''MacLife'' (stylized as ''Mac, Life'') is an American monthly magazine published by Future US. It focuses on the

Macintosh The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and software en ...

personal computer and related products, including the

iPad The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, operating ...

and iPhone. It’s sold as a print product on newsstands, and an interactive and animated app edition through the

App Store An App Store (or app marketplace) is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not include the running of the c ...

. Between September 1996 and February 2007, the magazine was known as ''MacAddict''.

History

''MacLife'' is one of two successor magazines to the defunct '' CD-ROM Today''. First published in 1993 by Imagine Publishing (now Future US), ''CD-ROM Today'' was targeted at both

Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ser ...

and

users, and each issue shipped with a CD-ROM of shareware and

demo Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to: Music and film *Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release * ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes * ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...

programs. In August 1996, ''CD-ROM Today'' ceased publication, with two magazines taking its place: ''MacAddict'' for Macintosh users, and ''boot'' (now ''

Maximum PC ''Maximum PC'', formerly known as ''boot'', is an American magazine and website published by Future US. It focuses on cutting-edge PC hardware, with an emphasis on product reviews, step-by-step tutorials, and in-depth technical briefs. Component ...

'') for Windows users. As was the case with ''CD-ROM Today'', ''MacAddicts discs included shareware and demo programs, but also came with other added features, such as staff videos and previews of content inside the magazine's hard copy. The ''MacAddict'' website was updated daily with news relevant to

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...

products. ''MacAddict'' also had a mascot, a stick-figure named Max. By 1998, ''MacAddict'' surpassed '' Macworld'' as the Macintosh magazine with the highest consumer newsstand spending due to its $7.99 cover price. In February 2007, ''MacAddict'' was relaunched as ''MacLife''. The new magazine is physically larger than the old magazine and was focused on the creativity of Mac users, and no longer comes with a CD-ROM. In Germany, a magazine of the same name but with no association is published by '' Falkemedia'' from

Kiel Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021). Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the Jutland ...

().

Reviewing system

From 1996 to mid-2002, there were four rating icons, which depicted Max. There was "Blech" (the lowest), "Yeah, Whatever" (a mediocre product), "Spiffy" (a solid yet not perfect product), and "Freakin' Awesome" (the highest). From 2002 to 2009, it was replaced with a more conventional five-point system. Then, in 2010, ''MacLife'' adopted a 10-point system that included half stars.

References

External links

* – official site * Archived MacAddict magazines on the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maclife Computer magazines published in the United States Monthly magazines published in the United States Macintosh magazines Macintosh websites Magazines established in 1996 Magazines published in the San Francisco Bay Area