Computing News (partially found early computer magazine/newsletter; 1950s-1960s)

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Cover for Issue 216.png

The Cover for Issue #216 of "Computing News".

Status: Lost


Computing News was one of the earliest magazines or newsletters that focused on the growing world of computers. It was produced twice a month on the 1st and 15th day of that month.[1] Based on this schedule, it is believed that the first issue was released on March 15, 1953. The latest issue that is currently known to have been produced was issue 217 on March 15, 1962.[2] It is unknown when the last issue was produced. The magazine/newsletter was produced out of Thousand Oaks, California. The publisher and editor is listed as Jackson W. Granholm. The Circulation Manager is listed as Lois K. Fraser. The Business Manager is listed as D.E. Granholm, probably a family member of Jackson Granholm. The Production Manager was Ian Dunn, and the publishing information noted that the facilities of a company called Dunn Enterprises were used for the production.[1]

Format

The few currently surviving issues from 1962 show that most of the content consisted of true stories from the world of computing. For example, in issue #217, we can see an article discussing a demonstration by the UNIVAC division of the Rand Sperry Corproation that they called "Computer Library". Essentially, UNIVAC asked some of the famous authors of the time to provide their thoughts on various topics. This data was then entered into the computer. A user at the event could then use the computer to call up the stored information.[2]

However, each of the surviving issues also has a humourous fictional story, written by a "Dr. P.Y. Reebe". For example, in issue #216, we get a story called "Glitch Gets Five Aces". In this story, a man named Henry Glitch brings the fictional LDZ-40 computer to the fictional "Star Bust Casino", which is a play on the real "Star Dust Casino". He feeds information into the computer and has it tell him what moves to make in a game of five-hand poker for him. However, he ends up losing.[1] The surviving issues contain artwork to go with these fictional stories, but the signature is unclear, and the illustrator is never credited elsewhere. Issue #217 contains a comic from Ron Coleman, and the front page tagline of "Coleman Returns" suggests that he was a regular contributor.[2]

Lost Media Status

Only issue #216 (Volume 10, Number 5, from March 1st, 1962) and issue #217 (Volume 10, Number 6, from March 15th, 1962). While it appears that at least 217 issues were produced, it is not known if there were any more after that. Also, the mailing address for the Business Manager still exists in Thousand Oaks, California. However, it contains a family home that was built in 1959, and it was sold most recently in 1996. Given that the dates and schedule suggest that the magazine/newsletter debuted on March 15, 1953, it is likely that the address was different in releases prior to 1959. Also, it is likely that the original owners who worked on the magazine/newsletter have moved away.[3]

