On November 3 the Chicago Apple User Group will host a presentation by Bob Levitus, better known as “Dr. Mac,” one of the top-selling authors of Mac and Apple books on the planet. Funny, smart, honest and incredibly down-to-earth,  “Dr. Mac” will offer his thoughts and guidance courtesy of the dues-paying members of the Chicago Apple User Group. Better yet, the event is free and open to the public.

Check it out!
http://www.chicagoapple.org/events_files/3e0b69ad272413aa749ac376b90525f1-5.html

At the 400th meeting of the Apple Corps of Dallas a founding member, Ray Thompson, presented a wonderful look at 33 years of computing. From early punch cards to being one of 12 who founded the Apple Corps to the present day, this is one of the best retrospectives we have seen and one that Apple User Group members will remember long after viewing the presentation. What are you waiting for? Visit and view today!

Presentation Link:

http://www.acd.us/media.html

Dallas Apple Corps Today:

http://www.acd.us/index.html

On Oct. 14th the Upper Keys Mac User Group will host Diane Marshall on the topic of using your Mac for writing. A journalist and former creative writing instructor at FIU, Diane has used a Mac for writing since its inception in 1984. As the title of her presentation notes: the Mac IS a writer’s best friend. Better yet, the presentation is free and open to the public.

Be there.

http://ukmug.org/html/meetings.shtml

(Thanks to group publicist Sue Beal for this great tip.)

User groups are known for community service and the Apple Macintosh Users’ Group of Sydney is no exception. On October 16 they will continue their tradition of providing user assistance in the UNSW computer lab.  They even provide a link to book a spot in the answer queue.  From streaming the latest Steve Jobs September 1 Keynote to providing a link to the most-recent Nicholas Pyers AppleUsers Spotlight, the group puts service first.

Visit:

http://homepage.mac.com/sydamug/

Download the latest AppleUsers Spotlight

http://homepage.mac.com/sydamug/downloads/spotlight/visitor_download.html

On September 29, the Macintosh Users Group of Southern New Jersey will welcome a special speaker for a special event. Andy Ihnatko, knowing for authoring a plethora of books with ‘Mac’ in their titles, is the Chicago Sun-Times tech columnist, participates in the MacBreak Weekly and This Week In Tech podcasts, and is a regular columnist for Macworld. Better yet Andy is one of the most entertaining speakers around. Join the Macintosh Users Group of Southern New Jersey for this exceptional evening event.

http://www.mugsnj.org/

(Special thanks to Apple User Group Regional Liaison Maria Arguello for this tip.)

On Saturday, September 19, MacGroup Detroit will host a presentation by well-known author and editor Scott Kelby, co-founder of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) and expert on all things Photoshop. With President Terry White (Worldwide Creative Suite Design Evangelist for Adobe Systems, Inc.) and Scott Kelby in the same room, you know that this will be a tip-filled and user-friendly meeting to remember.

Join them for facts and fun.

http://macgroup.org/index.php

You have been part of our history, now be part of our future. User group members worldwide will meet in San Francisco on Thursday, January 27,  2011 for a User Group Reunion. We are looking for great user group photos from times past, and calling for “then and now” photos from your group. Most of us are justifiably proud of our groups and their histories – send in your photos and we can share them via a slide show during the reunion. See old friends. Make new ones.

Send in your best pics:

ugab-04d3@post.me.com

Questions:

ugbeditor@mac.com

MCE (Macintosh Computer Expo) is the North Coast Mac Users Group’s (NCMUG) 17th fundraising event. Held this year on October 2 at the Petaluma Community Center in Petaluma CA, thousands of Macintosh enthusiasts will come from all over the Bay Area to visit with Macintosh product vendors and attend informational workshops. Since 1991 the show has grown in attendance from around 300 to over 1,000 and is now the largest expo of its type in the North Bay, second only to Macworld in San Francisco. If you have attended MCE you know why it is so popular. If you have not been to an MCE yet, this year should be the year you attend.

Check out this great group!

http://ncmug.org/

Visit MCE.

http://ncmug.org/maccomputerexpo/

(Congrats to Ambassador Lorene Romero and the officers of NCMUG for once again organizing such a wonderful event.)

Pasadena will be the place to be from September 28 to September 30, as DVExpo will see Final Cut Pro user group members and others gather for three days of education, workshops and networking. Better yet, the LAFCPUG will host a meeting during the event, featuring their world famous raffle. Whether you are an expert, a newbie or somewhere in the middle, if you love Final Cut Pro and film you belong at the Expo.

Check out the SF Cutters User Group.

http://www.sfcutters.org/pages/events.htm

Visit the LAFCPUG group too.

http://lafcpug.org/user_schedule.html

On September 26 the members of the Oceanside Mac User Group will host their annual OMUGfest, with great food, fun raffle prizes, interesting topics and recycling opportunities. With this year’s theme of being Environmentally Responsible Technology Users, the fest will include members assisting with electronics recycling.

