OT: What's happened to PC Magazine?

The size of the magazine is way, way down. And most of the articles
and short pieces now have nothing to do with PCs. And the remaining PC
articles make you think you're reading "PC World" or another magazine
for noobs.

Have these guys lost their way or are PCs now so "mainstream" that
nobody cares. If want to read about all the great hotspots in Rome,
Italy, I'll read a magazine or website for business travelers.

It's obvious they are trying to "reposition" the magazine as something
else, but that's a sad development. These days, I look forward to my
monthly issue of "CPU" but the latest issue of PC Mag is just ho-hum,
I need something to line the birdcage.

And since are these guys experts in cars or cameras? Just because a
camera is now digital, doesn't mean that a bunch of computer jocks
have any special expertise. A camera is still a camera is still a
camera, even if it doesn't use film.

Thanks for reading this.

Andy

PC Mag also used to own tech tv back when it was worth watching but tech tv
was sold, renamed a few times, now called G4.

G4 concentrated on games which was a big flop so they added shows like star
trek and the man show.

The paranoid part of me feels that pc mag and techtv rightfully criticzed
the common pc market and big business did not like it and worked to
eliminate them.

People who live in canada can still get some of the old tech tv shows but I
guess americans are not good enough for that.

-g

geoff wrote:
>
<snip>
> G4 concentrated on games which was a big flop so they added shows like star
> trek and the man show.
>
> The paranoid part of me feels that pc mag and techtv rightfully criticzed
> the common pc market and big business did not like it and worked to
> eliminate them.
>
> -g
>
>

TechTV was criticizing Windows too much in favor of Linux and Mac so
they got lobotomized. One flew over the Windows nest...

-Philip

Andrew Hamilton wrote:

> The size of the magazine is way, way down. And most of the articles
> and short pieces now have nothing to do with PCs. And the remaining PC
> articles make you think you're reading "PC World" or another magazine
> for noobs.
>
> Have these guys lost their way or are PCs now so "mainstream" that
> nobody cares. If want to read about all the great hotspots in Rome,
> Italy, I'll read a magazine or website for business travelers.
>
> It's obvious they are trying to "reposition" the magazine as something
> else, but that's a sad development. These days, I look forward to my
> monthly issue of "CPU" but the latest issue of PC Mag is just ho-hum,
> I need something to line the birdcage.
>
> And since are these guys experts in cars or cameras? Just because a
> camera is now digital, doesn't mean that a bunch of computer jocks
> have any special expertise. A camera is still a camera is still a
> camera, even if it doesn't use film.
>
> Thanks for reading this.
>
> Andy

Perhaps the readers of PC Magazine of old are no longer as active
or as interested in the personal computer market. The digital world
is much more expansive today and there are other high-tech gadgets
and gear that are more stimulating. Just look at the number of major
OEM's that have survived into the 21st Century or its Micrsoft with
very little of anything else or the fact that e-Zines have taken
over from the printed media. Maybe PC Magazine should change its
name to something more keeping with the times.

On Sat, 14 Apr 2007 11:31:37 -0700, Andrew Hamilton
<> wrote:

>The size of the magazine is way, way down. And most of the articles
>and short pieces now have nothing to do with PCs. And the remaining PC
>articles make you think you're reading "PC World" or another magazine
>for noobs.
>
>Have these guys lost their way or are PCs now so "mainstream" that
>nobody cares. If want to read about all the great hotspots in Rome,
>Italy, I'll read a magazine or website for business travelers.
>
>It's obvious they are trying to "reposition" the magazine as something
>else, but that's a sad development. These days, I look forward to my
>monthly issue of "CPU" but the latest issue of PC Mag is just ho-hum,
>I need something to line the birdcage.
>
>And since are these guys experts in cars or cameras? Just because a
>camera is now digital, doesn't mean that a bunch of computer jocks
>have any special expertise. A camera is still a camera is still a
>camera, even if it doesn't use film.
>
>Thanks for reading this.
>
>Andy


You need to check out PC World!

