| Practical Computing | |
| Publisher: | IPC Electrical Electronic Press Ltd |
| Firstdate: | August 1978 |
| Finaldate: | 1989 |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Based: | Sutton, Surrey |
Practical Computing was a UK computer magazine published monthly. The magazine was published by IPC Electrical Electronic Press Ltd.[1] The headquarters was in Sutton, Surrey.[1] The first edition was released in August 1978 as a special computer show edition, and the second issue was October 1978. The magazine carried on to 1987 when it merged with Business Computing. In September 1989, it was renamed Management Computing.
It provided in-depth reviews and previews of the latest hardware and software for the information technology enthusiasts and professionals, initially providing a mix of articles aimed at hobbyists and at small business people, later focusing its attention increasingly exclusively on the business and professional market.
The magazine followed the trends of the microcomputer industry at the time. Initially it covered a broad range of systems including Commodore PETs and the Tandy TRS-80 as well as single-board computers such as the UK101 and Nascom 2. Later in its life it focussed more on business computers such as the ACT Sirius 1 and the IBM PC. Towards the end of its life, reflecting their dominance in the small computing marketplace, it covered the IBM PC and compatibles almost exclusively, with the occasional Apple Mac or small UNIX workstation piece.
The editors were:
The initial publisher in 1978 was Wim Hoeksma, who died in 1981. Chris Hipwell was its publisher in the early 1980s. Tom Maloney was advertising manager.
The cover price in 1978 was 50p; in June 1980 it rose to 60p, June 1981 80p, 1984 85p and 1985 £1.
Your Computer was a spin-off from Practical Computing.