At the most recent TPC Executive Committee Meeting, several issues of importance to all members were discussed. I urge you to read the minutes of the meeting in the ClubBiz newsgroup. Among other things, we're trying to decide whether this print edition of the newsletter should be continued, and I would very much like to have the opinions of as many members as possible.

Another thing I'd like members to be thinking about is that elections for the TPC's elected positions of President, Vice President, and Treasurer will be held at the November general meeting. Current VP Barbara Manning is running for President, I'm running for VP, and Tony Whitman will run for Treasurer. Please consider announcing your candidacy if you feel that you could be a better choice in one of these positions.

I've been more than usually busy lately, and haven't spent that much time using Basilisk, my home PC. That may explain why I haven't had any troubles to gripe about. Or perhaps I have finally managed to achieve an acceptable level of stability in my main computer, against all odds.

The only new things I've done with the PC are replacing the mouse and the graphics card, and neither has caused the least bit of trouble.

I had a wireless mouse--a Logitech one that I bought mostly for it's lozenge-shaped buttons, to reduce the wear and tear on my finger joints--and have now moved that to my work machine, replacing it with another Logitech, this one a USB optical one with a scroll wheel. It's working great, and it's nice not to have to be constantly cleaning the ball any more. The much smaller mass also makes it easier to move, so perhaps I can put off dire effects of repetitive motion for a it longer.

The graphics board I now have is an IO Data GeForce4 MMX 440, and it's adequate for the job. Amazingly, given my track record, it installed without a hitch. Before you all right in and tell me, though, I should explain that I do know that the name is misleading: the GeForce4 MMX series is nothing like the GeForce Ti(tanium) series GeForce4...it's really a somewhat improved GeForce2. But it's good enough for playing the long-anticipated The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind CRPG smoothly, and since Basilisk was intended as a stopgap machine until I have the resources to build a really hot system (probably next winter?), I'm quite happy for now.

If you want to know more about Morrowind, by the way, you ought to take a look at the TPC's Games newsgroup. You can learn about the game there from reading the experiences of some TPC gamers, and also learn something about obsession while you're at it. ;-)

Kevin Ryan has suggested that when it comes time for us to replace our systems, since we're going to be doing it at about the same time, we should make a competition out of it: to see who can build the best machine, fastest. Maybe some other TPC folks will be interested in joining, too. We haven't worked out the details yet, but it sounds interesting and should make for some good reading in the newsgroups and the AJ when we get it underway. My intention will be to build a machine with the best combination of components chosen from among what's top-of-the-line at the time, since--with the possible exception of the mouse--pretty much everything I'm now using will be outdated by that time.

I'm currently trying to decide whether I'll be wanting to use a CRT--maybe replace my current 17" Mitsubishi with a 19" or 21" one--or to invest in an LCD monitor. Since I've got plenty of desk space, I hadn't seriously considered LCD displays because of the price, but having brought one back from Hong Kong and had a look at it on the adjacent desk, I'm leaning toward getting one myself...it's a very clear, sharp, good-looking display. I guess it will depend on what's available next January or so. Until then, I'll be watching the newsgroups for pointers, and I hope to encounter many of you there, too. Stay tuned.

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