Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Electronic News Is Shutting Its Doors

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the closing-down dept.

ahess247 writes "You probably missed it, but last week, the publication that helped give Silicon Valley its name announced that it will be shutting down its paper edition next month. Electronic News is one of the oldest trade publications covering the electronics and semiconductor industries. Launched in 1957, it predates its main competitor EETimes by more than a decade. One of its main claims to fame is it was the first publication to ever use the phrase "Silicon Valley" in print. A reporter for the weekly paper, the late Don Hoefler wrote a series of stories entitled "Silicon Valley, USA" that started the week of Jan. 11, 1971. The name, as we all know, stuck. It was also within the pages of Electronic News that Intel Corp. first advertised its 4004 Microprocessor. Once considered the bible of the electronics industry, its last printed issue will go out to subscribers on Dec. 2. According to this press release from its current owner, Reed Business, the publication will shift to an "all digital format." All but three staffers have been let go, and they will produce what essentially amounts to an online newsletter. Not a fitting end for a publication with such an important place in the history of the semiconductors industry."

4 of 87 comments (clear)

  1. hey by redshift-systems · · Score: 2, Insightful

    what is wrong with that?

  2. Re:Here it comes... by mbogosian · · Score: 4, Insightful

    We are in the age of information, electronic information for that matter. This could be the start of a very big trend. Publicationscan save millions by providing their pubs online with a nominal subscription fee. Of course there will always be those who prefer their hard copy.

    I don't think the point of the post was that EETimes is going "online only"...it's that they're in financial trouble and are (slowly) shutting things down.

    --

    moto411.com
  3. all in the game by katalyst · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is typical of the IT industry. IBM - the pioneers of the homePC lost out to other companies like Dell/Compaq/HP. The GUI pioneered by Xerox (poor sods) lost it to Apple and then finally to Microsoft. Even the console market - Sega and Nintendo are losing out to the playstations and maybe the Xbox(still to be seen). SO why not a newspaper ?

    --
    |/________
    |\A|ALYS|
  4. Who reads this? by Cap'n+Canuck · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'm not talking about Electronic News, I'm talking about this particular reply.

    Look at the numbers - barely a quarter of the normal replies, and a tenth if it was a story about William Shatner doing an interview. That tells me two things:
    1) This article does not belong in /.
    2) It's no surprise that EN is dying.

    I did read EN back in the 80's and 90's (it was good), but I haven't picked up a copy since then.

    BTW - it would come as no surprise to me that this is neither read, replied to, or moderated, but you can prove me wrong. Go ahead.