LIBRARIES (CI'l'Y ) PAMPHLET Take a byte of computer time Rentals spring up for those who don't have the cash to invest day. and paper. ness in Newport Beach adjacent to By Michelle Vranlzan Proprietors say their customers The biggest advantage of library the John Wayne Airport business The 9/ann COll,nty Register _. , come from every walk of life: col­ computers is the cost - they're area. f) ,(~, {Uc~- . I D~7Jf.JiO lege students writing term papers, free. Computer Work Center features When ins!#ratlOn stnkes, ,Chet job seekers updating resumes, The Huntington Beach library is the latest generation Macintosh and Chessher heads to the Huntmgton small-business owners printing bro­ the exception. Because its equip- IBM compatible computers, laser Beach Public Library - but not for chures or fliers and traveling exec­ ment is newer and more extensive printers, color printers, scanners, the books. utives cramming in a couple hours than most, the library charges $3 or 83 popular software programs and There Chessher discovered a work between appointments. $4 an hour for computers and 75 ... _ <:I, . p'p'pli 9·dQrn~i n sQ(t.ware library. bank of 'self-service computers ~ hat ~ '· If once in a while you need to cellts a page'for laser"' printouts. .. containing more than 1,000 titles. patrons can rent for as long as they use a color printer or scanner, why At the other end of the spectrum Renters work in what Stricklin- want for a modest su m. should you have to pay $800 to buy are print shops, which are quickly Bean caUs a relaxing, "high-tech" He is usi ng an Apple Macintosh one when you could come down turning into full·service graphics office atmosphere, complete with at the library to write his seco~ d here and have what you need for centers. Standard equipment at piped·in classical music. Advice is screenplay. The 31-year-old wnter­ ' $20 an hour?" said Shellie Stricklin­ stores such as Kinko Copies and free, but if someone gets stuck on a actor drafts SC t'ipts in longhand, but Bean, co-owner of Computer Work AlphaGraphics Printshops includes project and wants to dump the entire the co mputer chops months off the Center in Newport Beach. Macintosh computers, commonly thing in her lap, Stricklin-Bean will time it takes fat' revisions and pol­ Not all establishments tha t rent used software programs and take over - for $30 an hour. ishing. And he didn't have to buy a computers are equal. counter help trained to answer sim- Stricklin-Bean expects that with thing. At the bottom of the scale are the pie questions. the economy slowing down and peo- "I can use a $10,000 computer at libraries. Chances are if the one Renting equipment at these out- pIe putting off major purchases, her someone else's expense," he said. nearest you has public equipment, fits ranges from $8 to $20 an hour. compuler rental business will pi~k Public libraries and quick-print it consists of a donated Apple He, a Most charge extra for laser printer up. shops that rent computers and dot matrix printer and little or no work. Kinko Copies self-service comput· printers by the hour cater to people software. Most libraries don't ac­ Possibly the creme de la creme er program has been so successful such as Chessher who need the cept reservations, and users are ex­ of self-service operations is Com- that the chain has put machines in equipment but can'l affm:d to buy it peeled to bring their own software puter Work Center, a year-old busi- Pl ease see RENT/2 or who don't need to use It every \. Ken StclnherdVThe Orange County Ellen Glass, 23, of Huntington Beach works on her resume on a borrow.!d computer at the Huntington Beach Public Library. \. RENT Where to rent computers by the hour FROM 1 each of its 12 Orange County loca­ Here's a sampling of Orange County copy shops and computer. centers that rent computers, printers and software by the hOur tions. The biggest, at 17th Street Hours Equipment Cost Notes and Newport Boulevard in Costa Alpha(;raphics Mon·Fri. 8 a.m.- Includes three Macintosh work $12 an hour, $2 Reservations not requirec Mesa, has six Macintoshes and 18007 Skypark Circle 6 p.m.; Sat, 10 stations, laser printer. Software per page, 50 but call ahead. Virus several laser printers. Like the Irvine a.m.-2 p.m. includes Pagemaker 3,0, cents a page for checks available. other Kinkos, it is open 24 hours a 261-5544 Microsofl Word(?), McDraw II, proofs. day, McWrite. Staff help on software "Sometimes you can COlTIe in is available. here at 2 a.m. and all six comput­ computer Works Center Mon-Fri,8 a.m.