Issue Number (Overall) Volume Number Issue Number (for a given volume) Approx. Release Date Status
#1 1 1 March 15, 1953 Lost
#2 1 2 April 1, 1953 Lost
#3 1 3 April 15, 1953 Lost
#4 1 4 May 1, 1953 Lost
#5 1 5 May 15, 1953 Lost
#6 1 6 June 1, 1953 Lost
#7 1 7 June 15, 1953 Lost
#8 1 8 July 1, 1953 Lost
#9 1 9 July 15, 1953 Lost
#10 1 10 August 1, 1953 Lost
#11 1 11 August 15, 1953 Lost
#12 1 12 September 1, 1953 Lost
#13 1 13 September 15, 1953 Lost
#14 1 14 October 1, 1953 Lost
#15 1 15 October 15, 1953 Lost
#16 1 16 November 1, 1953 Lost
#17 1 17 November 15, 1953 Lost
#18 1 18 December 1, 1953 Lost
#19 1 19 December 15, 1953 Lost
#20 2 1 January 1, 1954 Lost
#21 2 2 January 15, 1954 Lost
#22 2 3 February 1, 1954 Lost
#23 2 4 February 15, 1954 Lost
#24 2 5 March 1, 1954 Lost
#25 2 6 March 15, 1954 Lost
#26 2 7 April 1, 1954 Lost
#27 2 8 April 15, 1954 Lost
#28 2 9 May 1, 1954 Lost
#29 2 10 May 15, 1954 Lost
#30 2 11 June 1, 1954 Lost
#31 2 12 June 15, 1954 Lost
#32 2 13 July 1, 1954 Lost
#33 2 14 July 15, 1954 Lost
#34 2 15 August 1, 1954 Lost
#35 2 16 August 15, 1954 Lost
#36 2 17 September 1, 1954 Lost
#37 2 18 September 15, 1954 Lost
#38 2 19 October 1, 1954 Lost
#39 2 20 October 15, 1954 Lost
#40 2 21 November 1, 1954 Lost
#41 2 22 November 15, 1954 Lost
#42 2 23 December 1, 1954 Lost
#43 2 24 December 15, 1954 Lost
#44 3 1 January 1, 1955 Lost
#45 3 2 January 15, 1955 Lost
#46 3 3 February 1, 1955 Lost
#47 3 4 February 15, 1955 Lost
#48 3 5 March 1, 1955 Lost
#49 3 6 March 15, 1955 Lost
#50 3 7 April 1, 1955 Lost
#51 3 8 April 15, 1955 Lost
#52 3 9 May 1, 1955 Lost
#53 3 10 May 15, 1955 Lost
#54 3 11 June 1, 1955 Lost
#55 3 12 June 15, 1955 Lost
#56 3 13 July 1, 1955 Lost
#57 3 14 July 15, 1955 Lost
#58 3 15 August 1, 1955 Lost
#59 3 16 August 15, 1955 Lost
#60 3 17 September 1, 1955 Lost
#61 3 18 September 15, 1955 Lost
#62 3 19 October 1, 1955 Lost
#63 3 20 October 15, 1955 Lost
#64 3 21 November 1, 1955 Lost
#65 3 22 November 15, 1955 Lost
#66 3 23 December 1, 1955 Lost
#67 3 24 December 15, 1955 Lost
#68 4 1 January 1, 1956 Lost
#69 4 2 January 15, 1956 Lost
#70 4 3 February 1, 1956 Lost
#71 4 4 February 15, 1956 Lost
#72 4 5 March 1, 1956 Lost
#73 4 6 March 15, 1956 Lost
#74 4 7 April 1, 1956 Lost
#75 4 8 April 15, 1956 Lost
#76 4 9 May 1, 1956 Lost
#77 4 10 May 15, 1956 Lost
#78 4 11 June 1, 1956 Lost
#79 4 12 June 15, 1956 Lost
#80 4 13 July 1, 1956 Lost
#81 4 14 July 15, 1956 Lost
#82 4 15 August 1, 1956 Lost
#83 4 16 August 15, 1956 Lost
#84 4 17 September 1, 1956 Lost
#85 4 18 September 15, 1956 Lost
#86 4 19 October 1, 1956 Lost
#87 4 20 October 15, 1956 Lost
#88 4 21 November 1, 1956 Lost
#89 4 22 November 15, 1956 Lost
#90 4 23 December 1, 1956 Lost
#91 4 24 December 15, 1956 Lost
#92 5 1 January 1, 1957 Lost
#93 5 2 January 15, 1957 Lost
#94 5 3 February 1, 1957 Lost
#95 5 4 February 15, 1957 Lost
#96 5 5 March 1, 1957 Lost
#97 5 6 March 15, 1957 Lost
#98 5 7 April 1, 1957 Lost
#99 5 8 April 15, 1957 Lost
#100 5 9 May 1, 1957 Lost
#101 5 10 May 15, 1957 Lost
#102 5 11 June 1, 1957 Lost
#103 5 12 June 15, 1957 Lost
#104 5 13 July 1, 1957 Lost
#105 5 14 July 15, 1957 Lost
#106 5 15 August 1, 1957 Lost
#107 5 16 August 15, 1957 Lost
#108 5 17 September 1, 1957 Lost
#109 5 18 September 15, 1957 Lost
#110 5 19 October 1, 1957 Lost
