PC World

''PC World'' (stylized as PCWorld) is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG. Since 2013, it has been an online-only publication.

It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personal technology products and services. In each publication, ''PC World'' reviews and tests hardware and software products from a variety of manufacturers, as well as other technology related devices such as still and video cameras, audio devices and televisions.

The current editorial director of ''PC World'' is Jon Phillips, formerly of ''Wired''. In August 2012, he replaced Steve Fox, who had been editorial director since the December 2008 issue of the magazine. Fox replaced the magazine's veteran editor Harry McCracken, who resigned that spring, after some rocky times, including quitting and being rehired over editorial control issues in 2007.

''PC World'' is published under other names such as PC Advisor and PC Welt in some countries. ''PC World''s company name is IDG Consumer & SMB, and it is headquartered in San Francisco. Some of the non-English ''PC World'' websites now redirect to other IDG sites; for example, PCWorld.dk (Denmark) is now Computerworld.dk

History

The publication was announced at the COMDEX trade show in November 1982, and first appeared on newsstands in March 1983.

The magazine was founded by David Bunnell and Cheryl Woodard, and its first editor was Andrew Fluegelman. ''PC World''s magazine and web site have won a number of awards from Folio, the American Society of Business Publication Editors, MIN, the Western Publications Association, and other organizations; it is also one of the few technology magazines to have been a finalist for a National Magazine Award.

Many well known technology writers have contributed to ''PC World'', including Steve Bass, Daniel Tynan, Christina Wood, John C. Dvorak, Stephen Manes, Lincoln Spector, Stewart Alsop, David Coursey, James A. Martin, and others. Editorial leadership has included Harry Miller, Richard Landry, Eric Knorr, Karl Koessel, Phil Lemmons, Cathryn Baskin, Kevin McKean, and Harry McCracken.

In February 1999, ''PC World''s number of paid subscriptions reached a record of 1,000,453. At the time, it was the first and only computing magazine with a monthly release schedule to hit that mark. In April 2005, the show '' Digital Duo'' was slightly rebranded and relaunched as '' PC World's Digital Duo'', and ran for an additional 26 episodes. As of 2006, ''PC World''s audited rate base of 750,000 made it the largest circulation computing magazine in the world.

On July 10, 2013, owner IDG announced that the magazine would cease its thirty-year print run. The issue of August 2013 was the last printed of the magazine ''PC World'', future issues would be digital only.

In December 2024, PCWorld expanded its coverage of personal tech by forming a more formal bond between PCWorld and sister site TechHive, which had been covering smart home and video streaming tech since 2017.

In March 2025, PCWorld's parent company, Foundry, was acquired from IDG/Blackstone by Regent.

Countries

Based in San Francisco, ''PC World''s original edition is published in the United States; however it is also available in other countries (51 in total), sometimes under a different name:
* ''PC World'' in Albania, Australia, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Brazil, Denmark, Greece, India (from July 2006), Kosovo, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Spain, Romania, Russia, Turkey, Vietnam, Ecuador.
* '' PC Advisor'' in Ireland and the United Kingdom, which stopped publication in 2017 (Another now discontinued magazine called ''Personal Computer World'' and a '' PC World'' retailer  — neither related to the ''PC World'' magazine  — already exist or existed in those markets.)
* ''PC Welt'', is the German language edition.
* ''PCW'', is the Hungarian language edition.
* ''Info Komputer'', is the Indonesian language edition.
* ''Kompiuterija'', is the Lithuanian language edition.
* ''Thế Giới Vi Tính'', is the Vietnamese language edition (also called ''PC World Vietnam'').

Controversy

In May 2007, McCracken resigned abruptly under controversial circumstances. According to sources quoted in ''Wired'', McCracken quit abruptly because the new CEO of ''PC World'', Colin Crawford, tried to kill an unfavorable story about Apple and Steve Jobs. Crawford responded, calling media reports of McCracken's resignation "inaccurate". CNET later reported that McCracken had told colleagues that IDG "was pressuring him to avoid stories that were critical of major advertisers."

On May 9, Crawford was transferred to another department, and McCracken returned to ''PC World'' until his departure in 2008.

See also

*''PC Magazine''
* Workbench

References

External links

*
Archived PC World magazines
on the Internet Archive

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pc World
Monthly magazines published in the United States
Computer magazines published in Australia
Defunct computer magazines published in the United States
Computer magazines published in India
International Data Group
Computer magazines published in Italy
Magazines established in 1982
Magazines disestablished in 2013
Online magazines with defunct print editions
Computer magazines published in Spain
Magazines published in San Francisco