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Tools Toys and Technology

About the Tools You Use and the Toys That Make Life Interesting

Tools Toys and Technology - About the Tools You Use and the Toys That Make Life Interesting

SaddleBrooke Computer Club News

A Resource for SaddleBrooke Computer Club Members
and All SaddleBrooke Residents


Classes


Your feedback helps to make our classes better. Please give your comments and suggestions regarding your SaddleBrooke Computer Club class experience.

Your feedback helps to make our classes better. Please give your comments and suggestions regarding your SaddleBrooke Computer Club class experience.

SaddleBrooke Computer Club Classroom Courses

Our classroom courses are the main focus of SBCC class offerings. The classes are taught by our unpaid volunteer instructors who generously share their time and expertise to bring you these educational opportunities to SaddleBrooke.

See “SaddleBrooke Computer Club Classes” below for more details.

Spring Classes

The spring trimester is underway in the newly remodeled SBCC classroom. Check out the club calendar for class topics and times. You can sign up on our Website’s Enrollment page. You will need your club member login credentials to access this area.

Not a member of SBCC? You can fix that. Click here for details.

Online Classes

The club’s “eLearn” center is available 24/7/365 and will NOT be affected by the Arts & Crafts center remodeling. The following classes and User Group replays are currently available:

  • Move to Windows 10 – User Group Meeting
  • Garage Band – User Group Meeting
  • 20 iPhone & iPad Tips and Tricks – User Group Meeting
  • Windows 10: Save, Find & Organize Your Files – User Group Meeting
  • Computer Security
  • Setting Up a Google Account
  • Photoshop Elements A
  • Photoshop Elements B
  • Audacity
  • More to come…

To access these online classes, go to the club Website, hover over “Enrollment” and select eLearn. You will need to log in with your club membership credentials to access eLearn classes.

As a community service, the “Computer Security” class is open to all SaddleBrooke residents, whether you are a computer club member or not. Just go to our Website ( www.saddlebrookecc.org ), hover over the “Enrollment” link and select “eLearn.”  Then click on the Computer Security icon on lower left corner of the screen to be taken immediately to the class. No sign-in is required.

The benefits of online eLearn classes include:

  • There are no fixed times. Once signed up, you can take as many eLearn classes as you wish at your convenience and from your own home.
  • Start & Stop. As you view the class you can pause and restart at your convenience.
  • Class Segments. Some online classes are broken into short segments called “parts” or “chapters,” so you don’t have to go through an entire class in one sitting.
  • Review. At any time, you can pick up where you left off, review the entire class, or review only certain segments by selecting them on the online class home page.
  • Documents & Downloads. In addition to class videos, reference links to supporting documents and downloads are provided for some classes.

What’s New?

New Classroom Projector

A new Epson projector has been purchased for the classroom and will be installed in time for summer classes. The new projector will give you brighter, high resolution images for viewing instructor demonstrations.

Mac News

Mac Mini Upgrade

All Mac Minis are currently being upgraded with 500 GB solid state drives (SSD). This will dramatically improve the speed of these computers.

PC News

Student PC Upgrade

The Mac Mini upgrade was such a success, we decided to outfit all the PCs with SSDs, as well. The project has now been completed and our PC classes are now benefiting from faster computers.

Windows 10

Windows 10 has now been installed on all of the classroom computers. A “Move to Windows 10” class is being held this trimester. Check out the dates and times on our Website calendar.

Instructor’s Computer

The PC Instructor’s computer at the front of the room is being upgraded. This will make it easier for instructors to present high quality demonstrations during their classes.

We Need a Little Help from Our Friends!

We’re starting to help the second generation of SaddleBrooke homesteaders. Back in 1993, we were teaching basic skills while we were just getting started ourselves.  What began as casual discussions around a single borrowed computer has become the computer club you know and love now … one of the largest clubs in SaddleBrooke, with a well-equipped computer classroom offering over a hundred classes each year.

We are looking for instructors, classroom assistants and discussion group moderators. If you know enough to help your family or friends when they have problems with their new electronic purchases or find them asking you for advice when they have problems, you’re just the person we need. No formal training in computer science or education is required! Many of our instructors started as hobbyists or simply have a single area of special interest or expertise. See the full details on how you can help here…


Coming Up…

User Group Meetings

User Group meetings are open to all SaddleBrooke residents, whether you are a Computer Club member, or not. During the season, these meetings are held once a month from 1:00-2:30 PM in the Mountain View West Ballroom. Most are on the third Monday of the month, with a few exceptions due to room availability.

User Group meetings have been suspended for the summer. Watch this Website and the computer club calendar for announcements of upcoming meeting dates and programs, starting next fall.


SaddleBrooke Computer Club Classes


Membership Has Its Privileges

SaddleBrooke Computer Club classroom is outfitted with PCs, Macs, audio-visual aids, and all the software programs that we teach.

SaddleBrooke Computer Club classroom is outfitted with PCs, Macs, audio-visual aids, and all the software programs that we teach.

As a member of SaddleBrooke Computer Club, you can sign up for the many classes we offer throughout the year. You’ll find classes for PCs, Macs, other devices like iPad, lots of software programs and Internet services. For one single  course fee per year, you can take as many classes as you wish. Class size is limited, however, and admission is granted on a first-come-first-served basis. All classes are delivered by dedicated volunteer instructors.

For a list of current and scheduled classes, refer to the SBCC Website current courses list and the course calendar.

You can sign up for available classes here.*

* You must be a member of SaddleBrooke Computer Club to enroll in the classes.  If you are not currently a member, you can sign up online with your credit card or PayPal account.

If you are already a member, a single annual class fee of $30 is required to take classes. These fees allow us to keep the classroom computers, software and related equipment up to date for your use during class. You can pay your class fee online, or contact our registrar, Alice Stuart by phone: (520) 825-4239 or by email: ajstuart@wbhsi.net.

evalYour feedback helps to make our classes better.

We value your opinionPlease give your comments and suggestions regarding your SaddleBrooke Computer Club class experience.


Resources & Downloads


Adobe® Reader® software is the free global standard for reliably viewing, printing, and commenting on PDF documents.

Microsoft Office Viewers. If you don’t own a copy of Microsoft Office, you still can view documents prepared with Office programs by downloading and installing these viewers:

  • Microsoft Word: View, print and copy Word documents, even if you don’t have Word installed. DOWNLOAD HERE
  • Excel Viewer: Open, view, and print Excel workbooks, even if you don’t have Excel installed. DOWNLOAD HERE
  • PowerPoint Viewer: Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer lets you view full-featured presentations created in PowerPoint 97 and later versions. DOWNLOAD HERE

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Help with Your PC


SaddleBrooke Computer Club does not provide any support for your PC outside of the classes we offer. We also cannot provide recommendations for 3rd party support services.

For reference purposes only with no implied club recommendation, here are local people who may be able to help with your PC problems.

Terry Stager, Owner
Oracle Computer Solutions
Phone: (520) 904-0575
Email: tjstager@q.com

Apex Computer Solutions
15920 N. Oracle Road
Catalina AZ 85739
(520) 389-8199
www.apexcomputersaz.com

Mezzabyte LLC (formerly PC Paramedics)
63675 E Saddlebrooke Blvd Suite U
Tucson, AZ 85739
(520) 825-6611
www.mezzabyte.com

For Mac help, see SBMUG


Tools Toys and Technology


“About the Tools You Use and the Toys That Make Life Interesting”

ToolsToysAndTechnology.com features “how-to” and news articles on a full range of technical subjects from streaming TV to computers and software.