Hi,

First, Happy New Year! I hope your holidays gave you a chance to slow down, relax and enjoy time with friends and family.

Second, it was great to have the opportunity to put face to virtual smile with several from around the region at Macworld. We (the northwest) actually had a great representation with folks there from Alaska, Idaho, Washington & Oregon.

New for 2004!
I was able to upgrade my computer system as planned so that I can now be at your meetings - virtually. I now can do video or audio iChat conferencing for your board meetings or your regular meeting. I will attend my first meeting with the NW Apple Pickers in February. I did a dry run with their board this week, and (depending on internet speed) I was able to include not only a Keynote presentation full screen, but a quicktime movie. If you'd like me to attend your meeting, please get in touch!

Planning a large event? Talk to vendors NOW! Now is the time to get a jump on vendors calendars if you're planning a special event. They're planning their yearly calendar, and when you plant the seed in their mind, especially with a date, they will be much more receptive when you connect with them a few weeks or months. It shows them that your group is on the ball and doing something. To get a list of vendors that support MUGs (& have current offers going), check the link at the bottom of this letter.

Have you gotten your FREE copy of Panther yet? If not, go for it! It's your opportunity to get a copy for demonstration or review by your group. Here's the info that was in the last Bulletin:

User group ambassadors can now order a copy of Mac OS X v10.3 "Panther" through Apple Sales Web for just the cost of shipping and handling. These copies are for groups to review and to demo at meetings. There is a limit of one copy per group. Order part number L301103A-US. Ground shipping is $3.50 (US) plus tax if applicable.

If you're not sure if you've got access to ASW, or have trouble accessing it, please get in touch - I can help solve that problem!

Finally, NOW is the time to update your information in the locator if you haven't done so recently. As new board members come in, make sure that the records are updated in the locator to reflect that change. Apple does use that information to contact the group if the Ambassador can't be reached for some reason. If you've lost/misplaced or forgotten your locator login info, please get in touch - again, I can help solve that problem!

Now, on to the latest in MUG news from the Northwest.

Cheers and Happy MUGging

Chris Kiltz
NW Regional Liaison


News from the Northwest

1. We've got new MUGs being brought to life! Prior to Macworld I had a gentleman from Brookings OR contact me about starting a group in their area. We were able to connect this week by phone, and the news is - they're moving forward. Brookings is a small coastal town on the Southern Oregon coast just above the California border. Also, at Macworld I had 2 gentleman who are interested in starting a group in their area of Idaho (which is great because our Idaho groups are sparse).

2. MUG meeting reports. Despite the attention that Macworld demands in January, several MUGs went forward with great meeting plans.

dBUG's meetings were late enough after Macworld that full reports could be given.
Here's the boil-down of their report: "Both the FileMaker Pro and Mac OS X SIGs will feature first-hand reports from Macworld Expo attendees. Come and find out what Apple and other Mac developers have been cooking up for our New Year's surprise." dBUG is the Macintosh Downtown Business User Group located in Seattle, WA (USA)

SPMUG held a great meeting with a presentation on iLife 3 by Alan Olson of 4th Dimension Computers. A week before their meeting, Apple announce iLife 4. SPMUG meets on the 2nd Tuesday of the month in Lacey WA. They have a Beginners group that meets the 3rd Saturday of the month.

JoMacs, PMUG & RMMUG banded their resources to man the User Group Booth on Wednesday at Macworld Expo. Being a part of the booth at Macworld is a great opportunity to to share MUG information with other people. Our day flew by as we answered questions on where MUGs in different areas are located, what a MUG is all about, and even how-to questions. We also took the opportunity to hand out newsletters and Brochures for our MUGs. Also, banding together makes it easy for a group who may not be able to send 3-4 members to Macworld to still be a part of the exciting action.

** Just a note - if you want to include your groups activities here, please send your reports in around the 1st of the month. I send my report in to Apple by the 10th, and usually send the monthly report out to the region when the bulletin comes out around the 15th.