The End of Computer Magazines in America

From 2023, Technologizer told The End of Computer Magazines in America:

The April issues of Maximum PC and MacLife are currently on sale at a newsstand near you—assuming there is a newsstand near you. They’re the last print issues of these two venerable computer magazines, both of which date to 1996 (and were originally known, respectively, as Boot and MacAddict). Starting with their next editions, both publications will be available in digital form only.

The end of an era… even though for a lot of readers it was already a while ago.

I grew up in France and we had our own computer magazines. In the 80s and 90s, I remember as a teenager waiting for the newest issues (I was more interested in actual productivity than games). Several magazines were a mix of original articles and translations while the rest was 100& made in France. There was even in the 80s some weekly magazine providing software in BASIC to type on your 8-bits micro. Apple // and TI 99/4A got two in each issue (we had the latter at home, with the extended BASIC cartridge). Later, the major platforms had their own publications with more generalist, or topical (only games).

At one point, I managed to get my hands on US editions of Mac User, on which I sharpened by English skills. Back then, it was mostly the only way to keep up to date with the quickly moving industry,

Later on some publications dedicated to a platform continued for a bit after the company went under, like Amiga or even Atari ST dedicated magazines. Linux got even some on the newsstand.

These days are over. The Internet marked the start of a decline in printed publications. Magazines, particularly computer magazines, where a vehicle for ads, with some editorial inside. About half the pages were advertisment, from publishers, hardware manufacturers or retailers. Important information but not reall the most interesting.

Thanks to the Internet Archive I have recently discovered Byte, the first magazine in this category, one that lasted almost 23 years. I heard about it, I knew about it with Micro Systèmes that translated some of Byte articles to French for some time, but I had never read it. Byte Magazine ran from September 1975 to July 1998 when, following plumeting advertising sales, McGraw-Hill, its publisher at the time, sold to another company that rushed into gutting it. Byte influence on the industry is without doubt.

Ads are still there, articles are still a pretext for the ad, their content have become unimportant as long as the publisher can care about the readers privacy by sharing tracking information with hundreds of partners.