The Gazette 1990

GAZETTE

JULY/AUGUST 1990

single user version happily without any problems. It is not correct to say that an MS-DOS based ne t wo r k i ng system does not handle file and record locking. This problem only occurs when t wo or more people try to use a single user version of a program designed for use on a single PC (like Lotus 123) on a network. Most soft- ware companies now provide both a single user and a multi- user verison of the programs. However, single user versions can be used by several people only if one person is allowed to use it at a time. If this can't be done you must purchase a multi- user version of the package. Solicitors Golfing Society Spring Meeting - Captains Prize The Spring Mee t i ng of the Society was held at Portmarnock Golf Club, Dublin, on Friday the 18th of May 1990. Unfortunately, because of tight restrictions on numbers, it was not possible to accommodate all who wished to play; nonetheless, there was a full turnout and seventy members of the Society competed for the Captain's Prize. The results were as follows: — Captains Prize: Noel Tanham Winner - Kevin Byrne (nine) 38 points Runnerup - Patrick Reidy (eight) 36 points Third Prize - Cyril Osborne (fourteen) 36 points St. Patricks Plate: (12 & under) Winner - Owen O'Brien (eight) 35 points Runnerup - Tom Shaw (five) 34 points

computers and others used the idea for the PC. With the most straight-forward networking sys- tem you have a central computer which stores all the data called a "FILE SERVER". You then link each PC to the file server. Data on the file server can now be shared by all PCs linked to the file server. From a user's point of view there is no real difference between a networking system and a UNIX system as the operating system is transparent to the user. This means that the user, for example a typist, only sees the word processing package and rarely sees anything of the operating system. However, the main difference between the two is that the networking system has a vastly superior choice of software. This is beause it is MS-DOS based and there are literally millions of MS-DOS users all over the world. In general, any program that runs on MS-DOS will run on a network. . . . the ma in d i f ference between the two is that the networking system has a vastly superior choice of software." If you require t wo users to use the same data concurrently, purchase the multi-user or ne t wo r k i ng version of the package. If this is not a requirement, you can use the

around visiting on each application doing all the work required of each user. MS-DOS works differently. It was designed as a single user system with only one application program in memory at any one time. This means that if you want to run word processing and accounts at the same t ime you require t wo computers. It means that if you have a legal precedent on one computer it is not available to someone on another computer unless it is copied from one to the other by means of a floppy disk. Single user PCs have serious disadvantages in a legal office when it comes to office integration, as a user's work is 'marooned' on his computer. However, they have one great advantage - they are very much cheaper and systems of working can be developed in an office to reduce if not overcome the integration problems. One man's problem is another man's opportunity. The solution to this isolation problem was NET- WORKING. Digital Equ i pment Corporation (DEC) was one of the first to do this with its very popular PDP and VAX range of mini " . . . on a UN I X computer . . . all programs are in memory at the same time."

Handicaps 13 and Over: Winner - Frank Johnson (13) 35 points Runnerup - Noel Smyth (15) 34 points First Nine: James Walsh 19 points Second Nine: Paul Connellan 20 points

RICHARD BENNETT, HON. SECRETARY

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