Saying Hi

[johnrose-simpson]

First let me introduce myself.  I am retired but for the last 25-30 years I worked as a computer programmer, initially using FORTRAN then Pascal and later a special applications language.  However I still regard myself very much as a computer peasant and would like to meet up with a few of you gurus.  My home computers started with a TRS80 and after a few upgrades I now have a PC with an AMD K6-2 with 64 Mb ram and a 20 Gb hard drive, running that unmentionable operating system version 98.  I feel that I have contributed more than enough to Bill Gates' retirement fund so I am interested in changing to some version of linux.  My main computer usage is word-processing, a few spreadsheets and internet access.  To avoid being off the air for a few days while I grapple with a new OS (or perhaps many weeks, I am a slow learner), it seems to me that I would best buy a second-hand machine, preferably already loaded, so that I can play until I feel proficient enough to convert totally.  I believe some of you have suitable boxes for sale.  I live on the Beckenham/Sydenham boundary and would like to come to your meeting in the Sydenham Hall (the one in Hutcheson Street?) on the coming Wednesday.  Would I be welcome and do my ideas make sense?   John Simpson