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In India we had (still are? I don’t know) Chip, Digit, Linux For You and similar computer magazines. I learned so much from them, they showcased a whole variety

In India we had (still are? I don’t know) Chip, Digit, Linux For You and similar computer magazines. I learned so much from them, they showcased a whole variety of things, hardware parts reviews, interesting PC builds, nifty tricks and so on. But what I looked forward to most was the included CDs. They would contain so many software, trial wares, free wares, game packs, screensavers, Winamp skins. It was like being a kid in a candy store.

ixaxaar 3y ago
Hey, I had a very similar experience. Growing up in Bombay in the late 90s, chip and digit were literally my introduction to computing. Though I was not that much into gaming, they made me a fan of computer architecture, of graphics cards and so on. I guess being a nerd hanging around lamington road, almost harassing the shopkeepers for deeper tech specs of every component was more education than any university could ever provide. Then came Linux for you, and made me try my first Linux distro - xandros 2003. Then there was the complete 3 DVD Debian distro on LFY made me create an openmpi HPC in college among so many other things completely ignored by the formal education system. I think there is a real value to limited, quality information like these magazines that the internet ruined. Devs these days have unlimited information at their fingertips - the internet and now chatgpt. But now the onus is on us - are we asking the right questions?
- eldaisfish 3y ago
  This stirred memories for me. My introduction to Indian computing magazines came later and my first Linux distro was a version of SuSe in 2007. I also fondly remember the free Linux CDs and DVDs that were around at the time. The magazines were one source, Ubuntu was another. The free Linux CD project was yet another. You raise a good question about drowning in the flood of info on the internet. The lack of gatekeepers has upsides as well as downsides. One of those downsides is the lack of quality control. The Linux and computing magazines in India were very high quality and they got a lot of people interested in computing.
rupi 3y ago
I remember Computers@Home. Convinced my parents to buy me my first PC after reading that magazine. The included CDs were a delight. Internet was so slow that I only ever played game demos from the CD. Haven't thought about that magazine for years!

ixaxaar 3y ago

Hey, I had a very similar experience. Growing up in Bombay in the late 90s, chip and digit were literally my introduction to computing. Though I was not that much into gaming, they made me a fan of computer architecture, of graphics cards and so on. I guess being a nerd hanging around lamington road, almost harassing the shopkeepers for deeper tech specs of every component was more education than any university could ever provide. Then came Linux for you, and made me try my first Linux distro - xandros 2003. Then there was the complete 3 DVD Debian distro on LFY made me create an openmpi HPC in college among so many other things completely ignored by the formal education system. I think there is a real value to limited, quality information like these magazines that the internet ruined. Devs these days have unlimited information at their fingertips - the internet and now chatgpt. But now the onus is on us - are we asking the right questions?

eldaisfish 3y ago
This stirred memories for me. My introduction to Indian computing magazines came later and my first Linux distro was a version of SuSe in 2007. I also fondly remember the free Linux CDs and DVDs that were around at the time. The magazines were one source, Ubuntu was another. The free Linux CD project was yet another. You raise a good question about drowning in the flood of info on the internet. The lack of gatekeepers has upsides as well as downsides. One of those downsides is the lack of quality control. The Linux and computing magazines in India were very high quality and they got a lot of people interested in computing.

rupi 3y ago

I remember Computers@Home. Convinced my parents to buy me my first PC after reading that magazine. The included CDs were a delight. Internet was so slow that I only ever played game demos from the CD. Haven't thought about that magazine for years!