I tell people I was a computer geek before being a computer geek was cool. To prove my point, to drive it home, I have proudly proclaimed that I have had a continuous subscription to PC Magazine since 1984. For most of those 22 years, PC Magazine was the bible of how to operate a PC. Getting DOS to load a certain way so specific programs would run, getting Windows 3.1 to work without crashing, downloading utilities to make file management easier, all that and more came from the expertise expressed in those pages. For a time I actually found PC Magazine so useful that I stored my copies for future reference. At the peak I probably had over 100 on hand.

But, with the hiring of Jim Louderback as managing editor, PC Magazine has taken a turn toward the consumer. The magazine is now merely a collection of press releases put out by companies trying to sell me their latest MP3/phone/camera that nobody wants – especially me. I want to know what makes Vista tick inside and out. I want the nuts and bolts. I want to see benchmarks on Intel Dual Core chips, not PC Magazines’ latest take on unnecessary gadgetry. If I want trite commentary on frivolous potential gadgets I’ll go to the Internet, where the trivial thrive.

I’m going to miss that once great glossy of geekdom. I’ll have to get my nuts and bolt PC geek-on from Maximum PC for now. But, still, it’s a sad day. I feel like I’m losing an old friend.

Anyone got a good tech magazine I could try to fill the void?