- Includes two Macintosh SE030, $20 an hour or Reservations accepted bu ers are being. used, especially if it's 3901 MacArthur Blvd. 7 p.m.; Sat, 10 Ol1e Mac SE, one Mac Ilei, one $30 an hour if no! required. Early around tax time or semester's Newport Beach a.m.-2 p.m. AST 386, one AGI 386 and one staH does all mornings are best time. end," said James Huff, Kinko'5 752-0877 Other limes by Packard-Bell 286; two laser work; 10 cents Virus detection on all desktop publishing coordinator. appointment. printers, onG color printer and per page. systems. This week, Kinko expects to an­ one dot rnatr ix printer; scanner. nounce a deal with Apple Comput­ Eighty-lilree soHwam packages include popular word processing, er to replace the equipment in all spreadsheet and desktop its Orange County locations with publishing software programs. the Mac Classic. The black-and­ Also has 1,000 public-domain white display machine, which Ap­ software tilles. ple unveiled two weeks ago, is meant to supplant the Macintosh Craig A. Jones & By appointment IBM AT compatible; laser and $10 an hour Reservations required. Ca SE and Mac Plus and is the compa­ Associates only with hatf- dot matrix printers. Software including laser use own software. but ny's lowest-cost computer. 22961 Trinton Way day notice. includes Lotus 1-2-3, printer output. bring documentation as Huntington Beach's library Laguna Hills Wordperfect. Staff assistance Long-term rates proof against viruses. started its computer-rental service 859-8986 available. negotiable. fou!' years ago, after a coin-operat­ ed game computer proved wildly popular with children and other visitors. "We said, why not set up our Kinko's Copies Open 24 il0urs Varies by location, but most have$8 an 110ur, paid Reservations not required own?" said Gary Shippey, the Ii· 12 county stores a day. Macintosh SE, laser printers. in 10-minute and no time limit. Late brary's media-services cOOl'dina­ including Software includes popular Mac increments, $1 evenings and early 741 N. Placentia Ave. word processing, desktop minimum, mornings bes\. Virus checl tor. Fullerton publishing and drawing Printer is $1 for on all stations and free Over the years, the library has 528-2430 programs. first live pages, disinfectant program acquired a 386 personal computer, then 50 cents a available. three IBM XT compatibles, il Mac page. IIex, an Apple IIe and various printers, all for less than $20,000. Shippey estimates that 150 peo­ ple used the computers last month, up about 114 percent from a year ago. The reason, he said, is experi­ ence. "We've attained a feeling for tbe programs people need," he sai.d. Jeff Stecher contributed to this re­ port. OC libraries with self-service computers Only a handful of lhe 45 city and county library branc!les in Orange County have personal ccomputers and printers for patrons. All but one of Ule computer-equipped faciltlies are free. Most use some type of sign-up) sheet or reservation system. Library Hours Equipment and supplies Notes Huntington Beach Mon-Thurs, 1 to 9 Computers include Apple ile, Macintosh Cost is: $4/110ur for Mac, $3lhour City Library p.m.; Fri-Sat, 9 a.m.llcx, one 386 and three 8088 IBM for all others; 75 cents a page fOr 7111 Talbert Ave. to 5 p.m. compatibles. Printers include two H-P laser printout, dot matrix is free. Huntington Beach LaserJeti!, Apple LaserWriter liNT, two Weekday aflernoons are least 842-8863 letter-quality daisy wlleei and two dot . busy. matrix. 200 software titles available. You supply paper or buy it from library. BULLETIN OC Public Library, Mon-Wed, 10 a.m. IBM compatible with MS-DOS 3.3, hard No advance reservatiOns but has BOARD Crown Valley Branch to 9 p.m.; Thurs, 10 drive. Two dot matrix prinlers. No sign-up sheet. Two-hour limit. 3041 Crown Valley a.m. 105 p.m.; Fri- sottware so bring your own. Information is supplied by bulle­ Parkway Sal. 10 8.m. to 5 tin board operators and is subject Laguna Niguel p.m. to change without notice. Some 249-5252 may charge fees. The Anastasia Syndrome: Mes­ DC Public Library, Mon-Wed, 10 a.m. Apple lie with compatible dot matrix Same day reservations sage bases, gam'es, file distribu­ Dana Niguel Branch to 9 p.m.; Thurs, 10 printer. Bring your own software, requested. tion: 24 hours. 300/1200/2400. 8- 33841 Niguel Road a.m. to 6 p.m.: Fri- although library developing its own N-l.545-6256. Laguna Niguel Sat, 10 a.m. to 5 collection. Bring your own paper. 496-5517 p.m. AST On-line: AST Research prod­ ,uet information, press releases, DC Public Library, Mon-Wed, 10 a.m.