TECHNICAL SHEET
PCW Today was an independent British magazine dedicated exclusively to Amstrad PCW computers (PCW 8256, 8512, 9256, 9512, 9512+, PCW 10, and PCW 16). It was published from February 1996 to February 2002, with only 16 issues in total. It was semi-professional, printed in black and white, and created by enthusiastic Amstrad PCW users. Its content included technical articles, tutorials, and useful resources for the PCW community.
Technical Details and Format
- [#] Niche Focus: Unlike earlier, more commercial publications such as 8000 Plus or PCW Plus, PCWtoday emerged during a late stage of the system's lifespan (1996), focusing purely on supporting and maintaining the user community when major publishers had already abandoned the Amstrad PCW.
- [#] Independent Production: It was produced with a semi-professional "fanzine" style. Its black and white printing was a common cost-saving measure for user group publications of the era, allowing the magazine to survive for six years.
Content and Themes
- [#] Software Support: The magazine included detailed guides on using LocoScript (the standard PCW word processor) and the CP/M Plus operating system.
- [#] Hardware Preservation: A large part of its articles focused on how to keep older models (8256/8512) operational and on the transition toward final models like the PCW 10 and PcW 16 (Anne), which used a different graphical interface.
- [#] Typical Sections: It usually included program listings to type in ("type-ins"), programming tricks, news from the few remaining hardware providers, and a buy-and-sell section between users.
Collection and Availability
- [#] Published Issues: The collection consists of 16 issues released between February 1996 and February 2002.
By the time PCWtoday ceased publication (2002), the PCW was already an extreme niche machine, replaced by Windows PCs. However, thanks to magazines like this, a knowledge base was formed that today allows projects like PCWwiki to keep these systems alive.
