Updated 7 April 2023
There has literally been thousands of magazines published over the decades on computers and the love of computing. We are trawling through the retro-computing magazine rack to find the hidden gems and reveal our top magazine pick to read.
Zzap sizzler pin - obtained 2018
A detail listing of historical computer magazines are available at Stupid Cow.
The Retrogaming Times
issue 22 review
880 Gamer
Issue 8
880 Gamer
Issue 7 (2014)
ACAR Magazine
Anthology
Amiga Format magazine
No. 18 - January 1991
Compute Magazine
No. 26, July 1982
Computer Gamer Magazine
February 1986
Eight Bit
Issue 3
Digital Talk
no. 101 hackerzine
Commodore & Amiga
Magazine Issue 9
Commodore & Amiga
Magazine Issue 7
Commodore & Amiga
Magazine Issue 4
Kilobyte Magazine
2017 Number 3
Kilobyte Magazine
2021 Annual
Commodore Free
Magazine Issue 96
MegaOcio Magazine
Issue 24
Softside Magazine
August 1983
Publishers make cover disks for computer magazines as a way to provide additional value to their readers. The cover disks typically contain software, demos, utilities, games, and other digital content that is related to the magazine's focus or theme. The content on the cover disk is often exclusive and not available anywhere else, making it a valuable resource for the magazine's readers. By including the cover disk, publishers can increase the perceived value of the magazine and encourage readers to purchase it. Additionally, the cover disk can serve as a marketing tool for software developers who want to get their products in front of potential customers.
The Amiga Magazine coverdisk has a rich history that dates back to the early days of the Amiga computer in the mid-1980s. Coverdisks were essentially floppy disks that were attached to the front cover of the magazine and contained software, demos, games, utilities, and other digital content related to the Amiga computer.
At the time, coverdisks were an innovative way to distribute software and digital content, as the internet was not widely available and downloading large files was not practical. Coverdisks allowed users to easily try out new software and games, and also provided a way for software developers to distribute their products to a wider audience.
The first Amiga magazine coverdisk was included with the January 1988 issue of Amiga World magazine. It contained a demo of a game called Starglider and a few utilities. As the Amiga grew in popularity, more and more magazines started including coverdisks with their issues, and the amount and variety of software included on the disks also increased.
Coverdisks became a staple of Amiga magazines throughout the 1990s, with some magazines even including multiple disks with each issue. The disks often featured exclusive content that could not be found anywhere else, and many users eagerly looked forward to the release of each new issue just to see what was included on the coverdisk.
As the Amiga platform declined in popularity in the late 1990s, many Amiga magazines ceased publication or shifted their focus to other platforms. However, the tradition of coverdisks lives on in some retro computing and gaming magazines, which continue to include floppy disks or CD-ROMs with each issue.
