Our New Computer Lab

Our New Computer Lab Update...

We are moving ahead in the ultimate goal of establishing a first rate computer lab at the club house.  A place for learning.. Seniors helping Seniors. Neighbor helping neighbor. Folks learning how to use the internet. Learning new ways to play exciting games. Learning and learning. A computer Club  meeting place that we can really talk computers at. Teachers with the knowledge are coming forward and signing on.. Already we have Sid Adkins and Donna Davi... Me too.

We talked to Larry Henson yesterday and got our project all lined up the way that it will be supported by management. Here is the jist of what is going to happen. Where the old computers are now is where the lab will remain. The exercise equipment will be moved to another location. All the old computer equipment that is in that room now with the exception of the nice 17” monitor that Bill Holt donated and the current printer in use will be given away at a drawing. There are 3 functional computers there now. They have either Windows98 or 95 on them. The remaining equipment such as monitors and printers will also be raffled off. The computer now in use for the internet will remain until we have a new one programmed to take its place and then it will be raffled.

A call is going out now for a wood worker or two in the park to come and help build movable computer stands like the one that is in the computer lab now.

You have seen the list of programs and operating system that Jim Dodds is going to install on the (new to us) computers in a below article. He wanted to know which ones we wanted. I told him the latest operating system he has and WinWord and Excel. Also, a lot of games. If any of you have looked at the list and want something special ... Now is the time to comment below.. Jim reads this site and will see your request.

What we don’t want is end up with a mess in our lab. We want everything to have a place and be in it. Also, the lab should not be used as a dumping ground for old equipment so we are requesting you ask before bringing in any treasures.
Also, we will have one computer located in our library area where folks can use it if classes are going on.. Who knows? Maybe a volunteer will catalogue all of our books and it can be used for that purpose too.

Jim Dodds has also drawn a diagram of the way we are going to hook up the computers into a network. I believe it eventually will be a combination of Ethernet (cabling) and WiFi (wirelss). We need the supplies to do that right now and it’s going to cost about $300. Nope, I don’t know where the money is coming from... I’m hoping you will tell me.

When the system is up and ready we will need one Charter high speed internet connection. One connection will allow all the 10 computers to go on the internet at the same time. And they can each go their own way. If we add a wifi access point down the road. Any computer (such as a laptop with a wifi card) will also be able to access the internet even with all the other computers doing it at the same time. Usually a network can handle around 250 computers at once so there is virtually no limit as far as we are concerned. This one connection will be an ongoing expense to the Social Club and I will have a cost for that item soon.