Thursday of month at 7.30 p.m., St John’s Church Hall, Latimer Square. Marlborough - Atari Computer Enthusiasts. —Philip (Blenheim 81-797); lan (Blenheim 81-364). Mid-Canterbury Schools Computer Group.— C/- Fairton School, Fairfield Road, No. 2 R.D., Ashburton. Con-' tact: R. J. Craig, ph. Ashburton 89-205 (w.) or 84-238 (a.h.). Motueka PC Club.—Meets 4th Wednesday of month, 7.30 p.m. Contact: Beth Gray (0524) 88-760 or Eion Lockhart (0524) 88-760. Nelson Microcomputer Club.—Mr C. Feltham (Nelson 73-300). Sinclair Users’ Group.— Murray Gasson (899-797) meetings second Wednesday of each month.

South Canterbury Computer User Group.—Box 73, Timaru.

A complete communications station for the person on the move: mobile phone for voice calls and laptop computer with a built-in modem and a fax card. John Gjaltema, technical manager of Comworth Systems, Auckland, at a product display in Christchurch put the laptop through its paces. It is labelled ITC, but Mr Gjaltema said it was a collaboration between OKI, of Japan, and ITC, a Hong Kong computer manufacturer. Retailing for about $lO,OOO excluding the cost of the fax card and cellular phone, the microcomputer has a 80C286 microprocessor that runs at 12MHz, a 40Mb hard disk, and an EGA-compatible screen. A 1200 bits-per-second cellular modem is built in. The cellular phone is plugged in the side. Voice or data messages can then be

transmitted through the cellular phone network on to the main telephone network. The fax card costs about $lBOO, and then the person on the move can be reached anywhere at all times. Cellular phones, popularly known as car phones, are linked by a separate radio-based, computer-switched network. The only apparent difference from a normal laptop computer is a retractable aerial. The machine has one expansion slot. If this is not taken up by a fax card, memory can be lifted from 640 K to a maximum of 2.6 Mb. The rechargeable battery will give up to three hours of operation, and is rechargeable from an adapter or a car battery while the computer is in use. The laptop weighs about 7kg, and is 39cm by 37cm by 10.3 cm.