MacAddict Magazine to Relaunch as Mac|Life [UPDATED]
MacAddict Magazine to Relaunch as Mac|Life [UPDATED]
by , 2:30 PM EDT, October 6th, 2006
MacAddict magazine will relaunch as Mac|Life next spring, a move confirmed by a Craigslist job posting seeking an editor-in-chief for the new publication. Future US, the publisher of MacAddict and many other magazines, said that "an updated design, voice and mission" will accompany the relaunch.
The new name "is too close to comfort," noted Shawn King, who hosts the Internet radio show Your Mac Life. He told The Mac Observer: "We're not happy about the name change. They've known about us. We are consulting lawyers as to what our next move will be."
A MacAddict representative told TMO that her publication will have an official comment on the relaunch, as well as Mr. King's unhappiness, "in the next few days."
Meanwhile, however, current MacAddict editor-in-chief Rik Myslewski has responded to the situation with a post on the magazine's online forum. TMO reader "koingosw" noted his thoughts in the Comments section, below. He said:
- MacAddict is, indeed, changing its name to MacLife early next year.
- The new magazine will be bigger, thicker, better-looking, and stuffed with how-to articles, more-ambitious feature stories, authoritative reviews, and plenty of the engaging, entertaining content that has made MacAddict so popular and such an enjoyable read.
- The name MacAddict was from another time (1996), back when our stories were about "Fighting Back for the Mac." Apple was on the ropes, and a feisty attitude was exactly the right tack to take. Today, Apple is riding high -- it's products are the most elegant, coolest, most industry-influencing available. We don't need to fight back anymore. We won.
- I'm not going away; I'll still be an integral part of the MacLife team, but I'll be contributing in a different way -- I'd tell you more about it now, but, hey, we have to keep some surprises, right? One major hint: When you see your first copy of big, thick, gorgeous MacLife, fire up Safari and browse on over to MacLife.com. Oh, and if you're interested, moving on from being the editor in chief to my new role was my idea, not management's.
- Times change. Magazines change. Those that don't respond to new realities -- such as the fact that Apple is doing great and that our lives have become Mac lives -- wither and fade. Personally, I'm not a witherer and a fader -- and neither are our readers. Next year is going to kick serious hiney -- and MacLife will be kicking it along with Apple and all the third-party hardware and software folks. When MacAddict launched in September of 1996, its first cover contained the message "Why the Mac's Future Is Bright," but the article that accompanied that statement had more than a little whistling in the dark in it. Today, there's no question that the Mac -- and Apple, and the iPod, and whatever comes next -- has a sparking future. So we're going to create an equally sparkling, entertaining, info-packed, gorgeous new magazine. The time is right; the time is now.
10/6/06, 3:35 PM EDT: Updated article with Shawn King's quote and MacAddict's comments.
10/6/06, 4:14 PM EDT: Updated article with Rik Myslewski's comments.
Observer Comments
MacAddict was the only subscription I ever had. Before the times of high-speed internet, I used to look forward to the CD that was included for demo's and freeware. Seems like only yesterday. They also had better tips for "power users" than the other publication... which spoke to my Dad more than to me.
I used to get a lot of my mac news from that magazine. I was much more cut off from the rest of the world then. I canceled my subscription when I found that the latest issue was hitting the newsstand up to 2 weeks earlier than my mailbox. Talk about bad policy!
Anyway, I wonder what their relevance is these days. It's gotta be tough being a dead-tree publication.
I subscribed last year when I rejoied the fold with my iBook. Their site has (had?) a sign up/subscription form, that made no mention of the CD no longer being included. I emailed them, the reply, "Oh to get the CD IS an extra 15 or so a year." I cancelled. Maybe they have new policies on customer service and user experience to go along with the ripped off name... We'll see.
From the MacAddict Forums:
1. MacAddict is, indeed, changing its name to MacLife early next year.
2. The new magazine will be bigger, thicker, better-looking, and stuffed with how-to articles, more-ambitious feature stories, authoritative reviews, and plenty of the engaging, entertaining content that has made MacAddict so popular and such an enjoyable read.
