dacs.doc electric

So you thought that old computer was all washed up? Ready for PC heaven? Think again! Consider New Deal, a software suite and operating system for users in need of a simpler, leaner, less- complicated computer life. This suite works with your latest Pentium and your ancient 286 DOS machines. New Deal will be presented at the next DACS general meeting on January 4 at the Danbury Hospital Auditorium starting at 6.30 p.m.

In addition to an operating system, New Deal includes an easy-to-use suite using about 10MB of hard disk space and less than 1 MB RAM. It includes a word processor, spreadsheet, database, roladex, calendar and other apps, games, e-mail, and a Web browser that enables users to surf the Web on a 286 machine.

If you are a power user with an unlimited budget, New Deal may not sound very attractive. But if you happen to be a school administrator with a tight budget, New Deal may be just the solution to breathe new life into those old "door stopper" computers that are taking up space and not paying their way. Many of these elder models can be revitalized with New Deal, to live a purposeful life in, say, less-privileged school districts or in fledgling computer setups in third-world settings.

New Deal is not, by the way, trying to compete with Microsoft but is a "leading-edge technology for a lagging-edge platform." Its application is useful not only for America but can enable computer utilization by many people all over the world. As John Patrick reminded us at the December general meeting, many countries are still behind in computer use. It is these countries in which New Deal has broad potential worldwide.

If you want to find out about the advantages of New Deal, come to the next DACS meeting on January 4 starting at 6.30 p.m. The main presentation begins at 8 p.m. DACS meetings take place the first Tuesday of each month. They are free and open to the public.

For more information about the general meeting or DACS Special Interest Groups (SIGs), please check http://www.dacs.org or call 203-748-4330. Coming in February is Advanced Micro Devices (AMD Microprocessors).