#111 5 20 October 15, 1957 Lost
#112 5 21 November 1, 1957 Lost
#113 5 22 November 15, 1957 Lost
#114 5 23 December 1, 1957 Lost
#115 5 24 December 15, 1957 Lost
#116 6 1 January 1, 1958 Lost
#117 6 2 January 15, 1958 Lost
#118 6 3 February 1, 1958 Lost
#119 6 4 February 15, 1958 Lost
#120 6 5 March 1, 1958 Lost
#121 6 6 March 15, 1958 Lost
#122 6 7 April 1, 1958 Lost
#123 6 8 April 15, 1958 Lost
#124 6 9 May 1, 1958 Lost
#125 6 10 May 15, 1958 Lost
#126 6 11 June 1, 1958 Lost
#127 6 12 June 15, 1958 Lost
#128 6 13 July 1, 1958 Lost
#129 6 14 July 15, 1958 Lost
#130 6 15 August 1, 1958 Lost
#131 6 16 August 15, 1958 Lost
#132 6 17 September 1, 1958 Lost
#133 6 18 September 15, 1958 Lost
#134 6 19 October 1, 1958 Lost
#135 6 20 October 15, 1958 Lost
#136 6 21 November 1, 1958 Lost
#137 6 22 November 15, 1958 Lost
#138 6 23 December 1, 1958 Lost
#139 6 24 December 15, 1958 Lost
#140 7 1 January 1, 1959 Lost
#141 7 2 January 15, 1959 Lost
#142 7 3 February 1, 1959 Lost
#143 7 4 February 15, 1959 Lost
#144 7 5 March 1, 1959 Lost
#145 7 6 March 15, 1959 Lost
#146 7 7 April 1, 1959 Lost
#147 7 8 April 15, 1959 Lost
#148 7 9 May 1, 1959 Lost
#149 7 10 May 15, 1959 Lost
#150 7 11 June 1, 1959 Lost
#151 7 12 June 15, 1959 Lost
#152 7 13 July 1, 1959 Lost
#153 7 14 July 15, 1959 Lost
#154 7 15 August 1, 1959 Lost
#155 7 16 August 15, 1959 Lost
#156 7 17 September 1, 1959 Lost
#157 7 18 September 15, 1959 Lost
#158 7 19 October 1, 1959 Lost
#159 7 20 October 15, 1959 Lost
#160 7 21 November 1, 1959 Lost
#161 7 22 November 15, 1959 Lost
#162 7 23 December 1, 1959 Lost
#163 7 24 December 15, 1959 Lost
#164 8 1 January 1, 1960 Lost
#165 8 2 January 15, 1960 Lost
#166 8 3 February 1, 1960 Lost
#167 8 4 February 15, 1960 Lost
#168 8 5 March 1, 1960 Lost
#169 8 6 March 15, 1960 Lost
#170 8 7 April 1, 1960 Lost
#171 8 8 April 15, 1960 Lost
#172 8 9 May 1, 1960 Lost
#173 8 10 May 15, 1960 Lost
#174 8 11 June 1, 1960 Lost
#175 8 12 June 15, 1960 Lost
#176 8 13 July 1, 1960 Lost
#177 8 14 July 15, 1960 Lost
#178 8 15 August 1, 1960 Lost
#179 8 16 August 15, 1960 Lost
#180 8 17 September 1, 1960 Lost
#181 8 18 September 15, 1960 Lost
#182 8 19 October 1, 1960 Lost
#183 8 20 October 15, 1960 Lost
#184 8 21 November 1, 1960 Lost
#185 8 22 November 15, 1960 Lost
#186 8 23 December 1, 1960 Lost
#187 8 24 December 15, 1960 Lost
#188 9 1 January 1, 1961 Lost
#189 9 2 January 15, 1961 Lost
#190 9 3 February 1, 1961 Lost
#191 9 4 February 15, 1961 Lost
#192 9 5 March 1, 1961 Lost
#193 9 6 March 15, 1961 Lost
#194 9 7 April 1, 1961 Lost
#195 9 8 April 15, 1961 Lost
#196 9 9 May 1, 1961 Lost
#197 9 10 May 15, 1961 Lost
#198 9 11 June 1, 1961 Lost
#199 9 12 June 15, 1961 Lost
#200 9 13 July 1, 1961 Lost
#201 9 14 July 15, 1961 Lost
#202 9 15 August 1, 1961 Lost
#203 9 16 August 15, 1961 Lost
#204 9 17 September 1, 1961 Lost
#205 9 18 September 15, 1961 Lost
#206 9 19 October 1, 1961 Lost
#207 9 20 October 15, 1961 Lost
#208 9 21 November 1, 1961 Lost
#209 9 22 November 15, 1961 Lost
#210 9 23 December 1, 1961 Lost
#211 9 24 December 15, 1961 Lost
#212 10 1 January 1, 1962 Lost
#213 10 2 January 15, 1962 Lost
#214 10 3 February 1, 1962 Lost
#215 10 4 February 15, 1962 Lost
#216 10 5 March 1, 1962 Found
#217 10 6 March 15, 1962 Found

Gallery

References