3. The name MacAddict was from another time (1996), back when our stories were about "Fighting Back for the Mac." Apple was on the ropes, and a feisty attitude was exactly the right tack to take. Today, Apple is riding high -- it's products are the most elegant, coolest, most industry-influencing available. We don't need to fight back anymore. We won.
4. I'm not going away; I'll still be an integral part of the MacLife team, but I'll be contributing in a different way -- I'd tell you more about it now, but, hey, we have to keep some surprises, right? One major hint: When you see your first copy of big, thick, gorgeous MacLife, fire up Safari and browse on over to MacLife.com. Oh, and if you're interested, moving on from being the editor in chief to my new role was my idea, not management's.
5. Times change. Magazines change. Those that don't respond to new realities -- such as the fact that Apple is doing great and that our lives have become Mac lives -- wither and fade. Personally, I'm not a witherer and a fader -- and neither are our readers. Next year is going to kick serious hiney -- and MacLife will be kicking it along with Apple and all the third-party hardware and software folks. When MacAddict launched in September of 1996, its first cover contained the message "Why the Mac's Future Is Bright," but the article that accompanied that statement had more than a little whistling in the dark in it. Today, there's no question that the Mac -- and Apple, and the iPod, and whatever comes next -- has a sparking future. So we're going to create an equally sparkling, entertaining, info-packed, gorgeous new magazine. The time is right; the time is now.
Fri Oct 06, 2006 4:34 pm Subject: MacLife.com is a store in Boise, Idaaho
I quite subscribing years ago when I got frustrated enough times by whole issues with irrelevant information and totally biased, supposedly funny raves about Mac vs Windows. But mostly, it was just because I found out that I could get Mac news and Mac software faster on the internet for free. Thus I read MacObserver.com. 
But I'd be interested to see how the new mag goes, seems I've similar views to other posters.
About the name, I like it way better than MacAddict, because although I really love Macs, it hurts my professional opionion to tell ppl that I subscribe to "MacAddict". Furthermore, I don't think "Your Mac Life" and "Mac|Life" are close enough to care about. I'm not confused.
I switched to Macs in 1998. I read both MacWorld and MacAddict, but the latter was far cooler. MacAddict really seemed to have the spirit of rebellion and fun. I always enjoyed going to the mall and paying my $8.00 for MacAddict. I would sit in the food court and start reading it while eating something. Then later on it would be great fun to go home and watch the hilarious video on each month's CD. And yes, I actually would quite often try the shareware and freeware on the included CD each month. The power tips in the magazine were very helpful for a new user, and even when I became a power user I learned things from the magazine. The product reviews were also witty and useful.
In summary, for a handful of years, MacAddict relevant was relevant. I probably purchased my last regular copy back in 2002. Then I experienced many changes in my life, including a major conversion to Catholicism. Suddenly, although I still liked Macs, it was hard to be so excited about computers as I once was now that I have a true relationship with the God of the Universe. All other things sort of get put in their proper place once that happens. So I sort of lost touch with the Mac scene, but a few years later, still being a fan of Macs, I purchased a MacAddict magazine. Just this past winter actually. I cringed at how far the magazine had fallen. The tips were simplistic, I don't even recall if there was a CD, and I am almost certain there were spelling errors and layout errors.
All in all, if they really can recapture their raison d'etre I say welcome Mac|Life! There is still plenty of room for dead tree publications - the thing is, they have to be RELEVANT!
God bless y'all...
Sat Oct 07, 2006 1:58 am Subject: Change is good. MacAddict is long past due.
I dumped MA and MacWorld a long time ago, after being a premier subscriber, because the mags were getting thinner and thinner, the bulk of what was left over was all advertising, the articles were clones, passe, biased, or just lacking. The contributing editors had and were allowed to have severe attitudes, that were not conducive to enjoyable nor meaningful reading.
Prior to bailing, I contacted both pubs and told them why I was looking to leave, and got replies of "We know, Bye". That made leaving a lot easier. I even got refunds.
I miss a good solid rag that these two use to be. I look forward to the new pub and will be first inline. But . . . they are putting the bar very high and I'll be the first to leave if they don't deliver. Oh, the old name may have been of another era, but it defined a whole generation of users, adopters, and . . . "Addicts!", that "are" still proud to be called addicts. Mac that is.
