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<span id="openzim-page-title" class="mw-page-title-main"><i>Computer User</i></span>

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<i><b>Computer User</b></i> is a <a href="Computer_magazine" title="Computer magazine">computer magazine</a> that was founded in 1982, and which, after several owners and fundamental changes, is still in business today <a href="Online_magazine" title="Online magazine">online</a> as computeruser.com. It should not be confused with a magazine published in 1983-1984 by McPheeters, Wolfe & Jones that was also titled <i>Computer User</i>, but with the subtitle "For the <a href="List_of_TRS-80_and_Tandy-branded_computers" title="List of TRS-80 and Tandy-branded computers">Tandy/Radio Shack System</a>".<sup id="cite_ref-vin_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-vin-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2></div>

<p>In the beginning years of publicly popular <a href="Computer" title="Computer">computer</a> use, <i>Computer User</i> was founded in <a href="Minneapolis" title="Minneapolis">Minneapolis</a>, <a href="Minnesota" title="Minnesota">Minnesota</a> as a free monthly magazine published by Computer User, Inc. a Minnesota <a href="Corporation" title="Corporation">corporation</a>. Steven Bianucci, Publisher. Dale Archibald, Editor. Diane Teeters, Advertising Sales. Revenues were derived from <a href="Advertising" title="Advertising">advertising</a>. <i>Computer User</i> took advantage of a tradition in the <a href="Twin_Cities" class="mw-redirect" title="Twin Cities">Twin Cities</a> metropolitan area of placing free publication newsstands in <a href="Central_business_district" title="Central business district">business districts</a> and stores. The magazine, printed originally in <a href="Black_and_white" title="Black and white">black and white</a> with one spot color on <a href="Newsprint" title="Newsprint">newsprint</a>, proved immediately popular with distribution, eventually hitting many hundreds of sites and a circulation around 25,000 in the Twin Cities for a full color piece on newsprint paper. It was then still free to pick up but could be subscribed for mail distribution for $34.95 per year.

</p><p><i>Computer User</i> won numerous awards such as this from 2001<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> or as now listed on the current publishers website awards.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

</p><p><i>Computer User</i> became <a href="Franchising" title="Franchising">franchised</a> to 18 metropolitan U.S. markets<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> wherein <i>Computer User</i> provided content and the local <a href="Publisher" class="mw-redirect" title="Publisher">publisher</a> provided advertising and some local content. At some point, based on a reference from the <a href="University_of_Minnesota" title="University of Minnesota">University of Minnesota</a> Library the publisher was Computer User Publications, Inc. <i>Computer User</i> was sold to M. S. P. Publications - a very successful Minneapolis-based magazine publisher. MSP published <i>Computer User</i> until 2004, when paper publication ceased and the enterprise and web based name rights were sold to ComputerUser, Inc. a <a href="New_York_State" class="mw-redirect" title="New York State">New York State</a> registered company.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Content">Content</h2></div>

<p><i>Computer User's</i> style was, from the beginning, focused on the user of the then new micro computers. Nearly all other publications national and local focused on more the more technical aspects of having a computer, many of which were <a href="Homebrew_(video_games)" title="Homebrew (video games)">homebrew</a>, assembled in part or in whole by the user. <i>Computer User</i> articles might include personal experiences, advice on how to use software, and expert advice columns.

</p><p>In the first decade before the Internet a very popular feature was a complete local list of <a href="Bulletin_board_system" title="Bulletin board system">computer bulletin boards</a>. The monthly index of these, which frequently changed because they were usually based on someone's <a href="Home_computer" title="Home computer">home computer</a>, included the bbs name, a telephone number one could dialup with your <a href="Computer_modem" class="mw-redirect" title="Computer modem">computer modem</a>, a list of the modem speed(s) offered (not all were as exists today. The most common speed available to home users then was 300 <a href="Baud" title="Baud">baud</a> or "bits per second."), and a summary of the topics or interests of those using the bulletin board. It was, in the 1980s and 1990s a form of <a href="Social_networking" class="mw-redirect" title="Social networking">social networking</a> and a very important reason many people read the magazine. The magazine also published an equally popular index of Computer User Groups and their meeting schedules. Some were generic but others were focused on a single type of computer such as Tandy or Commodore. The magazine list enabled one to go to a meeting and ask other enthusiasts how to do things in a world where there was no other source. Therefore the magazine often published articles aimed at the groups and how to use them.

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>

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</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.vintage-computer.com/computeruser.shtml">"Computer User Magazine"</a>. Vintage-computer. August 7, 2007<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 8,</span> 2010</span>.</cite></span>

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<li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20121022160857/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-69981295.html">"COMPUTERUSER IS BIG WINNER.(the Minnesota Magazine & Publications Association's annual Publishing Excellence Awards)(Industry Trend or Event)(Brief Article) - Computer User | HighBeam Research"</a>. Highbeam. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-69981295.html">the original</a> on October 22, 2012<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 8,</span> 2010</span>.</cite></span>

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<li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.computeruser.com/about/awards.html">"Awards"</a>. <i>Computer user</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 8,</span> 2010</span>.</cite></span>

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<li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFReilly2002" class="citation news cs1">Reilly, Mark (September 30, 2002). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2002/09/30/newscolumn1.html">"SoniqCast launching high-powered PDA and MP3 player - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal"</a>. Bizjournals.com<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 8,</span> 2010</span>.</cite></span>

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<li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.computeruser.com/about/indexabout.html">"About Us"</a>. <i>Computer user</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 8,</span> 2010</span>.</cite></span>

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2></div>

<ul><li><span class="official-website"><span class="url"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.computeruser.com">Official website</a></span></span></li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.computeruser.com/articles/current_issue">Current Issue</a></li></ul>

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This article is issued from <a class="external text" title="Last edited on 2025-03-14" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/?title=Computer_User&oldid=1280367441">Wikipedia</a>. The text is available under <a class="external text" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en">Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0</a> unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

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