Mainly from the Apple II and IIgs era but also for the Mac

AUSOM began its’ life back in the late 1970’s as The Apple Users’ Society of Melbourne (A.U.S.O.M.) Inc — Before the Apple Macintosh existed, let alone iPods, iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches!

The most popular personal computer in use in the 1970’s and early 80’s was the Apple II and AUSOM was formed to help Melbourne based Apple II users get the most out of these computers and soon become one of the world’s largest Apple User Group communities.

These were also days before the Internet existed, so the main way of discovering new software was through computer user groups like AUSOM. These groups copied hundreds, if not thousands, of floppy discs (in those days they did actually flop) full of Public Domain, Freeware and Shareware Software, which where then sold to their members for a small sum — usually around $5 per disk.

Because the internet didn’t exist at the height of the Apple II’s popularity, far too much of this old software was never made accessible online and runs the risk of been lost forever, so I’m trying to locate some of the old software I personally wrote back in the 1980’s and early 90’s, as well as some of the collections of Apple II Software that I know AUSOM used to (and hopefully still has) maintain so they can be preserved for posterity. Continue reading »

Most Apple User Groups tend to shut down for 4-6 weeks over December and January of each year and many Groups see this as a time to unwind and rest… and yes we agree that should happen!

BUT, this “quite” time is also an excellent opportunity to get some reflection on the past year and more importantly some forward planning and action for the coming year. Continue reading »

Welcome to this Sampler Edition of the AppleUsers Spotlight, which we have created especially for inclusion on the “Spotlight on FOSS 2016” DVD which will be distributed by various Apple User Groups around the globe on Software Freedom Day — September 17, 2016.
Continue reading »

As part of the celebrations of Software Freedom Day 2016, AppleUsers.org has compiled a selection of some of the best, yet totally free, software that’s available for the Mac, collected together on a single DVD, called “Spotlight on FOSS 2016” plus a bonus video and a copy of The AppleUsers Spotlight “Software Freedom Day 2016” Special Edition! are included. Continue reading »

Recently I’ve been dealing with a couple of Apple User Groups, along with some Community Groups and even a few businesses – and I was shocked to discover they don’t have a web site!!!

In 2016 this is inexcusable! Every Apple User Group should have a website. These days it quite inexpensive to get online and if you can use an application like Microsoft Word or Apple’s Pages, you have the basic skills to get a site online. Continue reading »

This is our fifth instalment of our series on Working with Presenters. The first article covered “Approaching Potential Presenters“, the second one dealt with “Confirming Presenters“, the third talked about “Working with Presenters “On the Night” and the fourth explained how to follow up after a presentation has been given.

This article will discuss how to find Guest Presenters, including encouraging your own members to give presentations at your meetings. Continue reading »

Over the many years I’ve been giving, or attending, presentations I seen numerous presentations come unstuck due to a simple video adaptor been left at the office or a missing power cord.

By having a small collection of cables and adaptors on hand, you can easily over come these nightmares. Continue reading »

The pressure on the Publicity Officer of your Apple User Group for writing a great press release can seem overwhelming, but it need not be!

There are some basic guidelines on how to write a media release that will help you write the perfect release for publication.

Likewise, there are basic tips for ensuring your release reaches the correct person at the appropriate media outlets, thus increasing your chances of getting your announcement published. Continue reading »

Most, if not all, Apple User Groups have a Committee or Board of Directors that usually consist on at least a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. More often than not, there are a couple of ‘Ordinary Members’ on the Committee as well.

And in many cases the Committee end up doing the bulk of the day-to-day work for the club, which means they can’t focus on long term and overall strategic planning… and just as often they just end up plain running out of energy.

If this sounds like your organisation, seriously consider appointing some additional people to extra positions. Continue reading »

This is our fourth instalment of our series on Working with Presenters. The first article covered “Approaching Potential Presenters“, the second one dealt with “Confirming Presenters” and the third talked about “Working with Presenters “On the Night“.

This article will detail a few simple tasks that you should do AFTER the Presentation… unfortunately most groups don’t do any, let alone just one, of these! Continue reading »

I was recently importing all the old HTML pages from my personal website, www.NicholasPyers.com, into a new WordPress site and whilst working on the Presentations pages I realised that although much of the information would need updating, many of the topics would still form a great basis for other User Groups to develop in to their own presentations. Continue reading »

Festive Celebrations is a merger of two previous Disc of the Month titles, Festive Fun II and Celebrations Galore, on to a single DVD. Festive Celebrations is full of Holiday focused clipart, images, fonts, greeting cards, colouring books and more,

Due to many requests, we are pleased to announce that Festive Celebrations has yet again been made available, free of charge, for Apple User Group Leaders from across the globe to download and distribute to their members.
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The Apple User Group Advisory Board and User Group Support Team have implemented a new support system to assist Apple User Group leaders worldwide. Every leader request for support is now assigned a unique ticket number which can be used to track the progress of the request online. The online support system will allow the AUGAB to better serve group leaders and get them the answers they need for their user group. The User Group Support Team is ready to help you out. Continue reading »

The Apple User Group Advisory Board have launched a brand new “Find an Apple User Group” page, which makes it extremely simple to find an Apple User Group near you, regardless of where you are located in the world. Continue reading »