On Sat, 14 Apr 2007 11:31:37 -0700, Andrew Hamilton
<> wrote:

>The size of the magazine is way, way down. And most of the articles
>and short pieces now have nothing to do with PCs. And the remaining PC
>articles make you think you're reading "PC World" or another magazine
>for noobs.
>
>Have these guys lost their way or are PCs now so "mainstream" that
>nobody cares. If want to read about all the great hotspots in Rome,
>Italy, I'll read a magazine or website for business travelers.
>
>It's obvious they are trying to "reposition" the magazine as something
>else, but that's a sad development. These days, I look forward to my
>monthly issue of "CPU" but the latest issue of PC Mag is just ho-hum,
>I need something to line the birdcage.
>
>And since are these guys experts in cars or cameras? Just because a
>camera is now digital, doesn't mean that a bunch of computer jocks
>have any special expertise. A camera is still a camera is still a
>camera, even if it doesn't use film.
>
>Thanks for reading this.
>
>Andy

I'm a Computer Shopper reader; it used to be the size of a phone
book- now it's just a waste of money..

wrote:

> On Sat, 14 Apr 2007 11:31:37 -0700, Andrew Hamilton
> <> wrote:
>
>
>>The size of the magazine is way, way down. And most of the articles
>>and short pieces now have nothing to do with PCs. And the remaining PC
>>articles make you think you're reading "PC World" or another magazine
>>for noobs.
>>
>>Have these guys lost their way or are PCs now so "mainstream" that
>>nobody cares. If want to read about all the great hotspots in Rome,
>>Italy, I'll read a magazine or website for business travelers.
>>
>>It's obvious they are trying to "reposition" the magazine as something
>>else, but that's a sad development. These days, I look forward to my
>>monthly issue of "CPU" but the latest issue of PC Mag is just ho-hum,
>>I need something to line the birdcage.
>>
>>And since are these guys experts in cars or cameras? Just because a
>>camera is now digital, doesn't mean that a bunch of computer jocks
>>have any special expertise. A camera is still a camera is still a
>>camera, even if it doesn't use film.
>>
>>Thanks for reading this.
>>
>>Andy
>
>
> I'm a Computer Shopper reader; it used to be the size of a phone
> book- now it's just a waste of money..

Or look at what happened to MicroTimes that was very popular and free
in California. Disappeared along with the number of storefronts that
had advertised in it. Now, everything is in the Internet. A classic
example is Newegg, which made the transition very well.

On Sat, 14 Apr 2007 11:31:37 -0700, Andrew Hamilton
<> wrote:

>The size of the magazine is way, way down. And most of the articles
>and short pieces now have nothing to do with PCs. And the remaining PC
>articles make you think you're reading "PC World" or another magazine
>for noobs.
>

You're right, but I noticed PC went bad way back in the 90s.

It was real good at one time. But that was back in the 486 days.

Andrew Hamilton wrote:
> The size of the magazine is way, way down. And most of the articles
> and short pieces now have nothing to do with PCs. And the remaining PC
> articles make you think you're reading "PC World" or another magazine
> for noobs.
>
> Have these guys lost their way or are PCs now so "mainstream" that
> nobody cares. If want to read about all the great hotspots in Rome,
> Italy, I'll read a magazine or website for business travelers.
>
> It's obvious they are trying to "reposition" the magazine as something
> else, but that's a sad development. These days, I look forward to my
> monthly issue of "CPU" but the latest issue of PC Mag is just ho-hum,
> I need something to line the birdcage.
>
> And since are these guys experts in cars or cameras? Just because a
> camera is now digital, doesn't mean that a bunch of computer jocks
> have any special expertise. A camera is still a camera is still a
> camera, even if it doesn't use film.
>
> Thanks for reading this.
>
> Andy
I thought it was just me! I agree with you 100%. seems like it is all
about cameras, cars, business deals,etc. I have also notice that 7 out
of 9 PC related mags here in southern California are from England and
most info is about 6 months behind what is happening in the States.
Mind you, I prefer these mags, as an enthusiast and I really like PC
Utilities the best.

On Sun, 15 Apr 2007 10:50:57 -0700, GHalleck
<> wrote:

>

>Perhaps the readers of PC Magazine of old are no longer as active
>or as interested in the personal computer market. The digital world
>is much more expansive today and there are other high-tech gadgets
>and gear that are more stimulating. Just look at the number of major
>OEM's that have survived into the 21st Century or its Micrsoft with
>very little of anything else or the fact that e-Zines have taken
>over from the printed media. Maybe PC Magazine should change its
>name to something more keeping with the times.

Sorry for the late reply. Been off the "matrix" for a while.

The problem is, what does PC Magazine stand for these days? I can't
tell. I'm not sure if the editors can either. Maybe John Dvorak ought
to do a column on the malaise and drift at PC Magazine headquarters.