Mac Computer Expo 2010 Offers Free Seminars, Demos, Giveaways and More

SANTA ROSA, CA, August 24, 2010 (Press-News.org) Over 1000 Mac and computer enthusiasts are expected to converge at Mac Computer Expo 2010 (MCE), hosted by Santa Rosa's North Coast Mac Users Group (NCMUG), on Saturday, October 2, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the Petaluma Community Center in Petaluma, California. Now in its 17th year, MCE has grown from 300 attendees in 1991 to become one of the largest events of its kind in the Bay Area, second only to Macworld Expo in San Francisco.

Attendees come from all over California to meet vendors who offer the latest Mac and computer-related accessories and services, attend panel discussions about the future of computing and participate in practical seminars led by the industry's top experts.

"Our lineup of speakers, the quality of the topics and the selection of vendors at this year's event are the best we've ever had," said Lorene Romeo, President of the North Coast Mac Users Group. "If you use a computer in your workplace, if you need to sharpen your skills to increase job prospects or if you want to learn how to better use programs for personal projects, there's something for everyone at MCE 2010."

This year's speakers run the gamut from well-known authors and journalists to enthusiasts, bloggers, multimedia experts, programmers and more, many of whom speak at Macworld Expo each year. A complete list of speakers, schedule and topics will be released closer to the event date, and a partial list is available now at maccomputerexpo.com.

"We're tackling topics like utilizing your Apple iPad to increase productivity while cutting down on paper, elevating your Photoshop skills, creating movies with iMovie and GarageBand, hidden secrets of Snow Leopard, demonstrating the power of Office for Mac 2011 and so much more," said Romero. "Many of our discussions are relevant to PC users as well, since many of the programs are PC compatible."

In addition to the range of free discussions, panels, vendors and seminars at MCE, the North Coast Mac Users Group has teamed up with MacVideo Training (macvideotraining.com) to offer an Apple iPad as the Grand Prize for MCE's annual raffle. Tickets are $5 each or $20 for a book of five, and entrants do not need to be present to win. A portion of the proceeds will be given to the Computer and Information Services (CIS) Department at Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) to fund a scholarship for students pursuing a career in the computer information field.

"Mac Computer Expo 2010 is a free event not to be missed," said Romero. "We've made it easy and affordable for North Bay computer users to benefit from the expertise of the most knowledgeable people in their fields."

For more information, a list of speakers, vendors and sponsors, raffle entry, directions and more, please visit maccomputerexpo.com.

The North Coast Mac Users Group (NCMUG) is a California non-profit corporation dedicated to helping people learn all about the Mac. Members are invited to attend informative discussions with authors, software and hardware vendors and club members with special talents. NCMUG also offers special interest groups (SIGs), workshops, members-only discounts from major Macintosh vendors, an award-winning newsletter, website and online members-only email lists. For more information, please visit ncmug.org.