PC World (thing)

I found three issues of PC World from 1990 today. The PC world was simpler. Software was 16-bit and largely constrained by the 640K barrier. Microsoft was not yet the Evil Empire, that was still IBM. People used IBM PCs or "clones", and the operating system was PC- or MS-DOS. See how different life was:

Selected tidbits from may 1990 (Volume 8, Number 5):

• Preview: Wingz Soars Into the OS/2 Picture. (Wingz for OS/2 Presentation Manager: an Excel-like spreadsheet.)
• SX Machines Turn Up the Clock. Dell and NCR debut the first desktops built around the new 20MHz 80386 SX chip.
• "Best Buy" color printer: the HP PaintJet XL, listing at $2495, 1.5 ppm. Whoa!
• "Best Buy" monitor: the NEC MultiSync 3D, listing at $1049, CGA through 1024x768 SVGA capable, .28 dot pitch.
• Look Sharp with a Super-VGA board
• Dual page ads for the Microsoft Mouse and for Word for Windows.
• Ads from Ashton-Tate, Lotus and Quarterdeck.
• Top of the line laptop from Dell: $8499 NEC ProSpeed CSX 16Mhz 80386SX; 40 MB hard disk; 2 MB RAM; VGA, 18.5 lbs

Selected tidbits from June 1990 (Volume 8, Number 6):

• IBM Fortifies its Towers: IBM revamps the Model 80, rolls out an SX-based Model 65, ...
• 33-MHz 486's? Now You're Talking!
  AST and Everex are first out of the blocks with a pair of hot systems built around Intel's scarce 33-MHz chip.
• Notes Lives Up to its Notices Never mind the price -- early users are sold on Lotus Notes 1.0.
• What Makes the 486 Run?
• An ad for the new HP LaserJet III
• The same MS ads as last month
• Gateway 2000's top desktop: $5295.00: 4 Meg RAM; 1.2 Meg 5.25" Drive; 1.44 Meg 3.5" Drive; 150 Meg ESDI Drive; 16 bit VGA with 512K; 14" 1024 x 768 color monitor; MS-DOS 3.3 or 4.01

Selected tidbits from August 1990 (Volume 8, Number 8):

• IBM's New Home PC! Exclusive Preview: The PS/1
• Sycophantic coverage of the PS/1.
• Pushing the SX Envelope
• 14 SX machines reviewed; an opinion piece that says 386 machines are faster and better.
• A Microsoft ad Introducing new Windows 3.0. (C:> - Kiss it goodbye.)¹
• Sycophantic coverage of Windows 3.0.
• Will a Pen Replace the Keyboard on your Next PC?
• Ads for the Ami Professional word Processor (from Samna, not yet acquired by anyone)
• Ads for font cartridges and 2400 bps modems.

^{1. It really says that.}

Some content (c) 1990 PC World magazine, some snide comments by me.