PC Magazine Closing Print Edition, Staying Online Only
Founded in 1982, the magazine is following in the (very recent) footsteps of the Christian Science Monitor, which is also moving to an online model. PC Magazine, which used to print editions in excess of 500 pages in the heydays of the industry, back in the late '80s and '90s, will print its last edition in January of 2009. After that, the only place to get the word from the original source of PC news and reviews will be online.
So, PC collectors with a closet full of old, beige hardware, you may want to get to the bookstore in the near future -- your tome of choice won't be around for much longer. Not to worry too much, though, since you've probably been reading PC Mag online for years, anyway, and it doesn't look like that part is going anywhere.
The sad part, though, is just how fast all these magazines are shutting down. Check out our gallery below of five titles that have recently moved online only -- four out of five of them have announced the plans in the last couple of months alone. Though now make our living writing for the Web, we have to admit that we still like bringing the occasional newspaper or magazine when we're on, say, an airplane or bus (after all, that Amazon Kindle isn't cheap!).
What do you think? Do you still read magazines? Which do you prefer for news and articles: magazines or Web sites? [From: Paid Content]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Susanna Fernandez said 3:04PM on 11-19-2008
Yeah, so what do I do if I just subscribed for 2 years a few months ago?? Money badly spent?
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Marsha said 7:51PM on 11-19-2008
I called & subscribed to 2 years for this mag. 11/20/08. Sign on & read this crap?????
The c.s. person NEVER mentioned this mag., going net, as the saying goes: Day late, dollar short...
F.M.
Mikey the Nail said 2:57PM on 11-19-2008
Balderdash. Bottom line (sorry): Most folks read magazines on the porcelain throne. Probably not going to bring the computer in there. Oh, and what about the Godforsaken airplanes half of us spend half our lives on? In reality, PC Magazine sucks, and they're trying to save themselves by eliminating the cost of publication. In their case, the eggheads who still read PC Mag will probably subscribe online, but their problem is lousy content not publication costs.
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wendygoerl said 2:58PM on 11-19-2008
Face it: it's more convenient to curl up on a couch with "bound printed material" than a desktop (or even a laptop), but portable readers are just too pricey. Until you get fed up by the glare off the glossy stock (which is also pricier than the matte stuff), and the bound-in reply cards and other addstuff (how may of those actually get USED, anyway?). Then you start thinking printouts of the most interesting articles is the way to go. And you don't even realize you're spending more to print those few articles than the publisher spent printing the whole mag. And the way most webpages end up when they're compiled for printout--you're chopping down a lot more trees, too. But I'm sure every one of them will point out how much more "economical" and "environmentally friendly" their e-only publications are.
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bob said 3:05PM on 11-19-2008
Who cares?
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Clem said 3:25PM on 11-19-2008
What us hillbillies gone due for toilet paper now? Corn Cobs is hard to come by this time of year.
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Kim said 3:27PM on 11-19-2008
As with the morning paper and a great cup of coffee... Here we go!
I love the feel of the pages and the smell, I think this is just my age talking. I'm at this computer all day and then at night and my blackberry.
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porno the clown said 3:32PM on 11-19-2008
i would not bother to read it for free while waiting at the checkout line.
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Kate said 3:38PM on 11-19-2008
Just re-cycle your magazines that you have already subscribed to, and take them to nursing homes. Elders love to look through them and appreciate getting them. Consumer Reports is an excellent magazine as is Readers' Digest in large print. They also like catalogs...just for the pictures. Thanks!
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MACKNASTIX said 5:04PM on 11-24-2008
I feel bad for the current paid subscribers,but think about it... everything is going to be online eventually.Paperless is the future.Do you still own a typewriter? Have a wireless day.
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fabio rivilla said 4:22PM on 11-19-2008
Thank you for helping save some trees.
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Lou said 4:22PM on 11-19-2008
This is a great tragedy! The end of civilization as we know it! The sky is falling!
Once the current supply is gone, where will Doctor's offices get two and three-year old magazines for their patients to read?
Whatever will we do?
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njguardian said 4:25PM on 11-19-2008
My gawd -- what bashing!
I've learned a lot from this publicaton over the years and read it article by article over a week or two whenever I sit down and it's laying there -- yes, it makes the rounds. Right now, the current issue is still on the breakfast table where I put it two days ago when it arrived. It will next move to the downstairs bathroom for a few days and then will probably follow me up stairs to reside on the night stand for another few days until I've finally made it through to the last article.
Say what you want. I'll sorely miss the print version and I know I'll miss most of it by simply not finding the time to remember and sort through all the other online distactions looking for it.
I'd gladly pay twice the current subscription price to continue to receive the "paper" version -- going "green" and all that other "PC" stuff be da*@ed".
Sorry advertisers, I'm just not going to be looking at your ads -- even if I happen to remember to go looking for a PC Mag. article on line.
The internet is great for a lot of stuff -- it's NOT an interchangeable substiture for something I can carry around with me until I get my full use out of it -- at my leasure.
Oh, yea, I do carry the laptop on occasional visits to the porcelain Idol, but the darn things just get too hot for my sensitive skin so surfing while "relaxing" just ain't the same as carrying along my old comfy magazine friend.
Sorry to see you go.
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John Brooks said 5:04PM on 11-19-2008
Gosh, I've learned so much from this magazine over the years: colon, backslash, if, to, and of course the mathematical limit of 64K RAM and how to get around it. IMHO this mag failed to evolve after Win95. (Of course, neither has Microsoft.) 1992-96 I read it voraciously. Now...I don't even subscribe to free stuff I could get in my e-mail from these folks.
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Marilee said 4:41PM on 11-19-2008
Well, if you don't have enough subscribers then you cut your losses, simple as that......Afraid the publication was not interesting enough for the masses....
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Linda said 2:19PM on 11-20-2008
I love the magazine myself. Thats because I'm old and it gives
me info I didn't know. You young geeks don't need magazines.
Sorry to see it go.
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Dennis Ewing said 5:58PM on 11-19-2008
I'm a truck driver and I read my magazines when I am waiting to get loaded or unloaded. I to just renewed my subscription for 2yrs what now. If it's about money raise the price most people will pay it.
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Bryan said 6:33PM on 11-19-2008
I just let my sub run out like 2 months ago lol
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Rita said 4:14PM on 12-23-2008
I just ordered a subscription for my son to support my grandaughter's school. When I found this out today, I called them and switched to a video gaming magazine.
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Gary said 8:04PM on 11-19-2008
Who will be the last one to try to get their funds out? Wont be me as I have already pulled my money out and have it under my control. If I am wrong I lose some interest but I will not lose all of it. But if I am right I will survive better than those who wait too long. All the signs of the crash of '29 are coming into place and just as in '29 there will be many who wait too long and lose it all. Price decline is one of the signs. Lower prices will temporarily help those still employed for now but if you just lost your job you still cant afford to buy. Many people go deeper into debt during the Holidays but this might be a time to spend only some of what you have on hand and do not go into debt at least until you see what the economy is going to do
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