Go with the best, this is it!

I love this magazine, I personally think it is the most informative and entertaining PC magazine out there right now. It covers many different aspects of computing from the more advanced stuff like parts for building your own machine to the normal stuff like reviews of the latest computers by the leading brands.

The articles are very helpful and one of the nicest features about this magazine is it is web-ready. For example, if you have just read the article about the new IPaq pocket pc (Page 27 Jan. 2003 edition) there is a link at the bottom of the article for a URL on PC World's website (find.pcworld.com/32144) which will take you directly to the page about the item.

PC World includes the latest in tech trends and also has some great articles about software and I love to read Stephen Manes article, titled "Full Disclosure," at the end of each edition.

I am so happy with my subscription that the only reason I wrote this review here today was because I was on teh PC World product page re-subscribing. If you subscribe to this magazine today for Amazon.com's very low price you will deffinetely not regret it!

Good for the casual computer user

PC World is one of the most widely read computer magazines in existence, and for good reason: it provides a monthly dose of technology news and reviews in an accessible and easy-to-read format. Though they bill themselves as a resource for IT managers and business people, the magazine is very consumer-oriented, and every issue contains helpful tips for novice users (such as how to get rid of temp files or install the latest Outlook patch).

Alas, being a jack of all trades condemns you to be a master of none. On average, I only find one or two articles per issue actually useful, and most features lack the depth and technical detail that IT professionals crave (in their defense, and in defense of my high ranking, that one piece of advice I get each month is usually a lifesaver). Additionally, the signal-to-noise ratio seems a little too low - one often finds "special advertising supplements" where content should be.

Perhaps my largest issue (no pun intended) with PC World is with its monthly Top 100 list. The magazine regularly gives its highest honors to computer systems unavailable through normal distribution channels, and peripherals (such as printers and CD burners) that I know from experience to have significant reliability problems are often labeled "best buy" because they perform marginally better on benchmark tests. Never the less, PC World remains a great tool for the casual user seeking a better understanding of the computer industry (or anyone just looking for some advice on buying a new PC)... and to those people, I highly recommend it.

Take a look -- a nice resource

PC World is targeted towards the day-to-day Windows user, most likely someone using multiple machines or someone encountering different systems. This is not the best choice to help educate a first-time computer user.

However, PC World is a great resource. I've found numerous tips that have saved me time and money, and I find that they offer a nice blend of covering cool gadgets vs. noting the freeware or shareware that you may not hear of elsewhere.

I'm a long-time buyer, and now a new subscriber to the magazine--and will be for years to come.