This week at The Macintosh User Group (MUG) Center, editor Chuck Joiner has updated the Web site with results of his last user group survey and the topic for the next one. Last week he wanted to know how groups deliver their newsletters, and 82 percent of the respondents said that they prefer the digital format, with PDF downloads from their Web sites the top distribution method and e-mail the second. Thirteen percent opt for paper newsletters delivered by U.S. mail and nine percent create a Web-based publication viewable only on the group’s Web site. This week, Joiner wants to know what hardware user groups own.
Meanwhile, The MUG Center also offers Mac-centric holiday gift suggestions as well as pointers to special coupons and other discounts. On the site’s forums, trip planning for Macworld Conference & Expo San Francisco has begun, with suggestions being solicited for the best places to eat meals, favorite hotels and more.
This week’s MUG meetings kick off on Dec. 7 with an online user group chat on the World Without Borders Web site. In the physical world, New Mexico’s AppleQuerque MUG hosts their holiday party, Jefferson City, Mo.’s AppleJAC conducts a business meeting and takes in a Christmas show, Connecticut Final Cut Pro User Group throws a “Christmas Bash with MCAI-CT and Video Evolution” and Palm Beach MUG has an end-of-the-year party.
On Dec. 8, Boston MUG welcomes Michael Regan from the CambridgeSide Galleria Apple Store; Indiana’s Serious MUG covers “Making DVDs with iDVD;” Seattle’s dBUG chows down with a holiday potluck dinner; Alaskan MUG looks at .Mac, iLife and Photoshop; and New Jersey MUG and Apple Valley, Calif.’s Serious MUG are both throwing holiday parties. Yes, there are two different groups called Serious MUG.
On Dec. 9, Los Angeles Final Cut Pro Users Group invites legendary film editor and sound designer Walter Murch (“Apocalypse Now,” “Cold Mountain”) to its annual meeting at DV Expo West in the LA Convention Center. Murch will discuss his use of Final Cut Pro for his work on the film “Jarhead” and engineers from Apple’s Pro Apps Team will stop by to demonstrate a production suite workflow. Only those registered for DV Expo can attend this event.
The same day, Colorado MUG gets festive with a holiday party; the San Francisco Bay Area’s East Bay MUG welcomes Micromat; Utah MUG presents “Games & Gadgets for the Mac Lover;” and Laguna Woods, Calif.’s Leisure World MUG discusses the ULCA super computer.
On Dec. 10, Long Island MUG takes a look at Microsoft Entourage and throws a holiday party. Dec. 12 sees Lakewood, Wash.’s Northwest Apple Pickers, Apple Core of Dallas, Paoli, Penn.’s Main Line MUG and Arkansas’ Hot Springs MUG do the same while Hawaii Macintosh & Apple User Society gets serious with AppleWorks Database, MacMavericks discusses iMovie and Kansas’ Kaw River MUG delves into part two of its home networking coverage. Northwest Apple Pickers returns to action on Dec. 12 for its annual swap meet.
Finally, Dec. 13 sees another holiday party at North Carolina’s Triangle MUG while Portland MUG brings in reps from the Apple Store and LaCie.
Macintosh User Groups interested in seeing their events listed on MacCentral are welcome to send us their news. We post roundups of MUG events and gatherings each week.
If you’re wondering what user group events are happening in your area, visit the MUG Center’s online calendar. Apple also hosts a user group site where you can look for a MUG near you or find out how to start your own group.