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GAZETTE
DECEMBER 1988
Computers —
where to start
The "P.C. DEAL", details o f which
have been circulated t o the pro-
fession recently is a good place to
start, f ti spossible t o get a good
wordprocessor and a laser printer
for about £3,500.00 (about half the
current retail price). Later you can
expand on the uses of the machine
to encompass accounts o r other
software packages, but i t is a good
idea to start w i th wordprocessing
because i ti ssimple.
Start-up
There are start-up problems and
you have got to organise yourself
for them. The more preparation
done before t h e compu t er i s
installed the smoother it s intro-
duction will be for all. Decide what
will be done on the wordprocessor
initially and set that work aside so
that th e typist can understand
what is expected of her when she
makes th e transition t oword-
processor operator. Discuss w i th
your supplier what you expect o f
the wordprocessor and ask him to
tailor th e training accordingly.
Training i snot cheap (£100/£150
per day) but i ti svital t o have a t
least three days training t oget
the best use out o f your word-
processor.
Ask a colleague
Mo s t peop le app r e c i a te t h e
advantages o f wordprocessing a t
this stage even though they may
not have a wordprocessor. If you do
not, the best way to find out is to
discuss i tw i th a colleague who i s
currently using wordprocessing. He
or she will tell you about th e
increased turnaround time and the
quantum increase in productivity as
well as the initial problems setting
the thing up, and the day the printer
would not work when a lease had
to be re-drafted urgently.
Expansion possibilities
It i s important to become familiar
w i th your computer and to come to
grips w i th words like "operating
system", "storage" and "memo r y"
before moving o n from word-
processing t osoftware, wh i ch
will d other functions such a s
accounting and time recording.
Printers
I would advise that Solicitors
should opt for laser printing despite
the fact that Lasers are about twice
the cost o f th e traditional Do t
Matrix and Daisywheel printers -
they have the advantage o f being
faster, quieter and less accident
prone than th e others. This i s
important i n that we have found
that a t least 5 0% o f our break-
downs o r computer problems are
printer related. A good laser should
last for a t least four years.
Handbook
The
Te c hno l ogy
C omm i t t ee
handbook is an essential tool when
looking for information. A copy of
the handbook was sent t o al l
practices and i thas chapters o n
c o n t r a c t s, r equ i r emen ts o f a
Solicitors practice, how to purchase
a computer, pitfalls and warnings
and i talso contains a recommend-
ed list o f suppliers w i th a thumb-
nail sketch of each. The handbook
is easy t o read and i swritten i n
English (not jargon).
The "Dea l"
Finally, I would like to recommend
the computer deal t oyou. The
memb e rs o f t h e Te c hno l ogy
Committee have examined th e
hardware and software and ar e
satisfied that the computer, printer
and wordprocessing package are of
a good and robust standard and the
computer ha s th e capacity o f
expansion i fmore screens are to be
added at a later stage. Do not wait
around for a better offer - there
may not be one.
COLMAN P. CURRAN
Solicitor
TH E
SOLICITORS '
BENEVOLEN T
ASSOCIATIO N
A CASE IN NEED
Mrs. "X" is in her late 40's, she is the widow
of a Solicitor, has five children under 21. Her
only income is a widow's pension and
family allowance. She has to provide for her
family and maintain a home. She faces this
enormous responsibility alone. Who can she
turn to for help? — The Solicitors'
Benevolent Fund.
The Solicitors' Benevolent Association
assists such cases - and many others where
the age of dependants of members of the
profession ranges from "under 10" to "over
eighty". The Committee of the Association
meets monthly and it s work covers the
entire country, north an d south. Th e
Committee funds come from annual
subscriptions from members o f the Law
Society of Northern Ireland and The Incorpor-
ated Law Society of Ireland, together with
additional subscriptions received from Bar
Associations, and individual Solicitors o r
firms of Solicitors. In recent years the calls
on the Association's resources have become
more numerous and this year the Committee
faces a relatively large deficit. I turgently
needs extra funds. Subscriptions can be
sent to the Secretary, Ms Clare Leonard, The
Solicitors' Benevolent Association, 40 Lr.
Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2, or c/o The Law
Society, Blackhall Place, Dublin 7 .
Dr Keith W Snape
FORENSIC
HANDWRITING
EXPERT
Leaflet available
Highfield, Billinge End Road,
Pleasington, Blackburn, Lanes,
England BB2 6QY
Tel: 03 0254 581555
3 2 8