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Thread: What's the best computer magazine to subscribe to?

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    Re: What's the best computer magazine to subscribe to?

    Micromart! blimey, didn't realise that was still going. I remember buying that when I had my Acorn

    So I take it from the general replies that at least some Mags are worth buying then? I had a gap when I didn't have a computer, and since I bought one again and got into things again a few years ago, I've just found websites that I like and read them. How do the reviews compare to sites like Hexus (I'd name a couple of my other favourites but not sure of the rules)

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    Re: What's the best computer magazine to subscribe to?

    PC Pro here. The editorial is top notch and mistakes are rarely made. Their reviews are pretty good too, usually just sticking to the important points and not going through the entire 'explaining what everything is'. It assumes some reader knowledge, which most people on here should have.

    I used to read Micromart too, but it really went downhill IMO. They are just *too* simplistic in everything they say and they make mistakes often (nothing a normal reader wouldn't notice, but I hate inaccuracy's in print). Having said that, they are great for my Dad and not too expensive
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    Re: What's the best computer magazine to subscribe to?

    It very much depends what you want a magazine for. PC Pro isn't, in my opinion anyway, aimed at real techies. It's more of a mid-way between technical and business user. A fair percentage of the content is aimed at the corporate market, some certainly is aimed at developers and techies, and some explicitly at the business user, but a lot (though certainly not all) is also relevant to home users. So, much of it would be a hard slog for a total novice, but it generally (though some articles might be an exception) isn't aimed at the level of the old Byte magazine either.

    Any publication has to pitch it's content at it's target reader. For instance, do you explain what you mean by RAM or "hard disk" every time you mention it? What about RAID or Active Directory? What level of pre-existing knowledge do you assume in your reader when you write an article? PC Pro won't explain what they mean by Active Directory, but a computing article in the Telegraph probably would .... if it mentioned it at all.

    That's why I say PC Pro is mid-range between techie and novice, and between home and corporate. It's got a foot in both camps ..... and the pitch varies between features and reviews, and between RWC and the rest, and to some extent, between one writer and another. It's a good blend and balance.

    It is, in other words, a pretty good match to the typical HEXite ..... IMHO.

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    Re: What's the best computer magazine to subscribe to?

    Hexus need to get into the publication business - reading stuff on the computer screen is nowhere near the same as reading from a paper or mag If hexus did a mag every month with all the news and reviews it posts on the site over the month I'd buy it for sure!

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    Re: What's the best computer magazine to subscribe to?

    Quote Originally Posted by Andaho View Post
    Hexus need to get into the publication business - reading stuff on the computer screen is nowhere near the same as reading from a paper or mag If hexus did a mag every month with all the news and reviews it posts on the site over the month I'd buy it for sure!
    hexus's head honcho had a column in custom pc for a while

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    Re: What's the best computer magazine to subscribe to?

    Personally I like downloading Maximum PC for free and reading that
    Not the latest one but only a month or two behind.
    PDF - Maximum PC
    In terms of print magazine I read Custom PC and agree that in the last few months PC Format has gone downhill. Pages and pages on some bloke doing a PC Mod and loads of (worse than PC Gamer) game reviews. Did their hardware bloke (Dexter I think his name was) leave ?

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    Re: What's the best computer magazine to subscribe to?

    Quote Originally Posted by 0iD View Post
    I get PC Hardware Review at Computer Power User Magazine: How To Build Your Own Computer, Overclocking Guide from the US, it's about as in-depth & geeky as you want. I also read PC Plus & Pro, shopper & Micromart.
    I presume thats online access only is it?





    Custom PC gets my vote, but and the end of the day the internet is the ultimate source of information, but then its not half as enjoyable as picking a mag up on a rainy day.
    Last edited by Dorza; 08-01-2008 at 11:59 PM.

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    Re: What's the best computer magazine to subscribe to?

    I used to get PCPro and Shopper. I found I didn't have time to read both so I cut it to Shopper only, probably mostly because I've been reading it since it started, although I find it a damn good read, despite the sad demise of Macbiter.

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    Re: What's the best computer magazine to subscribe to?

    Quote Originally Posted by Andaho View Post
    Hexus need to get into the publication business - reading stuff on the computer screen is nowhere near the same as reading from a paper or mag If hexus did a mag every month with all the news and reviews it posts on the site over the month I'd buy it for sure!
    Oh, but it's a very different business. The scale is different for a start. You have very considerable overheads, just to cover printing and distribution .... assuming you can get it distributed .... and your readership will be national, not potentially global.

    Then you've got deadline and content issues. If an article is a couple of days late for a website, even due to unavoidable problems (like the review material arriving late), then upshot is that it goes up on the web a day or two late. But with a magazine, there's a point at which if the copy doesn't go to the printer, it doesn't get printed that month. So you have to have a certain amount of material on standby, because you WILL get let down sooner or later. The administrative problems are substantial, with a print mag. It's not a task I'd want to take on, especially if it was me that would be paying for it if it went wrong ... as a fair percentage of mag launches do, even sometimes when they've got a major publisher behind them.

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    Re: What's the best computer magazine to subscribe to?

    I started at PC advisor as a novice but then switched to PC pro because I found letter had more content and bit more rounded.

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    Re: What's the best computer magazine to subscribe to?

    Another vote for Custom PC, but having said that I've never read PC Pro and stick more to gaming mags (zone etc) as I get most of my tech news off the net. On the other hand I can't read Hexus on the crapper!
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    Re: What's the best computer magazine to subscribe to?

    I would vote for CPC but I don't think I can as the magazine has slipped recently, with large amounts of noticible advertising and large amounts of the magazine being taken up with quite simplistic reviews. I don't feel it's aimed at a high enough level

    I vote for CPU mag from the US (computer power user), bit more technical IMO
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    Re: What's the best computer magazine to subscribe to?

    PC Pro and PC Plus. Mainly Pro though The others are less techy or just for gamers.

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    Re: What's the best computer magazine to subscribe to?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dorza View Post
    I presume thats online access only is it?
    I get the physical mag delivered from the US every month.
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    Re: What's the best computer magazine to subscribe to?

    Quote Originally Posted by 0iD View Post
    I get the physical mag delivered from the US every month.

    I'm quite interested in this mag but am not sure if there is import tax to be paid nor am I sure of the delivery charge. Other than paying for the mag its self what other costs might there be? The site doesn't say, at least I can't find that info anyway.

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    Re: What's the best computer magazine to subscribe to?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dorza View Post
    I'm quite interested in this mag but am not sure if there is import tax to be paid nor am I sure of the delivery charge. Other than paying for the mag its self what other costs might there be? The site doesn't say, at least I can't find that info anyway.
    I believe, from outside the EU, you only have to pay import tax on goods valued over £18 - I've heard of people requesting a parcel be broken into multiple parcels to be under the £18 value. I also beleive that value is different on the type of goods. Inside the EU I beleive the value is slightly higher.
    Last edited by Andaho; 09-01-2008 at 08:38 PM.

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