Tide Media, the new publishers of NAG Magazine and SA Computer Magazine, launched the South African edition of UK title Custom PC on 23 March 2006. Initial circulation is 20 000 copies per month, and the magazine retails for R25.00 at newsagents countrywide.
Says Michael James, publisher and managing editor, "Custom PC South Africa is an exciting opportunity to expand the performance and customisation hardware sections of our other publications. The magazine is the cumulative result of huge reader and industry demand as there is never enough space to feature all the hardcore hardware information and products we receive each month."
This monthly consumer publication aims to bring PC enthusiasts in-depth hardware performance news and reviews, features on PC tweaking and customising, extensive benchmarking data and overclocking how-to's. By means of its independent, entertaining and technically rigorous editorial, comprehensive lab tests and customised benchmarks, Custom PC South Africa also intends to provide readers with comprehensive buying advice.
According to Tide Media, by covering technology trends not available in the traditional PC press, Custom PC South Africa talks exclusively to the fast-growing performance hardware and computer modification community. This audience spends a great deal of time, money and energy building and optimising their PCs.
As a result, advertisers are provided with access to an untapped, lucrative, loyal and passionate readership, who want to ensure that their PCs are the most powerful and fastest.
Concludes James, "Besides putting the magazine into the traditional newsagent channel, the launch issue [has been] inserted for free with the April 2006 issue of NAG Magazine. We're looking forward to not only provid[ing] the hardcore PC enthusiast community with a definitive publication, but also to grow[ing] the performance hardware industry locally by featuring products not currently offered in South Africa, expecting that as the demand grows, so will the selection of what is available locally."
