Blast from the Past – History of the Mac Digital Press

How many of you remember MacSense? The Real MacOy? Preschool PlayRom? Mac Media? The New Mac Journal? These were some of the very best Macintosh digital magazines at one time but sadly, none still exist today.

 

MacSenseMacSense was my inspiration when I started My Mac Magazine. It was the yard stick against which all other Mac digital magazines were judged. Yes, it was that good! Created by Chris McVeigh (now with MacHome and Inside Mac Games) MacSense went on to become a staple of the Macintosh community. Filled with news, commentary, and reviews, it was simply great. Speaking for myself, I couldn’t get enough of MacSense.

Chris also assembled one of the most talented writing staffs of the time, even better , in my opinion, than that of Macworld or MacUser. With staffers and writers such as Chris himself, Alex Narvey, Renso Piche, John Nemerovski (yes, here in My Mac!) MacSense had a crisp and polished look that still shines as an example of greatness today. And while Chris has gone on to bigger publications, I still think none match the sheer passion and top notch creativity that went into MacSense.

 

Mac MediaSure, the folks who created Mac Media had Shareware Reviews, Mac-related opinion columns, and some news. But add to that a movie reviewer, features such as “The Top Ten CDs” of that year, and so forth, and Mac Media was unique.

Created by Paul Taylor, Mac Media was a great read. Looking back on those existing issues, it is a shame it is no longer in “print.” It was a great digital magazine, and the creators really showed some awesome talent.

 

ATPMYes, ATPM is still in print today, and it’s still a great read! But back in 1995, Danny Novo was the only writer, and it was Novo who made ATPM what it was. As much as I enjoy the current version of the magazine, I do miss Danny’s monthly prose. A side note: Mike Wallinga, Wall Writing columnist here in My Mac, was actually published in issue 1.06 of ATPM!

 

This is one magazine which I really miss. Megan Huscher did a great service for the parents of preschool Mac kids. This magazine was full of great stuff, from recipes to shareware reviews. While it was a magazine, it really read like a note from one parent to another, with some really good advice included. Megan had a winning magazine, one I read every month from cover to cover.

I have tried for a few months to contact Megan to no avail. If anyone knows how to contact her, please put her in touch with me.

 

Inside Mac GamesYes, Inside MacGames is still around today, but it started out very similar to My Mac and all the others that followed. Today, IMG has one of the best looking websites with great coverage of the Mac gaming world.

 

The Real MacOYThe Real MacOY started in October of 1995, and was gone by 1997. Which is unfortunate, because TRM was a really well put together magazine. Created by Phishter, the magazine was like other digital magazines, with reviews, columnists, and the like. What set it apart was the vision its creator had, making TRM one of the most visually appealing magazines out there. I remember at one time that TRM and My Mac had planned on doing some sort of joint project, though regretfully, nothing ever came of it.

 

The History of the Macintosh Digital Press 


Tim Robertson
publisher@mymac.com

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