MacVoices

A regional user group conference, audio entertainment for your iPod, and a corporate user group are all featured in this edition, along with a review of MUG news, Macworld announcements, reminders of new and available resources, the month’s coming user group events, and a request for feedback.

Kathryn Whitacre, Chairman of the Raincoast Regional Conference discusses how the event has gone from a PC-only conference to being “platform neutral,” why it is open to more than just user group leaders, and what it takes to produce a regional event.

Foy Sperring, Sr. Vice President of Strategic Alliances for Audible talks about what is cool about Audible, why they believe in user groups and helped sponsor the User Group Leaership Conference, and how they continue to support user groups with two special programs.

Gary Cohen of the Mac Special Interest Group of The Boeing Employees Computing Society gives us our first look at a corporate user group, how it is organized, what it does, how it has endured changes in corporate culture and focus, who can attend, and why MacOS X has caused renewed corporate interest in the Mac.

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This edition features MUG meeting content and ideas, an in-depth discussion of online user groups, why it is fun to get involved in Macworld Expo events, and this month’s MUG-only vendor deals.

Chris Breen of Macworld magazine discusses their latest method of Macintosh User Group support, the offering of special editions of the “Breen’s Bungalow” QuickTime video tutorials for use by individual MUGs at their meetings and in their CDs.

Sam Crutsinger of Tacky Shirt talks about his company’s first training video from both an information and entertainment standpoint, extends an offer to user groups everywhere to do a Tacky Shirt presentation via iChatAV, and gives tips on how to make it a terrific experience.

Kevin Gomez of the Corning Macintosh Users Group talks about the advantages and disadvantages of the online user group model, the fun of Macworld volunteering, and how he’s trying to have his MUG accessible from your cell phone.

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We go around the world and talk with another Apple Regional Liaison Team member, a vendor from Japan, spotlight a new twist on an old MUG event, and have yet another 25th anniversary celebration with Woz.

Graeme Moffatt of the Wellington Macintosh User Group and Apple Regional Liaison Team member covering Oceania talks about what he has been doing since his RL appointment, and the response his group is having to their MovieFest 2003.

Paul Chadha of Recosoft discusses how his company, based in Japan, sees user group feedback and exposure as valuable, how they expanded the effort to the United States, and why they’ll be back supporting MUGs in San Francisco in January.

Paul Hering of the Flint Apple Club tells us about how they took the idea of a swap meet and made it something new and unique, outlines their goals for the future of the event, and shares some terrific one-liners they use to promote their group.

Rick Harrison of Apple CIDER gives us a look at his group on their 25th anniversary, why they tried (and succeeded) to get Steve Wozniak to headline the event, and delivers some thoughts on the influence the Apple co-founder has had on all of us.

This edition features an industry icon, an Asian Regional Liaison Team member, our first tag-team interview on a 25th anniversary celebration and the latest vendor deals.

Adam Engst of TidBITS talks about how his carrer started in a user group and how he continues to support MUGs by allowing TidBITS reprints, why huge user groups may not be the best thing, being named (again) to the MDJ Power 25, and much more.

Yan Feng, Apple Regional Liaison Team member for Asia (excluding Japan), talks about the Beijing Maicntosh User Group and how it is growing slowly but surely, the Macintosh market in China and more.

Dan Buchler, the founder of mini’app’les, talks about the early days of that group, why he was inspired to start the group 25 years ago, what they did, and why he has made the switch, all these years later, to MacOS X.

Les Anderson, the current president of mini’app’les, talks about the group’s status today, how they have formed a unique SIG partnership with a local PC group, and how they celebrated their 25th anniversary.

Our first edition for August continues our look at the Apple Regional Liaison Team, information on a recent regional MUG event, more user group-only vendor deals and a wrap-up of all the events at Macworld CreativePro.

Chris Kiltz of the Josephine County Macintosh Users Group and Apple Regional Liaison for the northwest United States talks about her appointment and her group’s recent regional event, The Rogue Valley Mac Expo.

Alain Pougeoise, one of the two Apple Regional Liaison Team members for Europe, discusses his group, Intermac, the regional organization MacEurope.net, and the view of the user group community from France.