From the Editor
Revamping a magazine is always a risky business. You don’t want to change too much of what readers love, but nor can you let the magazine grow stale - particularly in the fast-moving world of computing. What’s relevant today may be obsolete tomorrow.
The key to success is delivering on two fronts: giving readers more of what they enjoy, but also introducing new content they didn’t realise they wanted. That’s the balance I hope we’ve got right.
When we last asked what you’d like to see more of in Computeractive, you said more practical advice, more readers’ tips, and more help using software. As a result, we’ve doubled the Readers’ Tips section (see page 42); added the ‘How To…’ section to give instructions on performing a specific technical task (page 35); and also added a page revealing how to get the most out of a particular program (page 20).
Also new is ‘Grow Your Family Tree’ (page 16), in which genealogy expert Nick Peers recommends ways your tech can improve your research. And finally, ‘In The Club’ (page 48) will offer advice for people who run groups, clubs or societies (I know that’s many of you). We start by explaining how to create your own mailing list.
Everything else you love remains in place - incisive news, consumer advice, authoritative reviews, in-depth features, and problemsolving fixes - all written without jargon. Sections come and go, but our commitment to plain English will never dwindle.
As always, I’d love to hear your comments on the new sections, and whether there’s anything else you’d like to see.