Tech magazines

November 21, 2004 · Comments

I remember making the decision in 1992 to buy my first Macintosh computer. I had been working on them for years, but now I wanted to own one. I remember paying $3,850 for that Mac IIci with 5MB RAM, 80MB hard drive and 15″ monitor. The salesman explained that the onboard video would only let me see 256 colors on the screen, and I remember thinking that wasn’t going to be a big deal. Ack! I also remember that’s when I started reading Mac magazines, namely [*Macworld*](http://www.macworld.com) and *Mac User*. These things were huge and I learned about the inner workings of my new computer from them. I had started dabbling online, but information came from email or bulletin boards. No opportunity to see pictures and ads. I actually learned about new product releases from the magazines. I was excited when my status as Studio Manager for a NYC ad agency helped me get a free subscription to *MacWeek* which arrived in my snail box each Monday morning.

I knew there were plently of magazines out there devoted to the PC, but I never bought one. I admit that I flipped through my dad’s copies a few times, since he subscribed to them all. But most of it was about what was rumored to be coming up in what was to be Windows 95 or 98 and I didn’t care.

Well, my dad is probably sitting up there thrilled that this year I discovered PC-centric magazines…and I like them. Wait, wait, this has nothing to do with my newfound appreciation for Windows XP. Honest. PC magazines are just better (and bigger for the same or less $$) than the current crop of Mac ones. I’m not counting the Mac magazines produced in the United Kingdom which are far superior to the ones produced here. I love going to my local Borders or Barnes & Noble to read the latest [*Macworld U.K.*](http://www.macworld.co.uk/) or [*MacFormat*](http://www.macformat.co.uk/). It’s just too expensive to buy these magazines regularly.

So when I purchased my first PC last January, I started reading [*PC Magazine*](http://www.pcmag.com) and [*PC World*](http://www.pcworld.com). I was reading *PC Magazine* regularly so I subscribed to the digital edition. As I see it, here’s the difference between the U.S. Mac, now including [*MacAddict*](http://www.macaddict.com), and PC magazines:

Mac magazine approach: Look at what’s coming out of Apple and use that information to expand into a feature article or two (so lots of stories on music & video). In short - this magazine is about Macintosh computers so this is the entire world and there’s nothing else to talk about. Don’t get into rumors or anything too negative, can’t make the mighty Steve mad and then what would you have to write about?

PC magazine approach: A healthy dose of troubleshooting and bug fixing and whining about security, but once we get past that…What are people *doing* with computers nowadays, and what tools and applications are out there to make that happen? What could they be doing that they may not know about? How do you decide between products when the choice is so huge? Believe it or not, the PC magazines do a fair job with Macintosh computers and software. If it’s the right tool for the job and it should be in the mix, they mention it. There’s no point in mentioning the Mac versions of software that’s also available for the PC, but if there’s something that’s a different experience on the Mac they will review and talk about it.

So when I want to sit down with a techie platform-focused magazine, I’m finding the PC print a better use of my time. The PC magazines may contain an article about what’s going in Digital TV, or the latest handhelds out of Asia or the issues around online shopping. The Mac magazines are all Mac software/hardware and Apple worship. Wouldn’t want to do or say anything to jeopardize that press pass in San Francisco next January. But there’s a much bigger world out there.

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