Message-ID: <12728@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 29-Aug-84 02:39:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.12728
Posted: Wed Aug 29 02:39:39 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 25-Aug-84 06:04:53 EDT
Lines: 16

From:  Russ Altman 



I just got my first personal computer,  and would like to take
advantage of the combined experience of this network of users.

IS THERE:
a good  publication for intelligent readers which presents issues
in personal computing software as well as the buzzers and bells of the
new hardware?

I am not too interested in "dedicated" magazines since I don't own
one of the more common personal computer models.  Your comments are
appreciated.
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Message-ID: <12743@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 23-Aug-84 10:32:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.12743
Posted: Thu Aug 23 10:32:28 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 30-Aug-84 01:21:25 EDT
Lines: 29

From:  Gern 

I have found it a good practice to subscribe to at least one dedicated
to your machine only magazine, and to pop into a library once a month
and read Byte magazine from cover to cover (if it has a whole lot of
good stuff in it, I'll rush out and buy that issue (Hi Jerry!)).

Computers and Electronics (formerly Pop Electronics) is at least worth
looking at the table of contents.

Popular Computing (formerly On Computing) is to much story book and
even the reviews of hardware do not bother the readership with techy
details.

Creative Computing on rare occasions has something I find useful to
me and is still rather good for Generic programming.

I currently 'track' over 23 different magazines a month (unfortunately
spread over 3 different libraries) and I muck over 90% of it to find
the 10% of what I find usefull to me.  I make little notes on locations
of articals that may be of future interest (yes, someday I will build
that light pen for my Z-100...).   

Byte is (in my opinion) your best start.   It (in my opinion) is a fine
magazine and the tons of advertising can even be helpful (No Flames please!)

Cheers,
Gern
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Message-ID: <1376@wateng.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 30-Aug-84 09:48:02 EDT
Article-I.D.: wateng.1376
Posted: Thu Aug 30 09:48:02 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 31-Aug-84 01:34:05 EDT
References: <12743@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 33

[]
I subscribed to what used to be Popular Electronics from 1975 until April
1984, at which time it had become Computers and Electronics, and, in my
opinion, gone downhill drastically.  Back in the 70's it was an electronics
magazine, covering a wide range of topics and (the best part for me)
providing lots of construction projects.  I'm an electrical engineer now,
but was only in grade 9 high school when I first started reading it...I think
the magazine taught me a great deal about electronics - I had quite a head start
on the others in my class at university.
	But then the computer revolution started and they hopped on the 
bandwagon.  The articles are far less techinical now (trying to appeal to
the average computer user, not necessarily knowing much about electronics)
and the magazine is too "flashy".  Instead of clear schematics (crisp black
on white) they few they now have are "air-brushed" red, yellow, green on
black backgrounds!  Gawd, they're ugly...  The in-depth construction articles
are gone forever, the magazine is now just a series of reviews and previews
on all the new computers.  The name Computers and ELECTRONICS is a misnomer
if I ever saw one...unfortunately, I had to let my subscription 
die.
	Byte is what I read now.  It is good, Steve Ciarcia provides an
interesting project every month (plus maybe a couple of other from independant
authors) and Jerry Pournelle is opinionated enough to keep anyone hanging on
his every word.  The ads are interesting, too, but not much use up here in
Ontario.
	I hope someone affiliated with C&E reads this.  They should know
how many budding electrical engineers will never be because of their format
change...
---
Brian Doody, University of Waterloo, Ontario
bcdoody@wateng
---