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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, MARCH 30, 1984
ONE USER'S OBSERVATIONS
Based on Experience With Apple II
and IBM Personal Computer
by Norman Smith
PAGE 7
A personal computer system large and efficient enough to serve you in your
work requires a major (a relative term, but meant to alert you) investment.
As has been stated, first identify your needs. Be reasonably sure they are
needs (not excuses to buy a computer) that can be reasonably fulfilled by a
system within your budget.
Consider the "opportunity cost." What other opportunities could you take
advantage of with the money?
Consider the efficiency gain and the cost of that efficiency gain.
One
member asked for counsel about buying a personal computer for his wife to
use in his business. She was typing quite a few letters to several clients.
When asked to consider such questions as how many letters she could type for
$4,000, how many more letters she could send out than at present, how much
time she would save, and what else would she rather do with the $4,000, they
postponed buying the computer.
Evaluate your resources such as capability to learn, commitment to learn
the system and various programs, interest and capability of family members
to assist in learning and in production of useful work, interest and
capability of a helper such as a "church secretary," and/or assistance of a
computer professional in the local church. Without availability of these
resources you may have a "NO GO" situation.
If you proceed further and your present or future budget allows, consider a
system that will allow for expansion in capacity and speed of operation.
International News
News From the United Kingdom February has been an extremely busy month at
Elstree House (the British Office) with preparations for the installation
of a new minicomputer and the arrival of three microcomputers that will
link in with it.
Coupled with the installation of these computer
facilities has been a change in the office layout.
Subscriber circulation continues to climb and is now at almost 125,000-
only 2,000 short of the 1974 peak of 126,838. Circulation is expected to
pass this mark in the very near future (the magazine is renewed on a regular
basis today, unlike the situation in the early seventies).
Incoming mail is also at a very high level. In February, 19,000 letters
were received from the U.K. and Eire, up 39% over February of last year.
Though these high percentage figures reflect in particular the tail end of
the December advertising campaign and the results of the last semiannual
letter, mail activity is generally on the increase. One notable fact has
been the growth in the number of letters requiring personal correspondence
of a nondoctrinal nature.
The year-to-date income is up 16% over 1983,
which is happily above expectations.