Mac|Life #1, cover dated February 2007 |
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| Editor | Paul Curthoys |
|---|---|
| Categories | Macintosh computing |
| Frequency | monthly |
| Circulation | 120,000 |
| First issue | September 1996 (as MacAddict) February 2007 (as Mac|Life) |
| Company | Future US |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Website | www.maclife.com |
| ISSN | 1088-548X |
Mac|Life is an American monthly magazine published by Future US. It focuses on the Macintosh personal computer and related products, including the iPod and iPhone. Between September 1996 and February 2007, the magazine was known as MacAddict.
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Mac|Life and sister magazine Maximum PC are successors of the defunct CD-ROM Today magazine. First published in 1993 by Imagine Publishing (now Future US), CD-ROM Today was targeted at both Windows and Macintosh users, and each issue shipped with a CD-ROM of shareware and demo programs. In August 1996, CD-ROM Today ceased publication, with two magazines taking its place: MacAddict for Macintosh users, and boot (which became Maximum PC) for Windows users.[1]
MacAddict was the first North American magazine focused on the Macintosh to include a CD-ROM with every issue. As was the case with CD-ROM Today, MacAddict's discs included shareware and demo programs, but also came with other added features, such as staff videos and previews of content inside the magazine's hard copy. The MacAddict website was updated daily with news relevant to Apple products. MacAddict also had a mascot, a stick-figure named Max. In February 2007, MacAddict was relaunched as MacLife.[2][3] The new magazine is physically larger than the old magazine and was focused on the creativity of Mac users, and no longer comes with a CD-ROM.
Mac|Life has the second largest audited total circulation in North America among Macintosh-focused magazines (with a rate base of 110,000), after Macworld, as well as the second-largest audited newsstand sales.
Current editorial line-up for the magazine and website include: Jon Phillips, editorial director; Paul Curthoys, editor-in-chief; Robin Dick, art director; Susie Ochs, senior editor; Ray Aguilera, reviews editor; Roberto Baldwin, online editor; Nic Vargus, associate editor; and Florence Ion, associate online editor.
From 1996 to mid-2002, there were four rating icons, which depicted Max. There was "Blech" (the lowest), "Yeah, Whatever" (a mediocre product), "Spiffy" (a solid yet not perfect product), and "Freakin' Awesome" (the highest). From 2002 to 2009, it was replaced by a more conventional five-point system. Then, in 2010, Mac|Life created a 10 point system that included half stars.
The Web site formerly featured an active message board.[4] The forum had over 25,000 registered users and received up to 2,000 posts every day.[4] Discussion ranged on a variety of topics; the magazine itself, computers and gadgets (both made by Apple and otherwise) and more wide-ranging personal and political issues. Around 2005 the forums had started to become neglected, making it difficult to use and causing members to create two independent forums.[5][6] Its closure was announced on November 13, 2010, and the forum was shut down and erased on November 18th.
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