But then, since I'm a publisher, I tend to be a little more demanding when it comes to my content. Off to check out the website.
Actually, the new name fits quite well. MacAddict has almost exclusively been about Apple's iLife program suite for over three years. (Honestly, if have to read one more entry level article about iMovie, iPhoto, and Garageband; I'm going to scream!) It, and MacWorld for that matter, have been almost completely content free for years. And, no, I'm not renewing either when they run out in a couple of months.
Realistically, in the internet age, print magazines are dead as they are hideously out of date the second they are printed. I happened to be in a newstand today (after spending the day at MacComputerExpo in Santa Rosa, CA - way to go NCMUG!) and the CURRENT issue of a British rag's main story was all about the secrets of iTunes and the iPod. Too bad it was all about iTunes v6 and the 1st generation iPod Nano.
QuoteAnonymous wrote:
I stopped subscribing after my subscription ran out list last summer. It just didn't seem relevant to me as a Mac user anymore (and it had lost a lot of the attitude that attracted me the the magazine in the first place).
I will proably give the new mag a chance.
Ditto.
I used to enjoy the mag a lot in the old days, but it became pretty stale and irrelevant to me.
Mon Oct 09, 2006 1:39 pm Subject: Re: MDN slam
I include a link to the Bay Area BBB for those who’d like to file a complaint, as I did
.
http://www.oakland.bbb.org/complaintsearch.html
This MacHome information is needed to start the process.
macHOME
200 Folsom Street,
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: 415-957-1911
Fax: 415-882-9502
URL: http://www.machome.com
Over the last several years I've been letting all my paper publications go. Macaddict when (as someone pointed out above) they changed so I'd only get the CD If I got the premium subscription. MacWeek when they changed the name and just covered graphics. Sky&Telescope when I found that I had already read all the articles on-line before the paper mag arrived. This spring I'll be dropping Science News for the same reason. By the time paper arrives it's obsolete.
The big thing that got to bug me about MacAddict, was how they would have lots of reviews of stuff the average user probably didn't care about. The last year I subscribed it was full of detailed reviews of $5,000 laser printers, top end graphics packages, and studio audio mixers. Very few and far between was any mention of $100 inkjets or shareware games.
Mon Oct 09, 2006 2:15 pm Subject: Re: macHome thieves
QuoteBenton wrote:
I include a link to the Bay Area BBB for those who’d like to file a complaint, as I did
.
http://www.oakland.bbb.org/complaintsearch.html
This MacHome information is needed to start the process.
macHOME
200 Folsom Street,
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: 415-957-1911
Fax: 415-882-9502
URL: http://www.machome.com
Another post I don't understand. Why are you filing a complant against MacHome? That magazine is dead.
QuoteBradC wrote:Quotememphoid wrote:
"Now if only the dorks over at MacDailyNews would heed Myslewski's comment #3 above."
At least MDN believes in the First Amendment, unlike TMO.
What the heck does that mean? How does TMO not believe in the 1st Ammendment?
He's mistaking the first amendment with the right to say whatever you want anytime, anywhere, which it does not give anyone the right to do.
Intelligent people understand that moderation is not only justified, but necessary to keep a forum from going to hades in a hand basket.
Memphoid, go to work tomorrow and start screaming swear words at the top of your lungs and see how far your first amendment rights as YOU understand them really get you. You don't have the right to say anything, anytime, anywhere, especially any place other people set the rules and pay the bills.
Quotekoingosw wrote:
From the MacAddict Forums:
3. The name MacAddict was from another time (1996), back when our stories were about "Fighting Back for the Mac." Apple was on the ropes, and a feisty attitude was exactly the right tack to take. Today, Apple is riding high -- it's products are the most elegant, coolest, most industry-influencing available. We don't need to fight back anymore. We won.
Anyone else think this is stupid? Apple is riding high by comparison, but with between 5 - 7% market share, somehow we've won?! Strange concept of the word "won" there. It's not too late for Apple to take a nosedive, especially when Jobs eventually bows out. There is no "won" in the computer industry, there is only "currently living" and anyone in the industry knows it.
