On Nov 7 2006, Benjamin Gramlich wrote: >Both of the PC magazines are really low level consumer titles. Most of >what they feature are wish lists of new tech gear, but no in-depth >discussions. A recent cover asks us if we are ready for Windows Vista. >It seems as though the editors of these two magazines think that PC >means Windows. There isn't even coverage of Macintosh computers let >alone linux. I second this view...although I do remember that PC Magazine issues in the late 1980s and early 1990s did have some in-depth articles that were more 'geeky', including segments on DOS Debug assembly, and advanced batch files. At that time it was a good introductory journal. I seem to recall it getting a lot thinner (down to 1/4" thick from nearly 1 inch) in the mid 90s when the Internet started taking off, with the articles being more low-level consumer centric. >Wired is a business magazine with a strong eye towards the role >technology plays in the economy. It's a magazine that is okay with it's >place on the fringe of business commentary. In other words it's not >trying to be like Forbes or Harvard Business Review. It has a niche >audience, but continues to publish prescient articles that garner the >attention of mainstream economists, CEOs, and investors. I highly >recommend this one. > >Personally, though, I'd look to see if Scientific American, Scientific >American Mind, and The Economist were part of your niece's magazine >drive and get those. I'd also look for Maximum PC (formerly Boot!) magazine. They include a monthly CD with the issue as well. -hk