Customer Reviews

Ieee Spectrum

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

Technology magazines are often a little bit on the boring side due to their limited appeal that makes them readable only to those who work in or have an avid interest in this field. IEEE Spectrum, however, is a little bit different. It has plenty of information on the latest advancements in technology, like other tech publications, but from a different "spectrum", if you will.

What sets this magazine apart from the rest is the personal and political topics that make their way into each issue. You can read about topics like global warming, tariffs, technology regulations, and general business ethics. These different topics are blended together with the magazine's core subject of technology and the result is a publication that is more readable than most in the tech field.

Another nice thing about Spectrum is the minimal amount of advertising. What few ads you will see are entirely related in some way to technology. You won't see an ad for a car, boat, home financing, or other product or service like you do in most every other magazine in America. This magazine sticks with technology for its ads and because of this, the few ads that exist seem even less common than they already are.

This magazine is a little shorter than other monthly publications, with each issue containing about 50 to 80 pages. This is the length I expect in a weekly magazine- not a monthly one. The publishers need to improve and expand the number of pages. A magazine this short doesn't provide enough reading material for an entire month.

Still, IEEE Spectrum is a good technology magazine. The combination of political, economic, and social topics keeps this publication from getting too dry and too technical. It makes it much easier to read than other magazines of the same genre.

Over the years I have been impressed with the number of institutions and corporations advertising in the back of this magazine looking for new hires.

Before the advent of the internet it was a great resource to check out current salary offerings delivered each month to my door. The opportunities span the globe with a range of electrical engineering disciplines. This is an excellent publication for students just getting into the field to start formulating their career objectives.

The articles are on the cutting edge, fresh and offers an insight for the technically inclined over what a "popular science" magazine offers.

The magazine itself is good, when you actually receive it. However, if you fail to receive an issue, you basically have no recourse. You can complain through Amazon's subscription manager, but you will probably receive nothing more than a "pass the buck" email in which you are informed that they are contacting the publisher. After that, repeated inquiries will yield no response whatsoever. At least that is my experience, and I thus cannot recommend subscribing to this or any magazine through Amazon if this is what you get for your money.

I have one other magazine subscription that is not through Amazon and I have not had one single problem with it in over 4 years. In barely more than one year subscribing to IEEE Spectrum through Amazon, I have had multiple problems. If nothing else, subscribe to IEEE Spectrum directly from the publisher and not through Amazon. It will cost more, but the extra money is worth it when you consider the aggravation and hassle you will avoid when you fail to timely receive your magazine in the mail.

IEEE Spectrum is the "general interest" publication of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, one of the largest, if not the largest, professional organization devoted to advancement of technology.

The magazine often features articles describing the promises and risks of emerging technologies long before they come to the attention of other news organizations. I specifically remember learning, many years ago, about the promise of TIVO's digital VCR's from Spectrum long before most of my technical savvy friends had even a hint that the technology was poised for prime time.

Many articles, such as recent ones on electric vehicles and solar energy, highlight their advantages and disadvantages without burying them in political side-speak. For example, Spectrum highlighted the role a large fleet of electric vehicles could have on stabilizing the electric power grid in the event of momentary power losses; few news organizations are examining electric cars as part of a larger energy storage and distribution system.

It is written at a level that should be easily understood by individuals with college level science education; there are no lines of equations or obtuse scientific terms. I highly recommend it to individuals seeking to stay informed on how technology is likely to impact how we live and where we make money.

Ordered in early Feb, Its just about June and I have never received an single issue.

Do not order your subscription to this magazine on Amazon.