Quote
5. Times change. Magazines change. Those that don't respond to new realities -- such as the fact that Apple is doing great and that our lives have become Mac lives -- wither and fade. Personally, I'm not a witherer and a fader -- and neither are our readers. Next year is going to kick serious hiney -- and MacLife will be kicking it along with Apple and all the third-party hardware and software folks. When MacAddict launched in September of 1996, its first cover contained the message "Why the Mac's Future Is Bright," but the article that accompanied that statement had more than a little whistling in the dark in it. Today, there's no question that the Mac -- and Apple, and the iPod, and whatever comes next -- has a sparking future. So we're going to create an equally sparkling, entertaining, info-packed, gorgeous new magazine. The time is right; the time is now.
So by NOT changing the name from MacAddict to MacLife, you would wither and die? I don't get this. From all the comments above, the name wasn't the problem. The content was.
I like the name MacAddict better. It still fits - Macs are not as mainstream as dinglenut seems to think yet. But whatever. It's their magazine, not mine.
See http://www.maclife.de/
I read that every once in a while, quite good. Thorough, as you'd expect - it's german...
Quotememphoid wrote:
"Now if only the dorks over at MacDailyNews would heed Myslewski's comment #3 above."
At least MDN believes in the First Amendment, unlike TMO.
Has memphoid actually read the Constitution and Amendments? If it/he/they/she had, they/she/it/he would notice that it says that CONGRESS shall pass no law ... The Fourteenth Amendment has been held to extend the Bill of Rights to apply to states, as well as the Federal government. However, the First Amendment does NOT apply to individuals, corporations, newspapers, magazines, broadcasters, or online forums. Period. No newspaper has the obligation to print every letter it receives, nor to run every ad that is submitted with payment. It is a well-established rule of law that online forums can be moderated--i.e, the operator(s) can remove messages. (I ran a forum on CompuServe for over 5 years. My boss in that job was an attorney.) Indeed, as a result of a judgement against CompuServe some years ago, online forum operators MUST remove messages which they become aware are (or may be) libelous, for example.
Tue Oct 10, 2006 2:28 am Subject: Re: macHome thieves
QuoteBradC wrote:QuoteBenton wrote:
I include a link to the Bay Area BBB for those who’d like to file a complaint, as I did
.
http://www.oakland.bbb.org/complaintsearch.html
This MacHome information is needed to start the process.
macHOME
200 Folsom Street,
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: 415-957-1911
Fax: 415-882-9502
URL: http://www.machome.com
Another post I don't understand. Why are you filing a complant against MacHome? That magazine is dead.
Because 40.000 subscribers were left stranded with NO information from the publisher. We deserve an explanation. Does macHome intend to sell its subscriber list to another Mac magazine? Does it intend to reorganize and produce an ezine? Publisher Kevin Octavio should never attempt any other ventures without the expectation of betrayed subscribers slamming a new project.
Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:16 am Subject:
Sorry, but magazines go under all the time. And they have no requirement to notify customers about it beforehand. George Magazine, anyone?
Either way, it is not relevant to this particular thread. This one is about Mac Addict/Mac|Life, which is a different magazine (and I believe a different publisher).
As another poster mentioned, having a 5% market share (I've seen figures more like 2-3%) is hardly an indication that the Mac "won". I see high profile Mac users like Neal Stephenson, Cory Doctorow, and Mark Pilgrim leaving the Mac for Linux. I see Apple making it possible for Mac hardware to run Windows, and people willing to buy that hardware to do nothing BUT run Windows. I see companies like Adobe releasing new products for Windows and Linux only, and their remaining Mac releases being a month or more behind Windows. I see Steve Jobs apologizing for questionable business practices, Greenpeace slamming Apple's environmental record, and Linux quietly duplicating the Mac GUI and applications. While the media seems to paint Apple as a winner, the real-world evidence I see doesn't back that image (except for the iPod). Apple isn't in the desperate shape it was in, say, during 1999 or 2000. But it's certainly not a winner yet. I see them like the Emperor in the story "The Emperor's New Clothes". They're walking about utterly believing their own hype about being on top of the computer world, while everyone around them is giggling at their private parts floating vulnerably in the wind. Personally, I think The Mac Sucks since the introduction of OS X.
