.info (magazine)

.info (originally INFO=64 and later INFO) was a computer magazine covering Commodore 8-bit computers and later the Amiga. It was published from 1983 to 1992.

History

INFO=64 began as a newsletter published by its founder, Benn Dunnington, operating out of a spare bedroom in his home. After a few issues, the entrepreneurial spirit struck and he decided to expand it into a full-fledged magazine.

The first few issues of the magazine were published by Dunnington operating as a sole proprietorship in the state of Washington. After a few issues, he moved the company to Iowa, eventually incorporating as Info Publications, Inc.. This, in turn, became a limited partnership, (Info Publications Ltd), which published the magazine until its demise.^[1]

INFO=64 was produced using personal computers. An editorial statement in each issue explained that the magazine was produced using only "lay equipment", such as

dot-matrix printer

, giving the magazine a distinctive hand-crafted appearance.

INFO=64 changed its name to INFO from issue 8, September-October 1985, reflecting its expanded coverage of Commodore computing.

file extension of Amiga icon files. The magazine switched to its new name and exclusive focus on the Amiga because by 1990 there was no news to cover or advertising interest in 8-bit Commodores.^[3]

The

NeXTWORLD

.

Ironically, .info was in serious financial trouble by then, and the publisher was desperately seeking someone to buy the magazine. The magazine closed its doors in April 1992, and on September 20 the magazine's assets were auctioned off.[4]

Over the course of its run, .info absorbed three pioneering Commodore magazines that ceased publication during the "great extinction" that struck computer magazines in the late 1980s. These were

TPUG

, the Toronto PET Users' Group). Unfortunately, when .info ceased publication, the receivers stood in the way of allowing its publisher to find another magazine to fulfill its subscriptions.

A full set of the entire run of INFO magazine, including photocopies of the original newsletter along with other documents related to the magazine, is housed in the library of the State Historical Society of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. Scans and full text of most issues of INFO are available at archive.org^[6]

Staff and writers

Benn Dunnington - Founder, Publisher, Editor
Mark R. Brown - Managing Editor
Tom Malcom - Senior Editor
Jim Oldfield - Associate Editor (after acquisition of 'Midnite Software Gazette')
Carol Brown - Advertising Director (through issue 31)
Anna Folkers - Advertising Director (issues 32-49)
Megan Ward - Art & Production Director
Kent A. Embree - Art & Production Assistant
Tony Bodensteiner - Art & Production Assistant
Marty Amorin - Data Manager (early issues)
Judith Kilbury-Cobb - Data Manager (through issue 47) / Staff Writer
Krista L. Kapacinskas - Data Manager (issue 49)
Chris Zamara - Technical Editor (after acquisition of 'The Transactor')
Nick Sullivan - Technical Editor (after acquisition of 'The Transactor')
Bradley W. Schenck - Contributing Editor / Graphics Columnist
Harv Laser - Contributing Editor / Multimedia Columnist
Peggy Herrington - Contributing Editor / Music & Sounds Columnist (through issue 42)
Bob Lindstrom - Contributing Editor / Music Columnist (issues 44-49)
Oran J. Sands III - Contributing Editor / Video Columnist
Jeff Lowenthal - Contributing Editor / Public Domain Columnist
Don Romero - Contributing Editor / GEOS Columnist & 'CHUMP' computer magazine parody guru
Jim Meyer - Contributing Editor / Productivity Software Reviewer
Mort Kevelson - Contributing Editor / Hardware Reviewer
Gregory Conley - Contributing Editor / Cartoonist
Warren Block - Contributing Editor
David Martin - Writer
Bob Baker - Writer
Daniel Barrett - Writer
Mindy Skelton - Writer
Jim Butterfield - Writer
Dave Haynie - Writer

References

^ Evidence for this can be found at Mark R. Brown's .info page Archived May 3, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
^ Dunnington, Benn (1985). "Editor's page". Info=64 (7): 19.
^ Dunnington, Benn; Brown, Mark R. (July 1990). "INFOtorials". INFO (31): 8.
^ Auction flyer Archived March 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine from the sale of the assets, according to Mark R. Brown's Archived May 3, 2006, at the Wayback Machine nostalgia page a lot of the office furniture was actually added by the auctioneers to bulk the sale
^ Compute! magazine, Oct 1982, p. 226
^ "Info Magazine : Free Texts".

External links

Partial .info index from the Amiga University Library
Partial Gallery of .info covers from Benn Dunnington, founder, publisher

[1] Evidence for this can be found at Mark R. Brown's .info page Archived May 3, 2006, at the Wayback Machine

[2] Dunnington, Benn (1985). "Editor's page". Info=64 (7): 19.

[3] Dunnington, Benn; Brown, Mark R. (July 1990). "INFOtorials". INFO (31): 8.

[Auction-4] Auction flyer Archived March 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine from the sale of the assets, according to Mark R. Brown's Archived May 3, 2006, at the Wayback Machine nostalgia page a lot of the office furniture was actually added by the auctioneers to bulk the sale

[5] Compute! magazine, Oct 1982, p. 226

[6] "Info Magazine : Free Texts".

[1]

[3]

[6]