New classes this year will include using online genealogy resources, hands-on classes with Windows 8.1 and working with Office 365. The majority of our established classes will continue. All of our PCs were upgraded to Windows 8.1 this summer. While there are a number of changes from prior editions of Windows, you definitely will not need to have Windows 8.1 at home to attend our PC classes. The classroom Macs will be upgraded to OS X Yosemite shortly after it becomes available this fall. Last minute additions or schedule changes will first appear on our website at www.saddlebrookecc.org
If you are not yet a member, you will need to join before you can enroll. Membership is still $55 per single and $80 per couple; the fee includes all available classes for the initial calendar year. After the initial year, the annual class participation fee is just $30. You can find more information and an online form at our web page. Just go to www.saddlebrookecc.org and choose Club Membership. While your payment can be submitted online, it will take several days for the manual entry to be completed on our database before you will be able to sign up on the enrollment page. If you do not have a computer or have problems with the online system, you may contact our registrar Alice Stuart at 825-4239.
Windows 8.1: Love It or Loathe It? marks the resumption of our free monthly public presentations on Monday, September 15 at 1:00 p.m. in the MountainView Clubhouse. Come and see one of our new classroom PCs in action! The presenter will be Dennis Korger, who has been testing, using and teaching Windows 8 since the beta test version first became available September 13, 2011—more than a year before the final product went on sale.
Our presenter for Monday, October 20 will be Gloria Quigg, a new addition to our teaching staff, who will demonstrate how to use online genealogy research sources; Ancestry.com (subscription) and Family Search (free). Gloria is a long standing member of the SaddleBrooke Genealogy Club.
We are holding a special informational meeting for residents who have considered joining our longstanding community service program. It will be held on Monday, October 20, 2014, at 2:45 p.m. in the Silicon Room (HOA 2 Arts and Crafts Center), immediately following our monthly User Group meeting. If you have a special interest or a good overall knowledge of computers and can join in our efforts in some way, teaching, assisting, consulting or perhaps individual tutoring, we need your help. This is a great opportunity to meet like-minded individuals while you keep your life filled with new and interesting people and activities. Inquires or RSVP to: Sue Moyer at [email protected].
Computer Tidbits: OS X Yosemite, a free update for OS X Mavericks users is expected this fall (rumored to be late October). One million copies of the second beta version were quickly claimed by enthusiastic Apple users on August 21.