While I'll admit that some of the Mac zealots do cherry-pick the best and that Apple has not won, your list seems more like ; a cherry-picked list of everything that looks bad about Apple and the Mac.
Sales are up. Apple is one of the very few hardware mfg that is making money. Apple stores are making money and introducing the Mac to many people who never thought of it before. I don't know of a "lot" of people that are buying Macs just to run Windows, but even if true that is still a sale for Apple. Whether market share is 3% or 5% it's a heck of a lot higher than it was a few years ago and that is all good.
I guess your definition of sucking includes being more stable than Windows or OS9, less susceptible to attacks than Windows, and easier to use than any other version of Unix out there. I'll agree that the Mac and Apple haven't "won" but things are looking far better than a few years ago.
Tue Oct 10, 2006 12:16 pm Subject: Re: The Mac Definitely hasn't "won"
QuoteAnonymous wrote:
As another poster mentioned, having a 5% market share (I've seen figures more like 2-3%) is hardly an indication that the Mac "won". I see high profile Mac users like Neal Stephenson, Cory Doctorow, and Mark Pilgrim leaving the Mac for Linux. I see Apple making it possible for Mac hardware to run Windows, and people willing to buy that hardware to do nothing BUT run Windows. I see companies like Adobe releasing new products for Windows and Linux only, and their remaining Mac releases being a month or more behind Windows. I see Steve Jobs apologizing for questionable business practices, Greenpeace slamming Apple's environmental record, and Linux quietly duplicating the Mac GUI and applications. While the media seems to paint Apple as a winner, the real-world evidence I see doesn't back that image (except for the iPod). Apple isn't in the desperate shape it was in, say, during 1999 or 2000. But it's certainly not a winner yet. I see them like the Emperor in the story "The Emperor's New Clothes". They're walking about utterly believing their own hype about being on top of the computer world, while everyone around them is giggling at their private parts floating vulnerably in the wind. Personally, I think The Mac Sucks since the introduction of OS X.
I also see PC users buying Apple hardware = more Mac market share! I see tens of thousands of viruses, spyware, etc... for Windows. I see a feature stripped, perennially late Windows Vista (which has been duplicating the Mac GUI since at least version 3.1) - in all of it's 14 different version. I see M$ being dragged into court all over the world for it's business practices. And I see you making a living (apparently) by bashing Macs and Mac users.
Oh, I almost forgot to keep on topic. I still have MacAddict discs from April of '98 to March '00. Loved the magazine at the time , but also found it to be less and less relevant as time went on.
MacAddict seemed stuck in the foot sockie mode, for pimply pale face 19 year old males whose main mode of transport was skateboard and full time video games. We all got older, moved on and info was free on the web. So I dropped my sub, especially when MacAddict threatened to send me to collections for payment. Not cool. Gimmeabreak. Change was needed, the shock of a once popular magazine to 80 pages. whoa, not good. Change is good. But I do like a good read on my comfie couch. Looking forward to a Mac mag cut in the mode of Apple... does anybody know anything about MacHome? I literally loved that magazine. Anybody interested in a mint edition of the very first MacAddict mag?
I really miss MacHome. It was a vastly underestimated Mac mag. It was so well designed. It's a shame that Mr. Octavio would leave subscribers hanging. He was even there at MacWorld Expo in Jan. 06 taking subscribers. He had to have known. I loved that magazine and forked over money for a 2 yr sub. I had been a reader for many years. Ken, tell us it ain't so!
When I do a search on google for MacLife, the store in Boise Idaho comes up, but the site that is connected with that is not the stores site. Im confused.
Phillip@bellebebe.com
Tue Sep 11, 2007 12:42 pm Subject: Re: odd connection??
QuoteAnonymous wrote:
When I do a search on google for MacLife, the store in Boise Idaho comes up, but the site that is connected with that is not the stores site. Im confused.
Phillip@bellebebe.com
Try again. When I just looked up "maclife" on Google, the links at the top were for the magazine.
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