Atari Wrinklies Club

I WONDER IF .............?

A couple of months ago I had a letter from one of the Wrinklies saying that he had 'Prodded the plastics for four years' and that recently 'The fun of finding out had evaporated', and now he feels that the 'Honeymoon is over'.

He has over 200 disks, but for 90% of the time only 5% are ever used.
Don't we all hit this stage at some time or other, I know I did. Having bought my first computer in 1989, that just happened to be an Atari STFM 520, because that what was on show in the shop. I managed to get the plug on the end of the wire and after a couple of trips back to the shop eventually got it up and running. I say eventually because nobody had told me that it needed a disk in the slot to get the desktop up (who reads instructions!!!)
It took me a good six months to get to grips with the thing mainly due to the fact that I was very unfamiliar with the jargon.
Wasn't it wonderful, I had everything in the Diary, Spreadsheets for every subject that one could think of, and so on and on and on.
Another few months went by and again I started to feel that I had used the machine to its full capacity, what do I do next?
I WONDER IF - there are any other novices around in the same boat as me?
A short letter to ST Review (that won the Star Letter Prize) and the Atari Wrinklies Club was born.
Before I knew it I had about 50 members. Over the past few years we have had a few drop out, mainly because they felt that the Club was not giving them anything, but recently the membership has started to pick up again and I seem to be getting the members who do not ask what the Club can do for them but what they can do for the Club.
Having now retired I find that I am spending at least 10 hours a day in my room (the spare bedroom) and enjoying every minute of it.

I find that there is always something to do, not just running the Club, but finding out!!!

My favourite saying is 'I WONDER IF........?'

I wonder if .......

• I can find a piece of Clip Art to fit that situation or story?
• I can find a picture that I can alter to suit that situation?
• I can find out how the programmer did that?
• There is a program that will do that? If not could I make one?

With a little thought I could fill this magazine up with ideas but that would defeat the purpose of this article - I wonder if I can write a small article and start a new thread off, (if you do not know what I mean by a 'new thread' I wonder if you will take the trouble to find out?)
Of course my set-up has grown somewhat, I have added such things as Colour Printer, Modem, Scanner, Hard Drives, Tabby etc.etc.etc. It never stops - I wonder if I can vote in a Party at the next Election that will increase my pension to allow me to buy myself a Flat Bed Colour Scanner?
Well it is getting late and I need my beauty sleep - I wonder if my wife has still got her headache!!!!????
"Nam et ipsa scientia protestas est"
I wondered if I could find a quotation to fit at the end of this little article.

"Knowledge itself is power"