Customer Reviews

MacLife (1-year)

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

MacLife is a good magazine. Every month it covers a lot of the hottest topics and has a decent balance between content and ads, but as a paying subscriber I would really like to see a lot more content and a lot less ads. If you want to get a feel for what the magazine is like you can visit their website at www.maclife.com and see the quality of the articles they write.

I was looking for objective reviews of Mac products, specially computer software and hardware because it is limited to a few pages of most technology magazines. The writers are not objective, half of each issue is devoted to the iPhone, and the writing is only slightly better than that of my high school students. The use of profanity as well as poor analysis reveals this to be a very unprofessional magazine. I'll not be renewing my subscription.

The ranks of Macintosh magazines have always been thin. After the demise of MacUser (the best magazine) and MacWeek (the best trade), MacAddict came out of nowhere to fill some of that void.

As an alternative to MacWorld, the venerable option for Mac users, MacAddict brings some life to the party. Offering the content of MacWorld, but written like Maxim, the enthusiasm for the platform definitely comes through.

MacAddict is not unique in content. You get product reviews, how-to's, tips, interviews, and such. (Depending on your subscription, it may also include a helpful CD loaded with freeware, shareware, video clips, and other goodies - it's the CD that gives the mag its raison d'etre.) All things considered, it's your typical computer magazine. What sets it apart is its insider, wink-wink, Gen X attitude.

And that's where the strength and weakness of the magazine lies. How much you'll enjoy MacAddict depends how much you like the attitude.

Personally, I find it a bit grating and in-your-face simply for in-your-face's sake. MacWorld may be a better choice in this regard. MacAddict tends to be a bit thin page-wise, too. It's about half the length of comparable computer magazines. Part of that lies in the fact that the Mac universe isn't as loaded with as much debris as the PC's, but still, MacWorld has more content. And that content does have some bigger names writing it, too.

One area in which MacAddict does beat MacWorld is that it seems to be on a tighter publishing schedule - getting reviews of new products ahead of its stodgier cousin. But when you consider what is available in this regard on the Internet, this advantage doesn't seem so helpful.

If you are a Mac fanatic - and can afford it - get MacAddict with MacWorld. But if you are a normal user, I'd tip the scales toward MacWorld.

Mac Life magazine is useless -- as a new Mac user I thought it might be helpful in learning about Macs, but during my year's subscription I read maybe 2 helpful articles. The bulk of the Magazine for more than half of the year has been about iPhone and apps. Not being interested in either, I found little in the magazine that was worth reading. Sure, some of the many ads are interesting, but I don't need to pay money to read them!
I will not be renewing my subscription and have been very disappointed in this magazine.

I've been getting this magazine and a couple of others for years now, how disappointing this one is with the lack of stories, informationd something useful. Its all reviews and ads. I finished the magazine in less than 5 min. Once my subscription runs out, won't renew.

I have Issue #1 and just received the lastest issue (March 06), but I've let my subscription run-out. MacAddict isn't worth it anymore.

First, I loved MacAddict for "the Disc." Back in the days of pre-broadband, the Disc was a godsend! Software galore! But now in the days of broadband, the Disc is not a good enough reason to get MacAddict. The only original conent on the Disc is the monthly staff movie, I think I watched one staff movie over the years.

Second, the magazine seems to have lost quite a bit of content over the years. The magazine started at over 100 pages and is now a slim 80 pager. Often there is one "feature" article and that's it. Lately I spend about 10 minutes scanning the magazine for anything worth reading and then file it with the others.

Third, the magazine has a pretty weird view of who "Mac Addicts" are. "Mac Addicts" are accomplished musicians (who use Apple's GarageBand) and accomplished cinematographers (who capture video with high-end digital cameras and use iMovie and iDVD on a near daily basis.) They're also people who have the latest and greatest hardware who upgrade at the drop of a hat. I don't do any of those things, and I wager that the majority of Mac users don't do most of those on a regular basis.

Forth, their review section is hit-or-miss. Sometimes, they review relavant products that a good majority of Mac users want to know about. Other times they review fringe products (MIDI accordion, anyone?) or products out of the price range of all but the independently wealthy. The rating system seems to suffer from grade inflation. Nearly every product earns a score of 4 out of 5. If they like something, it gets a 5, if they don't like something, it gets a 3.

On a positive note, Mac Addict is a "fun" magazine. And its news coverage is pretty good.

I have been a mac convert for almost 2 years now. Previously, I had no friends who could tell me why Macs are better over PC. But one friend came along and pulled me out of the dungeon of PC/W-XP and the world is suddenly brighter with sunshine.
Maclife is like a great treasure box of mac knowledge.
You will learn just about everything there is to know about Mac (other than getting yourself certified.)
I like both MacLife and Macworld magazine, they are both great.

I've been reading Mac Live for years since they were Mac Addict and continue to enjoy the detailed and applicable reviews. They have shed much of their smarmy attitude, but some remains.

If you are looking for honest, unbiased product reviews and great tips for your macintosh, this is an outstaning magazine.

I purchased both MacLife and Macworld. Both of them are excellent ,However I think MacLife is a little more informative

If you are thinking about getting a Macintosh, have just bought a new Mac or if you just have an old Mac Classic in your attic, this Magazine is a must-have. I have every issue from the first one and I keep them all as references.

They have ads, but they are not full of ads like many of their competitors. Every single issue has a "get info" secion where commonly and not-so-commonly asked questions and/or problems are asked and answered.

Every issue has at least one tutorial on a major Mac product... from Photoshop to Quicken and everything in between. Many items are reviewed from kid's games, learning software, scanners, digital cameras, etc... in a language that mere mortals can understand.

Like any magazine, there are articles I could care less about, but every single issue has at least one article that makes having the magazine worth keeping indefinitely.

While they show off the features of the latest greatest Macs, they do not ignore the old beige Mac Classics and their siblings... how-to articles on upgrading different models are featured often and the accompanying CD will contain latest updates from Apple (so you don't have to download), shareware and freeware apps described in the Magazine and apps for OSX, Classic and older (pre OS 8) Macs are included.

I can't say enough how much I treasure my subscription to MacAddict.