User groups

Eagle computers were very easy to use: bring them home, plug them in, turn them on.  This may be why there were so few user groups.  The fact that they were marketed as business computers, rather than entertainment centers or hobbyist gadgets, may also be a factor.

The Eagle Computer User Group in San Jose, California, was the primary Eagle user group.  It drew attendees from all over the San Francisco Bay Area for its monthly meetings, and Eagle users all over the United States paid dues and got its newsletter.  Meetings generally consisted of more experienced Eagle owners showing others how to use the advanced features of the bundled software, or configuring printers.  Actual presentations were rare but welcome.  David Banoff, a mail carrier, was the club president.  Professional word processor Shirley Welch produced the club newsletter for the first year, and was the club secretary.  I was the newsletter editor from the second year on.  Jerry Davis, a computer repairman with his own business, fixed members' computers when they were broken or just needed maintenance.  A typical meeting would be attended by a dozen people or so.

David Banoff says that "The remnant of the old ECUG still meets monthly at Jerry Davis' house in San Jose.  It is usually just Jerry, Ken Thompson, and I.  Of course, none of us still has an Eagle computer."

Another user group, in San Francisco, was called The Screaming Eagles.  David Banoff brought them to ECUG's attention, and the two groups sent each other their newsletters every month.

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