Re: Remember InCider/A+

[Donald Lee <coach41@pacbell.net>]

Yes, I definitely remember Incider, A+ and Incider/A+ in their various
incarnations.  

When my dad picked my our Apple IIe back around 1983, I guess he was the
one who subscribed to A+ magazine.  In fact, if I remember correctly, I
still have the FIRST issue of A+ (minus the cover) around the house
somewhere.  

I don't recall how I ever got into Incider, but somehow I did.  I
remember loving the game column that was in there for a while before it
was discontinued. 

However, My main memories are with A+.  It was a good general interest
magazine and as I recall it was doing well up until 1984 to 1986.  That
was when the Mac was introduced and so followed by other 68000 series
machines such as the Atari 520ST and the Commodore Amiga.  Apple's focus
was solely with the Mac at the time, and the Atari and Commodore
machines were overshadowing the IIe.  

I recall A+ shrinking quite a bit at that time up until
September/October of 1986 when the vaunted Apple IIGS released.  The
perked up the fortunes of both A+ and Incider for a while.  Obviously,
it didn't last too long as Incider and A+ would merge a few years later
(around 1989 I believe).  


Incider/A+ would last up until mid 1992 before signing off...which I
also happen to have that issue as well....interesting that Incider/A+
signed off with an issue on the Internet...which would keep the Apple II
alive for years to come.

Lots of history there.  I wish someone would gather all the issues of
Incider/A+ and put it on a CD-ROM or something.  I do miss lots of the
articles and would love to re-read them.  I sold off quite a few of the
magazines around 1995 or 1996 when I first got onto comp.sys.apple2.  


Bit of a trivia question (since A+ covered it back around 1989):  What
existing video game francise has it's roots from the Apple II?  Answer? 
The Madden football series which originally debuted on the Apple II (64K
no less) as "John Madden Football" back around 1989 or so.  :)

Don
  






Supertimer wrote:
> 
> I really miss that magazine.  The fun of the IIGS
> hardware I have largely rediscovered working
> with PC hardware.  But I have yet to find a PC
> magazine as good as either InCider or A+
> were.
> 
> Those magazines were with us even as Apple
> was neglecting the II series to death.  They
> were a forum for users to vent their frustration
> and also a source of information linking the
> Apple II developers, software companies, and
> hobbyists with the users.  Each issue was a
> gem.
> 
> Several times in the history of InCider and A+,
> they thought the end was near.  Several times
> they included Mac coverage.  A+ had Mac
> coverage in 1985.  Then in 1986, the IIGS was
> released.  The Apple II community thought
> maybe, just maybe Apple came to its senses.
> A+ kicked out the Mac and became a II only
> magazine again.
> 
> But the signs were all there a year after the
> IIGS' release despite it doing quite well sales
> wise.  Slowly, InCider and A+ shrunk.  They
> then merged.  Still they were a great source
> of information.  Towards the end, Mac
> coverage re-appeared but it was really the
> Apple II diehards who still supported what
> was left of the magazine.
> 
> When InCider/A+ ceased publication, there
> were many II publications that mocked it.  But
> no Apple II publication has ever really replaced
> it.  No offense to GS+ Magazine, II Alive,
> Shareware Solutions II, or JuicedGS.  All were
> (in some cases are currently) great publications.
> But the hole left by the loss of InCider/A+ was
> never really filled.
> 
> InCider/A+ made it past 100 issues.  Some
> magazines never make it that far.
> 
> It is safe to say that after the demise of InCider/
> A+, the Apple II market never recovered.  Even
> compared to PC publications, the feel of that
> magazine cannot be matched.
> 
> I stopped reading Maximum PC, for example.
> Maximum PC reads like it is written by some
> frat kids who know about computers.  The
> PC info is good, but the writing style gets
> tiring.  The closest comparison in the Apple II
> world was GS Plus Magazine.  But GS Plus
> included a disk of ORIGINAL software which
> made up for the journalistic shortcomings.
> Maximum PC only comes with a CD-ROM of
> freely downloadable demos.
> 
> InCider/A+, we solute you!