PC World
PC World landed on newsstands in March 1983, just months after being announced at the COMDEX trade show in November 1982. For readers in the early days of the personal computer revolution, it was one of the few places to get honest, hands-on verdicts on hardware and software. Four decades later, that founding mission still drives the publication, even if the format has shifted completely. What began as a monthly print magazine has survived industry collapses, editorial crises, and the collapse of print advertising. The questions worth asking are: who built it, who tried to bend it, and how did it outlast so many rivals?
David Bunnell and Cheryl Woodard founded PC World, with Andrew Fluegelman serving as its first editor. The magazine carved out a specific beat: reviews and tests of hardware and software from a range of manufacturers, plus coverage of cameras, audio devices, televisions, and other personal technology. That breadth gave it a wider audience than narrower trade titles. By February 1999, paid subscriptions had reached a record of 1,000,453. At that moment, PC World was the first and only computing magazine on a monthly schedule to cross the one-million mark. As of 2006, its audited rate base of 750,000 made it the largest-circulation computing magazine in the world. That ranking reflected decades of reader trust built issue by issue.
Many well-known technology writers shaped PC World's identity over the years, among them John C. Dvorak, Stewart Alsop, Daniel Tynan, Steve Bass, Christina Wood, Stephen Manes, Lincoln Spector, David Coursey, and James A. Martin. Editorial leadership passed through figures including Kevin McKean, Phil Lemmons, Cathryn Baskin, Karl Koessel, Eric Knorr, and Richard Landry before Harry McCracken took the helm. The magazine and its website collected awards from Folio, the American Society of Business Publication Editors, MIN, and the Western Publications Association. PC World is also one of the few technology magazines to have been a finalist for a National Magazine Award, a distinction more often associated with general-interest publications.
In May 2007, Harry McCracken resigned abruptly under circumstances that drew wide attention. Sources quoted in Wired reported that the new CEO of PC World, Colin Crawford, had attempted to kill an unfavorable story about Apple and Steve Jobs. Crawford pushed back, calling published accounts of McCracken's departure "inaccurate." CNET later reported that McCracken had told colleagues that IDG was pressuring him to avoid stories critical of major advertisers. The episode raised direct questions about editorial independence at a publication built on consumer trust. On the 9th of May, Crawford was transferred to another department, and McCracken returned to PC World. He stayed until his departure in 2008, when Steve Fox took over as editorial director, a role Fox held from the December 2008 issue onward.
On the 10th of July 2013, owner IDG announced that PC World would end its thirty-year print run. The August 2013 issue was the last to appear in print; all future issues would be digital only. That shift placed PC World among the first major computing titles to go entirely online. Jon Phillips, formerly of Wired, became editorial director in August 2012, replacing Steve Fox, and guided the publication through the transition. In December 2024, PCWorld deepened its relationship with sister site TechHive, which had been covering smart home and video streaming technology since 2017, formalizing a bond between the two properties.
PC World's original edition is based in San Francisco, but the brand has appeared in 51 countries, sometimes under different names. PC Advisor served Ireland and the United Kingdom until that edition stopped publication in 2017. PC Welt covers German-language readers, PCW serves Hungary, Info Komputer reaches Indonesia, Kompiuterija operates in Lithuania, and Thế Giới Vi Tính is the Vietnamese-language edition, also known as PC World Vietnam. Some non-English PC World websites now redirect to other sites in the Foundry network; PCWorld.dk in Denmark, for example, now points to Computerworld.dk. In March 2025, Foundry, which publishes PC World, was acquired from IDG and Blackstone by Regent LP, shifting the ownership structure of one of computing journalism's longest-running brands.
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Common questions
When was PC World magazine founded?
PC World was founded by David Bunnell and Cheryl Woodard and first appeared on newsstands in March 1983, after being announced at the COMDEX trade show in November 1982. Andrew Fluegelman served as its first editor.
Why did PC World stop printing a physical magazine?
PC World ended its thirty-year print run in August 2013 after owner IDG announced the decision on the 10th of July 2013. All subsequent issues moved to a digital-only format.
What happened when PC World editor Harry McCracken resigned in 2007?
McCracken resigned abruptly in May 2007 after CEO Colin Crawford allegedly tried to kill an unfavorable story about Apple and Steve Jobs. Crawford was transferred to another department on the 9th of May, and McCracken returned before finally departing in 2008.
How many paid subscribers did PC World have at its peak?
PC World reached a record of 1,000,453 paid subscriptions in February 1999. It was the first and only computing magazine on a monthly schedule to reach that milestone.
How many countries does PC World publish in?
PC World is available in 51 countries, sometimes under different names such as PC Advisor in Ireland and the United Kingdom, PC Welt in Germany, and Thế Giới Vi Tính in Vietnam.
Who owns PC World now?
PC World is published by Foundry, which was acquired from IDG and Blackstone by Regent LP in March 2025.