Long-running Apple rag MacUser Magazine shuts its doors after 30 years

Posted:
in General Discussion edited April 2015
The internet has claimed yet another print victim as London-based MacUser Magazine, one of the oldest Apple-centric magazines in the world, announced on Friday that it would wind down operations following the release of its February 2015 issue.




Launched in 1985, MacUser is perhaps most famous for inventing the "mouse" ratings system later popularized by MacWorld in the U.S. MacUser was one of the first titles created by late publishing legend Felix Dennis, who also founded men's magazine Maxim and music publication Blender.

"MacUser has helped make Dennis Publishing the business it is today and has contributed to establishing us as the largest technology publisher in the UK," Dennis Publishing executive Ian Westwood said in a release. "The decision to cease publication of MacUser was very tough and one that was not taken lightly. Unfortunately, due to challenging market conditions, the closure was unavoidable."

"I would like to thank the greatly talented editorial team, past and present, who have worked tirelessly on the magazine for 30 years as well as the MacUser subscribers for their loyalty to the magazine," he added.

The MacUser team announced the closure with a Mac OS-style "sad Mac" icon. It is the second major Apple magazine to cease publication in the last six months, after Macworld closed its doors last September.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 86
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Rag ... ? Oh dear, I remember when Mac World and MacUser were THE go to Magazines for Mac enthusiasts. How times change. RIP MacUser.
  • Reply 2 of 86
    xixoxixo Posts: 450member
    What will I line my parrot cage with now?
  • Reply 3 of 86
    nobodyynobodyy Posts: 377member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post



    Rag ... ? Oh dear, I remember when Mac World and MacUser were THE go to Magazines for Mac enthusiasts. How times change. RIP MacUser.



    I was thinking the same thing and I'm not even that old!

  • Reply 4 of 86

    But www.macuser.com redirects to www.macworld.com ... So, the online information lives on.

  • Reply 5 of 86
    MacAddict, Macworld, MacUser... the sources of my Apple obsession as a kid in the mid-to-late '90s are all gone.

    I'm not so interested in iOSworld Magazine.
  • Reply 6 of 86
    bobschlobbobschlob Posts: 1,074member

    Honestly, I didn't know they were still around (more about me, than the magazine).

    I too have fond memories of immersing myself in the mag; pre-internet.

     

    More than anything though, I miss MacWeek. That was the best.

  • Reply 7 of 86
    joshajosha Posts: 901member

    Too bad, but that the way things go.

    I used to buy one or two of the Mac mags each month, but stopped that several years ago, except for the odd issue.

     

    Increasing these mags have become mostly ads, trying to follow google's ad success I assume.

  • Reply 8 of 86
    hill60hill60 Posts: 6,992member

    I used to get software for my Mac plus, from the floppies that came with the magazine, that was over twenty years ago.

  • Reply 9 of 86
    onhkaonhka Posts: 1,025member
    Perhaps the editor of Appleinsider should look up the definition of 'rag magazine"

    MacUser doesn't or never did deserve the rather disparaging meaning that is associated with the word 'rag' as used in this headline.
  • Reply 10 of 86
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post



    Rag ... ? Oh dear, I remember when Mac World and MacUser were THE go to Magazines for Mac enthusiasts. How times change. RIP MacUser.



    Indeed. However, I must say that the overall editorial quality and "thickness" of the above mentioned magazines has been on a downward spiral for years now (Macworld used to be a "thick bible" every month in the 90s, even with a much smaller Mac universe) - in the meantime, I can only praise MacFormat for its excellent content in this context of increasingly electronic domination.

     

    RIP anyway.

     

    P.S.: Anyone here missing MacAttack! as well?

  • Reply 11 of 86
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jlaselva View Post



    MacAddict, Macworld, MacUser... the sources of my Apple obsession as a kid in the mid-to-late '90s are all gone.



    I'm not so interested in iOSworld Magazine.



    MacFormat is by far the best Mac magazine in the world right now.

  • Reply 12 of 86
    davendaven Posts: 696member
    The article got me thinking. When it comes to computer news, I prefer the Internet. When it comes to backpacking information, I read paper magazines almost exclusively. For backpacking, I prefer the paper over the electronic magazines and various web sites. Anyone else feel the same way?
  • Reply 13 of 86
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by DaveN View Post



    the article got me thinking. When it comes to computer news, I prefer the Internet when it comes to backpacking information, I read paper magazines almost exclusively. I prefer the paper over the electronic magazines and various web sites. Anyone else feel the same way?



    Yep, me. I am still a longtime subscriber of Mac paper magazines (in this case MacFormat, as said above).

  • Reply 14 of 86
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by hill60 View Post

     

    I used to get software for my Mac plus, from the floppies that came with the magazine, that was over twenty years ago.




    Yes!  The apps were generally terrible, but it was fun to get them.  Even long before that I also remember at least one of the mags printing code for simple games that I diligently assembled on a II+, although that may have been MacWorld...

     

    The end of an era.

  • Reply 15 of 86

    For some reason, this article made me nostalgic for Nibble magazine from my Apple ][ days, back when they had program listings to enter by hand each month.

  • Reply 16 of 86
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    nobodyy wrote: »

    I was thinking the same thing and I'm not even that old!

    YOU SAYIN' I AM? :D
  • Reply 17 of 86
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    jlaselva wrote: »
    MacAddict, Macworld, MacUser... the sources of my Apple obsession as a kid in the mid-to-late '90s are all gone.

    I'm not so interested in iOSworld Magazine.

    Agreed.
  • Reply 18 of 86
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Cheesehead Dave View Post

     

    For some reason, this article made me nostalgic for Nibble magazine from my Apple ][ days, back when they had program listings to enter by hand each month.


    I remember writing a poem for a MacAddict contest to win an eMate 300. Unfortunately, I didn't win, but I think I still have the poem somewhere...

  • Reply 19 of 86
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by BobSchlob View Post

     

    Honestly, I didn't know they were still around (more about me, than the magazine).

    I too have fond memories of immersing myself in the mag; pre-internet.

     

    More than anything though, I miss MacWeek. That was the best.


    Me too, Bob.  Loved that big-format weekly.

     

    I still type in macweek dot com when I want to visit macworld.  Alas, given the gutting of its forums and commenting system and the staff reductions over the past few years, it's not as enjoyable anymore.

  • Reply 20 of 86
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    daven wrote: »
    The article got me thinking. When it comes to computer news, I prefer the Internet. When it comes to backpacking information, I read paper magazines almost exclusively. For backpacking, I prefer the paper over the electronic magazines and various web sites. Anyone else feel the same way?

    Now that you ask, I have to say you may be right. I seldom pick up a magazine that is related to computers but will do so for woodworking, astronomy, electronics and other interests.

    Now this is a quick inquiry into why but I have to believe that one reason is that the editorial quality of these magazines went to hell. If I buy any computer related magazine at all it is likely a LINUX publication with articles related to programmin that may be of interest. Even many of the LINUX oriented magazines have gone in the crapper chasing after the short article / limited content reader. In a way many of these magazines have done themselves in.

    I contrast this with the astronomy and woodworking magazines I read where editorial value has not gone away. Article are still meaty and even inspired and there is an effort to avoid the small filler articles that offer little substance. That said I just found out this week that one of my favorite wood working magazines went under. The reality is there is much competition out there and if that competition addresses your targeted market you really need a compelling reason to get people to buy.
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