The Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG) is a worldwide organization that helps computer user groups by facilitating communications between APCUG member groups, computer hardware and software makers, and hardware and software vendors. A non-profit corporation as designated by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, APCUG also helps member groups and their officers fulfill their education goals with support materials and shared knowledge and experience. While a large number of member groups in APCUG are oriented towards the Microsoft DOS and Windows operating systems, many member groups have SIGs (Special Interest Groups), Forums, Classes, etc. for Apple and Android devices as well as the Linux OS and Chromebooks. Membership is open to all technology user groups.
APCUG itself is not a user group; only user groups/clubs themselves are members. APCUG services are offered to group leaders and members.
APCUG began after a series of meetings and discussions between representatives from various user groups around the country about improving communications between groups and sharing information. The presidents from three user groups—Boston Computer Society, Capital PC User Group, and Houston Area League of PC Users—organized the First Annual User Group Summit meeting at the 1986 Fall Comdex.
After that first Summit meeting and subsequent meetings, the leaders of 15 user groups met in Seattle in October 1987 and proposed the formation of an association for the purpose of fostering communication among and between user groups. That proposal was presented before 130 representatives from 50 user groups at the Second Annual User Group Summit Meeting in November 1987 and was unanimously approved.
APCUG offers many benefits to its member groups, including:
APCUG2.org contains information about: