Computer class enrollment opens August 15
Dennis Korger
Enrollment for SaddleBrooke Computer Club’s 2019 fall semester opens Aug. 15, and the class calendar is almost complete, though there may be some last-minute adjustments, corrections or late arrivals.
All residents may attend our free public monthly presentations, every third Monday, which resume on Sept. 16 at 1:00 p.m. in the MountainView Clubhouse. We also have an advanced early morning tech discussion group open to all residents on alternate Tuesdays in the Mesquite Grill. Breakfast begins at 7:00 a.m., with the discussion following at 7:30 a.m.
New topics will include Ring Home Security, Digital Estate Planning, How Search Engines Really Work, Google Tools, Cutting the Cord (TV Streaming) and Meet the Chromebook. We also plan on having classes on iPads, Quicken and the return of updated versions of most of our perennial favorites – Office 365, Windows 10, cyber security and more. The popular one-on-one Tech Help sessions will also return on alternate Mondays.
Fall classes will begin in mid-September, usually the first full week after Labor Day as the early snowbirds begin to arrive. We customarily conclude the fall semester just before Thanksgiving, but like most residents, our volunteer instructors are independent and free spirited. They control their individual teaching schedules and some may continue classes through mid-December.
For the latest information about our classes and activities, visit our website at saddlebrookecc.org. Here you will find full class descriptions, our up-to-the-minute schedule and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ). You can also join the SaddleBrooke Computer Club, register for classes or participate in our members-only eLearn classes. The annual fee for new members is $55 per person or $80 for a couple, while established members pay $35. Once you are a member, you may enroll in any open class for the remainder of the current calendar year.
Tech Tidbits:
The Windows 10 first feature update for 2019 was initially projected for March but didn’t become widely available in early July. This update seems to be relatively problem free. Microsoft appears to have stepped back from the frenetic pace they had set in the first few years. The current plan is to provide a significant update in the first half of the year and lesser updates in the second half, both of which can be timed at the user’s convenience with an 18-month limit.
iPad OS Beta is available for evaluation now, with the final release expected this fall. It seems that the intent is to make the iPad an even more serious laptop replacement.
Newer Chromebooks are now being updated to Chrome OS 72. This adds the Google Assistant, access to the full range of apps in the Google Play Store (2.7 million!) and more refinements.