PC World was probably the best general PC specific magazine (though I preferred Boot/Maximum PC when it came along much later). The late 1980s and early 1990s were probably peak for PC World, at least in terms of page count. The November 1988 issue of PC World includes:

Review

• LAN E-Mail: Power to the Work Group – A look at four LAN e-mail packages including cc:Mail 1.2, The Network Courier 1.0, InBox/PC 1.24, and Da Vinci eMail 1.2.

• In Search of Forgotten Text – A look at four programs for searching for text on your hard drive including ZyIndex Professional 3.0, Memory Lane 2.0, SearchExpress 2.30, Gofer 1.0, and The Text Collector 1.5.

• Project Management – For Professional Only – A comparison of five project management packages including SuperProject Expert 1.1, Time Line 3.0, Micro Planner 6, Harvard Total Project 2.0, and Microsoft Project 4.0.

• Multitasking Without OS/2 – A look at four operating environments that are alternatives to OS/2 for multitasking. They use the virtual 8086 mode of the 80386. These operating environments include Windows/386 2.1, Desqview 2.01, VM/386 1.1, and PC-MOS/386 2.10.

• The Hardware Shelf – Reviews of: The Micro 1 Tower 386-20MHz featuring a 20 MHz 386 CPU, 2 MB RAM, and 110 MB hard drive for $4424; SnapShot, an “image processing system” capable of capturing images from video sources such as video cameras, VCRs, live TV broadcasts, etc.; HP PaintJet (a color inkjet printer), Zoom HC 2400 (internal 2400bps modem), and Panasonic KX-P4450 Laser Printer.

• The Software Shelf – Reviews of: Sprint 1.0 (word processor), VP-Planner Plus 2.0 (spreadsheet), PFS: First Publisher 2.0 (desktop publishing), GrandView 1.0 (personal information manager), EasyCAD 2 2.05, and HB-Browser (utility for previewing spreadsheet and word processor files).

News

• Top of the News – Clone makers challenge IBM’s micro channel architecture with EISA; IBM introduces 386 based PS/2 Model 30; postscript capabilities to be added to HP’s LaserJet; Ashton-Tate releases dBASE compiler; Compaq introduces laptop and the smaller footprint Deskpro 386/20E; and more.

• Preview – A first look at new 386 and 286 based laptops including the NEC ProSpeed 80386, ProSpeed 80286, and UltraLite, Compaq SLT 286. Plus an early looks at the Compaq 386/20E.

• Industry Outlook – Oracle’s SQL; more PS/2 clones unlikely; Peachtree reintroduces accounting software; and more.

• Product Outlook – A look at new products including SuperCalc (spreadsheet), Fast Talk (communications program), The Picture File (art program), SmallTalk/V 286 (programming), Paragon 286V (PC), 386 Motherboard/AT (386 motherboard upgrade from Hauppage for PC ATs) and more.

• Briefly Noted – A brief look at new machines from Tandy including the 3000 NL, 1000 TL, and 1000 SL.

Feature

• Beyond E-Mail: The Groupware Potential – A new type of network software includes features such as conference calls, electronic meetings, and more.

• OS/2 Extends Its Reach – OS/2 Extended Edition adds additional networking and communications features.

• Buyers’ Guide: Accounting Tools of the Trades – A round-up of a ton of accounting software packages including one specialized for point-of-sale, construction, medical, and more.

How To

• How Hard Is Your Money Working? – A guide to determining your return on investment and if your investments are performing sufficiently.

Perspectives

• Richard Landry – The industry standard EISA bus strikes back against IBM’s proprietary MCA architecture.

• Letters – Letters from readers about IBM’s licensing, shareware, the future of computers, PagePerfect problems, Epson dot-matrix printers, and more.

• David Bunnell – The customers’ relationship to software companies.

• Stewart Alsop – A look at the various GUIs available with an emphasis on Microsoft’s Presentation Manager.

• On IBM – A look at what IBM can learn from its “successes”, including the PS/2.

• Another Angle – Cutting through the jargon of the PC industry.

Departments

• Consumer Watch – Even back in the day, unscrupulous vendors would misleadingly overclock systems. For example, it was not uncommon for a vendor to sell 25 MHz 386 that was really an overclock 20 MHz part.

• The Upgrade Path – A look at a device called the Chargecard that plugs into the CPU socket between the CPU and motherboard of a 286 based system to allow it to address up to 16MB of RAM.

• The Help Screen – Answers to questions about tape backup drives, twisted pair cables, keyboards and the cent symbol, .BAK files, cleaning floppy drives, and more.

• Tech Notes – A guide to how multitasking works in OS/2.

• Sourcebooks – Reviews of Alfred Glossbrenner’s Master Guide to CompuServe and Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams.

…and more!