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Popular Computing Weekly

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Popular Computing Weekly
Issue cover for Popular Computing Weekly, 1–7 May 1986, Vol 5 No 18
1 May 1986 issue cover
CategoriesVideo game
FrequencyWeekly
FormatA4
Publisher
First issue23 April 1982; 42 years ago (1982-04-23)
Final issue
Number
14 June 1990; 34 years ago (1990-06-14)
415
CountryUnited Kingdom
Based inLondon
LanguageEnglish
ISSN0265-0509
OCLC476459425

Popular Computing Weekly was a computer magazine in the UK published from 1982 to 1990. It was sometimes referred to as PCW (although that abbreviation is more commonly associated with Personal Computer World magazine).

Overview

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The magazine was first published on 23 April 1982.[1] Its subject range was general, covering gaming, business, and productivity software. The founding company was Sunshine Publications[2] based in London and the launch editor was Duncan Scot.[1] During 1989 it incorporated Computer Gamesweek.

It was noteworthy for being the UK's only national weekly computer magazine of the time, and for its back page being dominated by an advertisement in the form of a comic strip, Piman, by the firm Automata UK between the years 1983 and 1986.

A further noteworthy feature of the early editions was the high-quality artwork on the magazine covers. These had disappeared by 1983.

One other noteworthy and regular column was about adventure games, notably text adventures. Reviews and cryptic spoilers were eagerly awaited. Readers who had completed the hugely successful text adventure The Hobbit, first released on the ZX Spectrum were invited to add their names to a "Hobbit Hall of Fame." The magazine folded with issue 415 published in June 1990.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "List of all general computer magazines known to me that were first published at the latest 1985, perhaps 1986". BBC Micro dot net. Material from David Harrison. 10 April 2007. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. ^ Smith, Tony (3 January 2013). "MEGAGRAPH: 1983's UK home computer chart toppers". The Register. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
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