Macworld: After 30 Years, Print Edition Is Dead

Macworld was the first. Over Apple Macintosh’s 30 year history, many informative publications have come out to keep us in the know, and provide us with tips and tricks.

Macworld is first, not only because it came before the others, but because it came out the same day as the Macintosh itself.

Fast Company reports that it was actually a deal set up with Macworld’s publisher, IDG, and Steve Jobs himself.

In January of 1984, Apple announced the Macintosh. Among the many things which made the launch memorable was the fact that the brand-new computer was accompanied by a brand-new magazine, IDG’s Macworld. Thanks to a deal hashed out by IDG’s David Bunnell and Apple’s Steve Jobs, the first issue debuted the same day that the Mac did, which means that there’s never been such a thing as a Mac market that wasn’t covered by Macworld.

Though the print edition is no more, the online presence will go on. Unfortunately, for some employees, the future will not look so positive.

USA Today reports that an “unspecified” amount of employees are out of the job.

Macworld, one of the oldest magazines for fans of Apple’s products, has shut down its print operation and laid off an unspecified number of staffers. The publication will continue as an online-only operation with a reduced staff, according to the verified Twitter account of Macworld Editor Dan Miller. ‘I am personally here for another month to assist with the transition.’

This all stems from the Macworld’s publisher IDG Communications reorganizing, and in turn making cuts, to their brands. Folio reported on the shake-up within IDG and Macworld.

Each of the publishing brands will continue to have ‘dedicated editorial and content teams,’ the company says in a statement, though Macworld will kill its print edition after the November issue. Sales will adopt a centralized network approach however, to ‘provide the scale consumer advertisers desire.’

There has been no reports of Macworld’s competitors cutting their print editions at this time. Publications such as Maclife and Macformat still have print magazines being sold in stores, and through subscription.

No word on whether Macworld Expo will be affected by the shake up.

It has been reported for years that “Print is dead,” or essentially, digital media and the internet were going to make all printed word obsolete.

This appears to be another nail in the coffin to the continual drawn out death to print media.

What are your thoughts?

[ Images Via Macworld And Magazine Down ]