Last Saturday , I expend the daytime at camp — MacCamp , to be accurate . For the last 20 - plus years , thePortland Macintosh Users Group(PMUG ) has held these twice - yearly safety valve for Mac devotees . Held at thevery scenicSilver Falls State Park , MacCamp offers Mac user a three - solar day - farsighted Mac - focus retreat from urban life . PMUG reserve four lodge ( cabins ) at the conference center within the park , accommodating up to 56 “ motor home , ” though this is n’t camp in any traditional sense . The cabin contain most of the amenities of home , with the elision of an Internet link . PMUG charges just enough to cover its costs , and does n’t turn a profit on the event . ( In other news , it ’s not a fund raiser for the mathematical group . )
camping bus go far on Friday good afternoon , all with Macs in hand , and after an orientation , they start building the connection . That ’s right ; they internet all four lodges together . And they do n’t take the easy way out , either — in summation to AirPort , the buildings are physically plug into by dragging ethernet cabling between them . As you’re able to see in the shot below , this requires a fairish bit of cable system , as the cabins are n’t on the nose arms ’ distance apart . And yes , they ’re definitely in a heavily forested arena .
MacCampers then spend the weekend using the meshwork for gambling , sharing photo , heed to other user ’s shared iTunes library , work on thing they ’ve teach in the education sessions , and just by and large having a great clock time .
On Saturday , there are four educational sessions , with two more on Sunday morning . In between the Roger Huntington Sessions , meals are provided , and there ’s a turgid grassy field , a stream nearby , and lots of other area to research . The weekend wraps up on Sunday afternoon , with the dismantlement of the internet and the camper returning to their home . The education theme can vary greatly each class , depending on what the PMUG rank is concerned in learning about . subject this year included using Windows on Intel Macs , podcasting , portrait photography , condition on Illustrator , using Photoshop to remediate damage photos , and my session : a look at some interesting programs that can make you more productive ( or just make using your Mac more playfulness ) .
This was my first experience with MacCamp , and due to two small kids at menage and the upcomingMac Mania Geek Cruise , I was n’t able to take in the full experience — no overnight stay this year . Instead , I drive down Saturday dawn ( it ’s about 90 minute from our home ) , joined the chemical group for lunch and the official MacCamp exposure , and then taught my session and drove back home shortly thereafter . Even though it was inadequate , I was glad to have the chance to participate . What I found was an enthusiastic group of Mac users , eager to learn more about their political machine and what they can do with them . It was also interesting to see that not everyone bring in PowerBooks or MacBooks — there were at least two people in my session who brought in current - design iMacs to use at their station .
I wish I could have persist longer to see the full MacCamp weekend , but I ’m glad I was capable to hang and bestow in some minor means . PMUG has been doing this for more than 20 year , twice a twelvemonth , and its experience appearance — the cantonment is well - lead , the facilities ( gift their location in a res publica park ! ) and equipment were excellent , and everyone I talk to seemed truly excited about the event . Even the tiffin was tasty ! Between the Mac training provide , the fun group atmosphere , and the amazing locating , MacCamp seems like an outcome worth attending — and I ’m going to do my respectable to see the full three - twenty-four hour period version next give .
I ’ll leave you with one random exposure , just showing a bit more of the scene and locus — I snap this persona of the photographers setting up to take the official MacCamp radical photo on the lawn in front of the cabins , just after lunch . As you’re able to see , it was a beautiful fall day , and the colors up here in Oregon are just take off to twist …
What a heavy aura for a meeting between fellow Mac users . Congrats , PMUG , on yet another successful MacCamp … hopefully I ’ll be back for the full experience next spring .
