Commodore User
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|
 November 1988 issue | |
| Editor | Dennis Jarrett (Oct 83-Aug 84) Bohdan Buciak (Sep 84-Nov 84) Eugene Lacey (Dec 84-Jan 88) Mike Pattenden (Jan 88-Feb 90) |
|---|---|
| Categories | Computer magazine |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Circulation | 72,892 (July – Dec 1988) |
| First issue | October 1983 |
| Final issue Number | February 1990 77 |
| Company | EMAP |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| ISSN | 0265-721X |
Commodore User, later renamed to CU Amiga (sometimes just CU) is a series of American and Britsh magazines published by Commodore International.
Timeline
Commodore User was launched in October 1983[1] with an initial preview issue in June.[2] Initially, the magazine contained what was referred to as the serious side of computing, with programming tutorials, machine code features, and business software reviews. The first issues were produced and written by a small team, which consisted of editor Dennis Jarrett, a writer (future editor Bohdan Buciak) and editorial assistant Nicky Chapman.[3] The features were written by a range of contributors, and the issue sizes grew rapidly from 64 to 96 pages.[4]
Commodore User was a computer magazine published by Commodore International. It was launched in October 1983 and ceased publication in October 1998. The magazine covered all aspects of Commodore computers, including hardware, software, games, and news. It was one of the most popular Commodore magazines in the UK and Europe.
In 1990, Commodore User was renamed to CU Amiga. The magazine continued to cover all aspects of Amiga computers, but it placed a greater emphasis on games. CU Amiga was one of the most popular Amiga magazines in the world.
Commodore User and CU Amiga were both well-respected magazines. They were known for their high-quality content and their in-depth coverage of Commodore computers. The magazines played an important role in the history of Commodore computers and in the development of the Amiga platform.
Here are some of the notable features of Commodore User and CU Amiga:
- In-depth coverage of Commodore hardware and software
- Comprehensive game reviews
- Exclusive interviews with developers and industry insiders
- Regular features on programming, graphics, and sound
- A vibrant community of readers and contributors
Commodore User and CU Amiga were essential reading for anyone interested in Commodore computers. The magazines provided a wealth of information and insights, and they helped to shape the development of the Commodore community.
The first 12 issues were published by Paradox Group and then from October 1984 by Emap for the rest of the magazine's lifetime.[5]
Games coverage began to appear from the second issue.[6] This consisted of a small section called Screen Scene from issue three.[7]
In 1985, the Commodore 64 became more popular.[8] The amount of technical coverage also decreased as the games market took over. Gradually the circulation began to rise, and CU produced more colour through the magazine. At the height of the C64's success, CU had a page count of 116.
In 1986, CU began to cover the new 16-bit computer: the Amiga.[4] The magazine was at an all-time high, covering all the Commodore platforms, from the C16 to the Amiga. Circulation figures also showed an all-time high of over 70,000 for the 1988 period.[9]
To establish that the magazine content was changing to cover the emerging Amiga, the magazine changed its title CU Commodore User Amiga-64 with emphasis on the CU part in the February 1989 issue.[9] The Commodore User part was dropped quickly, and the name became CU Amiga-64.[10] This period of the magazine was a transitional time between transferring coverage from C64 to the Amiga.
CU Amiga
 |
| Editor | Steve James (Mar 90-Mar 92) Dan Slingsby (Apr 92-Feb 94) Alan Dykes (Apr 94-Nov 96) Tony Horgan (Dec 96-Oct 98) |
|---|---|
| Categories | Computer and video games magazine |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| First issue | March 1990 |
| Final issue Number | October 1998 104 |
| Company | EMAP |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Website | http://www.cu-amiga.co.uk/ |
| ISSN | 0963-0090 |
In 1990, CU Amiga-64 removed the "64" from its name and relaunched it as CU Amiga with the March 1990 issue. The magazine eventually gained circulation as a result of the internationalisation.
In late 1994, the Amiga's popularity was declining. CU Amiga had a final name change to help distinguish itself from other competing magazines in an increasingly small market. It became CU Amiga Magazine. In its remaining years under the control of editor Tony Horgan, the magazine became highly technical but also gained a professional edge. Some staff from sister magazine The One were moved to CU when the former closed in July 1995 and provided games coverage for CU readers.[citation needed]
The final issue was released in October 1998. The magazine came to an end without the preceding page, staff or quality cuts that had afflicted. CU Amiga Magazine's closure meant that the only remaining monthly Amiga newsstand magazine was its closest rival, Amiga Format.
A year after CU's closure, in October 1999, the magazine Amiga Active was launched. It had several of the same staff and was competition for Amiga Format, which it ultimately outlived, by being published until November 2001.
References
- ^ "Commodore User #1". Commodore User. Vol. 1, no. 1. October 1983.
- ^ "Commodore User #0". Commodore User. June 1983.
- ^ "View a Scan (Commodore User page 003 from issue 001)". ZZap64.
- ^ a b "Commodore User: 1983 - 1989". Amiga History Guide. Archived from the original on 8 May 2020.
- ^ "Commodore User #12". Commodore User. Vol. 1, no. 12. September 1984., "Commodore User #13". Commodore User. Vol. 2, no. 1. October 1984.
- ^ "Commodore User Magazine Issue 02". November 1983.
- ^ "Commodore User Magazine Issue 03". December 1983.
- ^ "Commodore User". ZZap64.
- ^ a b "Commodore_User_Issue_65_1989_Feb".
- ^ "Commodore_User_Issue_70_1989_Jul".