Be there.

http://www.omug.net/OMUG/Welcome.html

(Thanks to long-time Ambassador Elizabeth DeBoer for this tip.)

On September 28 the Lincoln Hills MUG celebrates their annual picnic event with the theme “Things Remembered.” With a catered dinner, games, special presentation and a raffle chance to win an iPad, this picnic should be fun for all.

Visit the Lincoln Hills Mac User Group

http://www.lhmug.org/

(Thanks to President Irwin Maloff for this tip.)

User group members worldwide will meet in San Francisco on Thursday, January 27, 2011 for a User Group Reunion. See old friends. Make new ones. If you are headed to Macworld, save the date and join us. Keep an eye on this page for updated information, ways to participate and registration links in the months to come. This is an event you won’t want to miss.

The Upper Keys Macintosh User Group (UKMUG) does a great job of getting the word out regarding their events and monthly meetings by dedicating a volunteer position to press releases, sending news of the group’s monthly activities to the local press, blog news services and others. Each month, Sue Beal sends a professionally formatted news release, ensuring that the group is visible and their activities noticed. Does your group have an effective way of disseminating information? Tricks for ensuring press attention? Send them in.

Visit the Upper Keys Macintosh User Group

http://www.ukmug.org/html/services.shtml

Send in your ideas for increasing press coverage and group visibility.

ugbeditor@me.com

(Thanks to Press Relations Volunteer Sue Beal for her consistent and informative mailings.)

This month’s discussion on the Apple User Group Discussion list (AUG-D) featured a number of posts about groups that have defied the odds and seen many years of good meetings and long-lasting friendships. Two groups with illustrious histories are North Coast Macintosh User Group (NCMUG-Ohio) of Ohio and the Silicon Mountain Macintosh User Group of Colorado (SMUG). Silicon Mountain, now headed by President Jeff Jensen and VP Mark Griffith, celebrates 25 years on September 2, with a pizza party. NCMUG – Ohio, currently led by President John Stealey, VP Steven Fyffe, and Past President Larry Hrusovsky, celebrates 25 years on August 21 with a potluck picnic (the raffle features an iPad!) Congrats to two silver anniversary groups.

Visit one (or both) today!

North Coast Macintosh User Group

http://homepage.mac.com/ncmug_oh/meeting.htm

Silicon Mountain Macintosh User Group

http://www.smmug.org/

(Thanks much to Apple User Group Regional Liaison Macbeth Vannoy and Apple User Group Advisory Board member Lynn Poos for these great tips.)

The Bellarine Mac User Group (BMUG) is composed of Apple enthusiasts who gather for fun, networking and sharing the tips and tricks that help them get the most out of their hardware and software. They serve the world wide user group community by sharing their troubleshooting manual and Quicktime video  tutorials. Interestingly, since they emphasize self-help, BMUG provides one-on-one tech support to any Bellarine Mac User Group member only if the member has a back up. That’s one way of ensuring that the message of save, save, and save again gets heard. Their self-help manual covers basic maintenance, Mail, system or software problems, forgotten passwords, accidental file deletion and much more.

Mac Tips courtesy of BMUG

http://bellarinemac.org.au/mac_tips.html

Download their wonderful troubleshooting guide.

http://bellarinemac.org.au/troubleshooting_files/Troubleshooting%20-1_1.pdf

Visit the Bellarine Mac User Group

http://bellarinemac.org.au/about.html

On August 24, iMUG of Melbourne will have two great presentations, with world recognized photographer Kim Tonelli talking about her work and Apple computers, and Gary Bass of St. Helena Secondary College discussing the potential of  iPads in education, especially for young children. He will comment on some great apps and the ways that MobileMe can contribute to the mix. With two expert and enthusiastic presenters, the evening promises to be a great one.

Check it out.

http://www.imug.com.au/meetings.php

(For added fun, check out iMUG’s 2006 history of computing titled The Apple Effect: Five Revolutions that Changed Your Life.  http://www.imug.com.au/museum-collection/index.php )

Members of the Final Cut Pro User Groups Network worldwide will meet for the next great SuperMeet in Amsterdam on Sunday, September 2, 2010, as part of the Digital Showcase. Join attendees from LAFCPUG, BOSFCPUG, and groups located in the UK, Germany, Hungary, Russia, Belgium, France and more for the largest gathering of FCP, Avid and Adobe editors, HDLSR filmmakers and digital content gurus for an event to remember. Networking? You bet! New tips and tricks? Of course! Their world-famous raffle? Second to none!

Be there.

Amsterdam SuperMeet link, courtesy of the Los Angeles Final Cut Pro User Group

http://www.lafcpug.org/ams_2010