beimac86 is David Feng’s personal Greater China Apple community and tech, mobile, and innovative startup blog. It takes its name from BeiMac and techblog86.
BeiMac
A Macintosh user group has existed on and off in Beijing, capital of China, on a number of occasions. Evidence suggests such a group was founded and existed for some years in the 1990s before being disbanded. On 02 March 2002, David Feng, along with six other Mac users from different countries and territories, co-founded the Beijing Macintosh User Group (BeiMac for short), a community in this form to remain extant until 2011, with the passing of Apple’s Great Leader Steve Jobs.
During its almost decade of existence, it being most active from 2002 through to 2008 (and having survived SARS), the user group was influential in supporting not just the local, but more importantly, expat Mac community. Its meetings were attended sometimes by hundreds of users and visitors, and its activities were featured on local and international media. Expat professionals, local students, and members abroad, all formed part of the community. Whilst it was still being held, Macworld 2006 in San Francisco saw presence from BeiMac.
techblog86
Due to David’s active involvement in Beijing’s tech community, he was invited to join “blognation” in late 2007, a community of tech, mobile, and startup blogs, heading up the China blog. Soon, it became one of the most visible blogs in the network, covering events such as the Chinese Blogger Conference.
Following a shakeup in management, “blognation” and its China, and other international, blogs were disbanded in late 2007, and techblog86 was formed in its place. It continued to be visible into 2008 and beyond, with its founder David Feng part of tech tours meeting key tech executives.
BeiMac + techblog86 = beimac86
2025 marks 25 years of David Feng in Beijing, and 5 years of his permanent residency in the Chinese capital. The occasion calls for the revival of some Beijing classics.
On 20 October 2025, David’s new, personal blog about the Apple community across Greater China, as well as tech, mobile, and innovative startups, will launch, as beimac86.
For the moment, it will remain a largely online blog. Any offline events for non-Mainland Chinese persons will take place at a later time. It will also not be registered as an “official” Apple user group to maintain its relative independence as a private blog.