The Amstrad User

The Amstrad User (TAU) was published in Australia by Strategy Publications, with the first issue coming out in February 1985.

To start with it soley covered the Amstrad CPC range, but as more computers were introduced by Amstrad, it expanded to cover them all.

Eventually it would cover the CPC, PCW and PC range of Amstrad computers.

It was an independent publication, originally sourcing and writing all it's own articles and content from writers mostly within Australia.

As this became more difficult with time, it set up agreements with Future Publishing and Database Publications to reprint content from their respective magazines - Amstrad Action and CPC Computing (formerly Computing with the Amstrad).

It had a fairly conventional layout and design and each issue included things like games reviews, type-ins, game cheats and letters to the editor.

The magazine was also available on tape for Amstrad CPC users, and it included any type-ins that were in that issue plus bonus material.

This was on a subscriber only basis and the tape was never directly sold with the magazine.

The magazine was widely available throughout Australia and New Zealand from 1985 through to the end of 1990.

It was a reasonable sized magazine. Early issues being around 32 pages, with the magazine peaking at 72 pages. Most issues were 64 pages including the 1991 name change.

1991 - Name Change

After issue 71 (Dec 1990), it became known as "The PC Mag plus The Amstrad User" (Jan 1991 was the first issue @ $4.50 per issue) - issues were no longer numbered. It still contained Amstrad CPC/PCW/PC content. I believe it ran until September 1991 (9 issues in total) with Strategy Publications ceasing operations around then due to obviously declining magazine sales and popularity of Amstrad machines.