Hard Goodbye to Alice and Bill

cuzality writes "Computer Shopper has decided to let 'The Hard Edge' go after twelve years and two months of 'edgy, sarcastic, reader-centric columns' by Alice and Bill. Many of us remember 'The Hard Edge' from all the way back when it was in the newsprint section of the inch-thick Computer Shopper, and it's always been the straight skinny direct from the Lab of Doom and Pepsi Cola. Though 'The Hard Edge' has met its untimely and abrupt end, Alice and Bill aren't splitting up: they will continue on together at AliceandBill.com, where they write about technology news and will be happy to accept your kind PayPal donation." (More below.)

"They are also signing up subscribers for an upcoming newsletter, but since they can't use the name 'The Hard Edge' (which is owned by C|Net, CS's parent company), they will have to use some alternate name, possibly 'Hedge Yard.' If you were loyal 'Hard Edge' reader, drop by and write them a nice note in their guestbook."

Comments

Uhh..

[Jakhel]

they will continue on together at AliceandBill.com, where they write about technology news and will be happy to accept your kind PayPal donation."

So they're eBums? ::imagines geeks on the corner with "Will review for food" signs::

People still READ Computershopper?

[wowbagger]

You man people still read ComputerShopper?

Back in the day, when computer parts weren't for sale at your local supermarket - back when you had to go to a special store just to be diskettes - ComputerShopper filled a need.

Barely.

It was always a bear to find, say, all ads for tape drives, and to compare the prices of each vendor. It was a PAIN to locate anything special - you spent more time than it was worth to flip through the 8000 pages of ads to find the ones selling what you want.

Now, you go to [Google/Froogle/Yahoo/eBay/...] and type in a quick search, and there you are.

Next you'll tell me that there are still people reading Byte!

Re:People still READ Computershopper?

[Jakhel]

Back in the day, when computer parts weren't for sale at your local supermarket - back when you had to go to a special store just to be diskettes - ComputerShopper filled a need.

Barely.

It was always a bear to find, say, all ads for tape drives, and to compare the prices of each vendor. It was a PAIN to locate anything special - you spent more time than it was worth to flip through the 8000 pages of ads to find the ones selling what you want.


And after we found the ones we wanted, we had to walk uphill both ways IN THE SNOW just to get to the mailbox to send off ourorders to the parts manufacturer!!

AND WE LIKED IT!!

Many times the ONLY reason to buy CS

[gambit3]

As a previous poster pointed out, CS disappointed LONG ago. But I have memories of my lean years in college (in more ways than one), where, if I bought ONE magazine, it was CS, and if I bought it for ONE reason, it was to read The Hard Edge. And sometimes for Poor's Computer Cures. But it was the Hard Edge, along with the endless ads, that gave CS its trademark flavor. I have long since stopped even looking at CS -- let alone buying it -- since it stopped being its unique self, and tried to mold itself into a more traditional computer magazine. Don't we have enough of those already?

Just because I know I didn't say it enough (OK, OK, I NEVER said it...):

Thanks, Bill and Alice (or Alice and Bill?), for teaching me about computers by guiding me past the marketing hype.

Oops,

[JanneM]

It is actually Alice and Bob, but there was some problem communicating that info in a reliable manner.

Mailman is happier

[FerretFrottage]

Well I can tell that my mailman/person has gotten much happier as CS has decreased in size. I remember him one time complaining about how big it was and that it accounted for 1/3 or so of his mail bag weight. I told him that I got all the neighbors gift subscriptions. There was a slight bit of panic for a second til he realized I was kidding.