The publisher of the magazine Smartphone & Pocket PC has announced that the November 2008 issue will be its last. The magazine covered the Windows Mobile world for 11 years but has faced increasing challenges in recent years. Among these are the difficulty in growing magazine circulation as Windows Mobile morphed from a purely PDA platform to a mobile phone one and difficulty attracting sufficient advertising sponsorship and support from Windows Mobile companies.
There is a small ray of light though. Thaddeus is suspending publications but remain open to the idea of restarting publication should they find a sponsor or a buyer. At the same time, it will focus on publishing four iPhone Life issues.
The last issue promises to be the best Windows Mobile issue ever, a keeper, a reference guide. In it you will find the winners of the 2008 Best Software Awards, a number of Windows Mobile software reviews, a special Entertainment section, a look at the latest GPS software, a device comparison chart, and more. It will be on newsstands in November.
I used to get quite a bit of news from magazines and other publications. Then came the Internet and my magazine subscriptions quickly dwindled to zero. Print magazines are definitely facing a tough battle as more and more of us now get our news from online sources. Fortunately, the web site will continue to live on with its support forum, magazine archives, the Encyclopedia of Software and Accessories, past Best Software Awards winners, and more.