Computer Build Team Free "Before You Buy (or Build) a Computer " Seminars

        Directions and Other General Information

Door Prizes--There are sometimes door prizes, and these may be available only to members of the Capital PC User Group. If you are a member of CPCUG, bring your membership number (on membership card or back of any Monitor). Membership information is usually available at the seminars, and you can join at that time.

Computer Build Team Free Seminars

Before You Buy (or Build) a Computer
Course No. 2100
Saturday, 9 am to 2 pm
                    November 3, 2001 (Washington Gas)
                    April 20, 2002 (location not yet confirmed)
                    July 20, 2002 (location not yet confirmed)
                    November 9, 2002 (location not yet confirmed)

Prerequisite: No hardware experience required

Registration: 8:30 to 9 am

Cost: Free

Optional 100+ page seminar presentation and reference slide publication: $10 materials fee at the seminar
(Copies may be available for a fee after the seminar, but only while supplies last. If you missed the most recent seminar and wish to obtain a copy, contact the CPCUG office about availability.)

Open to all.

These Build Team seminars are updated and presented two or three times a year.

This seminar is for those who are ready to buy or to build a PC or who are just interested in learning more about current PC technology. Attendees will learn the latest about memory, monitors, central processing units (CPUs), the basic input/output system (BIOS), motherboards, hard drives, modems, and much, much more! There will be extensive discussion about pricing and vendor issues.

This seminar will help you understand what you're buying. For example, a common monitor specification is "0.28 dot pitch." Well, what exactly is dot pitch, anyway? At this seminar you'll learn that dot pitch is a measure of the resolution, or image sharpness, that a monitor can display, and that 0.28 is the minimum quality you should accept on a 15-inch monitor. In this case, lower numbers for resolution mean higher quality; that is, 0.26 is better than 0.28. If the number for resolution is higher, the image will be fuzzy, leading to fatigue and eyestrain.

Vendors are usually present at the end of the seminar to answer questions.

NOTE: If you wish to build a computer with the CPCUG Build Team, you need to attend this seminar and register at the seminar for the next "Build Your Own PC" Workshop, which follows in 4 to 6 weeks. You will be assigned your mentor for the Build Workshop when you register.

Important: Slots for the "Build Your Own PC" Workshop fill early. If you want to sign up for the workshop, be sure to arrive early at the"Before You Buy (or Build) a Computer" Seminar and sign up for the workshop upon arrival.

To access the archives of Q&A sessions from recent Build Team seminars, to research your building a computer options for operating systems and hardware via the best Internet links, and/or to ask a question of CPCUG's Build Team, go to the Build Team Web pages at http://www.fox-engineering.com/Build/.

Contact: Chip Dodge, (703) 425-7038 (h)

Industrial Road is in the Shirley Industrial Park. It intersects Backlick Road between the Beltway and Edsall Road.

From Washington, DC—
(1) Take the 14th Street Bridge.
(2) Continue with I-395 directions.

From Beltway Inner Loop (North)—
(1) Take I-395 North.
(2) Continue with I-395 directions.

From I-395—
(1) Take Exit 2, Edsall Road (Route 648) West.
(2) Turn left onto Backlick Road (Route 617).
(3) Continue with item (3) in Beltway Outer Loop (South) directions.

From Beltway Outer Loop (South)—
(1) Take Exit 5, Braddock Road (Route 620) East.
(2) After approximately 1.8 miles, turn right onto Backlick Road (Route 617).
(3) After approximately 0.7 mile, turn left onto Industrial Road.
(4) Enter the Washington Gas parking lot on the right after passing the “Payment Depository”sign (white lettering on black background).

Parking: Free, large outdoor lot in front of Washington Gas.

For more information about CPCUG's affordable classes and seminars, visit CPCUG's Education and Training Department.