''Popular Computing'' was a monthly

computer magazine Computer magazines are about computers and related subjects, such as networking and the Internet. Most computer magazines offer (or offered) advice, some offer programming tutorials, reviews of the latest technologies, and advertisements. Hi ...

published from 1981 to 1985 by McGraw-Hill, Inc. ''Popular Computing'' was the successor to McGraw-Hill's quarterly journal ''onComputing''. It focused on covering general interest

personal computing A personal computer (PC) is a multi-purpose microcomputer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or techn ...

topics in an accessible manner.

Overview

''Popular Computings predecessor ''onComputing'' ran for ten issues from 1979 to 1981 and marketed itself as a "guide to personal computing." The magazine rebranded as ''Popular Computing'' and switched to a new staff and monthly schedule to fully cover the rapidly expanding and increasingly popular field of personal computing. ''Popular Computing'' aimed to "demythologize" personal computing with accessible coverage on consumer advice, news, gaming, historical essays, and contemporary developments. McGraw-Hill positioned ''Popular Computing'' as an accessible, non-technical magazine for a general interest readership, alongside ''

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'', its specialized magazine for more technically-inclined readers.

Circulation

In 1983, ''Popular Computing'' was the world's second-highest circulation computer magazine behind ''

Computers & Electronics ''Popular Electronics'' was an American magazine published by John August Media, LLC, and hosted at TechnicaCuriosa.com. The magazine was started by Ziff-Davis Publishing Company in October 1954 for electronics hobbyists and experimenters. It soo ...

'', with a

paid circulation Print circulation is the average number of copies of a publication. The number of copies of a non-periodical publication (such as a book) are usually called print run. Circulation is not always the same as copies sold, often called paid circulat ...

of 460,000. In 1984, 89% of ''Popular Computing'' subscribers were male, and the magazine published an article in its September 1984 edition about the

gender disparity in computing Gender disparity in computing concerns the disparity between the number of men in the field of computing in relation to the lack of women in the field. Originally, computing was seen as a female occupation. As the field evolved, so too did the dem ...

. In October 1984, the National Library Service for the Blind and Handicapped began distributing a

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edition of ''Popular Computing''. At the time of its closure in December 1985, ''Popular Computing'' was one of the four largest personal computer magazines, with a circulation of about 250,000 to 270,000.

Writers

Notable contributing writers to ''Popular Computing'' included: *

Isaac Asimov Isaac Asimov ( ; 1920 – April 6, 1992) was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. Heinlein and ...

Richard Benyo Richard Stephen Benyo (born April 20, 1946 at Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, United States) is an American journalist and veteran distance runner. He is the editor of ''Marathon & Beyond Magazine'', a magazine devoted to marathon and ultramarathon runn ...

Pete Carey Pete Carey is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. Carey worked at the Mercury News California from 1967 to 2016 as a projects reporter and investigative correspondent, covering the defense industry, the rise of Silicon Valley, the fina ...

* Chris Crawford * Richard Dalton *

Thom Hartmann Thomas Carl Hartmann (born May 7, 1951) is an American radio personality, author, former psychotherapist, businessman, and progressive political commentator. Hartmann has been hosting a nationally syndicated radio show, ''The Thom Hartmann Pr ...

Steven Levy Steven Levy (born 1951) is an American journalist and Editor at Large for '' Wired'' who has written extensively for publications on computers, technology, cryptography, the internet, cybersecurity, and privacy. He is the author of the 1984 boo ...

Peter McWilliams Peter Alexander McWilliams (August 5, 1949 – June 14, 2000) was an American self-help author who advocated for the legalization of marijuana.Rosenzweig, David (June 17, 2000"Peter McWilliams; Backed Medical Use of Marijuana"''Los Angeles Times ...

* Dale Peterson *

Jerry Pournelle Jerry Eugene Pournelle (; August 7, 1933 – September 8, 2017) was an American scientist in the area of operations research and human factors research, a science fiction writer, essayist, journalist, and one of the first bloggers. In the 1960 ...

* Randall Rothenberg * Robert Swirsky *

David Weinberger David Weinberger (born 1950) is an American author, technologist, and speaker. Trained as a philosopher, Weinberger's work focuses on how technology — particularly the internet and machine learning — is changing our ideas, with books about the ...

George Zebrowski George Zebrowski (born December 28, 1945) is an American science fiction writer and editor who has written and edited a number of books, and is a former editor of The Bulletin of the Science Fiction Writers of America. He lives with author Pame ...

McWilliams stopped writing for the magazine due to a disagreement with its editorial stance, which he felt homogenized articles into inoffensive, monotone prose.

Closure

McGraw-Hill ceased publication of the magazine after the December 1985 issue, stating that its "resources would be better applied to other areas in the

microcomputer A microcomputer is a small, relatively inexpensive computer having a central processing unit (CPU) made out of a microprocessor. The computer also includes memory and input/output (I/O) circuitry together mounted on a printed circuit board (P ...

field which have better prospects for growth." In its final months, ''Popular Computing'' attempted to shift its focus from general interest readers towards business users. McGraw-Hill failed to find a buyer for the magazine and its advertising "fell 29% during the first half of 1985." ''Popular Computing'' had been operating at a loss for two years with no reversal expected, and McGraw-Hill decided to end the magazine just before the December 1985 issue went to press. According to a McGraw-Hill public relations director, ''Popular Computing'' struggled because it was competing with too many general interest computer magazines. As the computer industry matured, advertisers became more sophisticated about targeting markets and broadened their focus to television and newspapers.

References

External links

*
Popular Computing
' collection at archive.org. *
onComputing
' collection at archive.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Popular Computing Defunct computer magazines published in the United States Home computer magazines Magazines disestablished in 1985 Magazines established in 1981 Magazines published in New Hampshire Monthly magazines published in the United States