Best all-round PC mag?

[1nteger]

Apologies if a thread exists on this already...I'm afraid i haven't checked!

What's everyone's recommended PC mag? Obviously these will vary from country to country, but i tend to shift a lot between PC Format, PC Pro, PC Gamer, PC Zone, PC Extreme...Has anyone discovered what they consider to be the best all-rounder?

 

[muckshifter]

This one comes close

... and this one is perfect for the beginer.
http://www.computeractivemedia.co.uk/

 

[Eric Portelance]

CPU Magazine is the best, IMHO. Their list of columnists is just unbeatable. Kyle Bennett from HardOCP, Rob Malda from Slashdot, Anand from Anandtech, the guy who created DirectX, Chris Prillo from TechTV, Alex Ross (founder of Sharky Extreme)...and the list goes on. A lot of fun to read.

I don't think it's available in the UK, though. They have a website. http://www.cpumag.com It's quite a geeky magazine.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Of the UK Mags I like PC Format the best.

Good cross section of Games & Tech and written in a lively style.

I have about two years worth of Computeractive stored in a box, it's a good mag, but I feel only for beginners. I sort of outgrew it and stopped buying it quite some time ago.

Nowadays I rarely buy a magazine, unless something catches my eye, an article or some software on the freebie DVD. At six quid a throw, they ain't cheap no more.

 

[Ian]

I also quite like PC Format, a good mix of reviews and editorials. Although it can be a little advertising based!

Still a good read

 

[nickc]

The only magazine I buy these days is:-

http://www.linuxformat.co.uk

My favourite computer magazine of all time was Crash for the ZX Spectrum. I'ts about time someone launched a retro magazine on the news stands.

Nick

 

[floppybootstomp]

nickc:

To launch a retro magazine sounds like a good idea, but it wouldn't be long before all editorial content was exhausted.

After all, a magazine usually sells on what's new, and the only current news available for a retro magazine would probably be what's happening on the emulator scene, which wouldn't fill many column inches.

I feel if such a magazine were launched, it wouldn't last very long.

Perhaps a better idea would be for an established magazine to run a monthly retro section.

PC Zone already has one page per month dedicated to emulation and another page named 'Retro Zone' that highlights the computing scene, mostly games, from a given year.

It would be good if they expanded upon that a little, imo.

 

[1nteger]

I've been checking out the new UK-based mag, PC Extreme. It's only on issue 7 so far, and currently offering a subsidised yearly sub that knocks about 40% of the cost of each issue over the year...not bad, but it's trying to be all things to all people and therefore loses it's real 'extreme' niche.

I used to like PC Format, but it's lost it's appeal recently. I agree with others here, I'd love to see more retro stuff...especially about games like doom and quake.

Who knows, one day a truly great mag will appear that isn't constantly advertising Alienware and saying how all their reviewers' PCs are Alienware, and how their latest competition is sponsored by Alienware...