                        THE HISTORY OF PC STUNN!
                        ========================

                              SUUG - 1985
                              -----------

     Way back in 1985, when unemployment was rising to  unheard  of
     levels (again), a young chap came up with the idea of creating
     a  user  group  for the increasing number of computer users on
     low incomes.  Since the Spectrum was by far the  most  popular
     home  computer  in the country, it was natural that the scheme
     began on this format.

     The club was called the Spectrum Unemployed User Group -  SUUG
     to  its  friends  - and began to recruit members through a few
     carefully  worded   advertisements   in   leading   magazines.
     Membership  levels grew at a fantastic rate and there was soon
     the need to be able to pass on large amounts of information to
     each and every member.  The natural  medium  for  this  was  a
     magazine,  and  what  could  be  more  natural than a computer
     magazine that was read with the use of a computer?  Thus,  the
     SUUG tape magazine was born.

     The  magazine  grew  from  strength to strength.  Professional
     writers and  programmers  began  to  support  the  scheme  and
     retailers  began  to offer SUUG members fantastic discounts on
     their goods.  In just a few months, membership rose from  just
     9 to more than 200, with an estimated total of 500 readers for
     the  magazine.   Eventually,  the readership rose to more than
     5000, before slowly declining when the Spectrum began to  lose
     its  popularity  with  the public. Members were recruited from
     Germany, India, Australia, Eastern Europe and dozens of  other
     locations.

     But what attracted so many people to the club?

     Well,  the  magazine was professionally written and carried an
     editorial content which was in  many  ways  superior  to  that
     offered  by  "paper"  magazines.   Reviews  and  features were
     totally unbiased and were  written  with  the  reader's  needs
     always in mind.

     Free  software  always  accompanied  the  magazine.   Programs
     ranged from commercial-quality arcade games to word processors
     which actually outperformed  the  leading  commercial  titles.
     Much of the software was written by users for users.

     The  club  negotiated  discounts  on  hardware,  software  and
     consumables.  These ranged from, say, 10% on printer  ribbons,
     to 50% on printers and other hardware.

     Initially,  the club offered impartial advice on DHSS benefits
     and  legal  problems,  thanks  to  the  help  of  a  sympathetic
     solicitor.  Regular  competitions,  programming  projects  and
     special offers were also consistent features.

     Perhaps the most important element of the club's  success  was
     its philosophy. This could be summed up as follows:

     1.   Every  attempt  was  made  to ensure that members paid as
     little as possible in order to enjoy the benefits  offered  by
     the  club.   For example, the magazine literally cost just two
     second-class stamps  and  a  5p  piece.   The  stamps  covered
     postage  costs  and  the  5p  was  a  token intended to offset
     duplication and other costs. The reader provided his own  tape
     and was able to use it again once the magazine had been read.

     2.   Every attempt was made to encourage readers to particpate
     in the group.  Members wrote programs,  negotiated  discounts,
     sent  in  letters, offered advice, helped with the duplication
     of tapes and much more. The club was literally by the  members
     for the members.

     So  what did SUUG achieve? The list that follows might startle
     you!

     1. SUUG was the first ever national user group.

     2.  SUUG was the first ever group to cater for  the  needs  of
     computer users on low incomes.

     3.   SUUG was one of the pioneers of Public Domain - certainly
     PD for the Spectrum had never been heard of  before  the  club
     began.  Many users agree that SUUG was probably the first club
     to bring PD to the attention of the British computer user.

     4.  SUUG produced the first  ever  tape  magazine;  the  first
     magazine ever to use storage media.

     5. SUUG initiated the first ever computer pen pals scheme.

     6.   SUUG was the first independent British computer magazine.
     The club took no advertising in the magazine and was therefore
     not   capable   of   being   pressured   by   advertisers   or
     manufacturers.

                             STUNN! - 1989
                             -------------

     1989  and the popularity of the Spectrum began to fade as more
     adults  abandoned  it  in  favour  of  more  modern  machines.
     Amongst  these  were  the  low cost WIMP beasts offered by the
     like of Atari and Commodore.

     The  Atari  ST  quickly  established  its  supremacy  in   the
     marketplace  but  was  immature  in other areas.  PD suppliers
     were few in number, new softare appeared in  dribs  and  drabs
     and  magazine  journalists  knew little about the machine they
     were attempting to write about. More than this, the low  price
     of  the machine meant that people with even the most modest of
     incomes could afford to buy it. Unfortunately, once they  had,
     they were struck by the high prce of software.

     Enter an ex-SUUG magazine editor.

     STUNN!   was  born  and brought all of the benefits associated
     with SUUG to Atari ST users.  However, STUNN! grew larger than
     SUUG and began to  offer  bigger  and  better  things  to  its
     members.   The  new disk magazine appeared on JANET (the Joint
     Academic  NETwork  accessible  to  most  of  Britain's  higher
     education  establishments)  and  drew  as many as 5000 readers
     from this single source.  Public Domain  libraries  agreed  to
     supply  the  magazine at cost to all those who applied.  Large
     companies  provided  numerous  review  samples,  allowing  the
     magazine to publish more exclusive, in-depth reviews.

     So  how does STUNN! differ from SUUG? Well, here's yet another
     list to look at:

     1.  It's bigger. Average readership is estimated at more  than
     5000  readers  per issue - from a user base approximately only
     20% of the Spectrum's.

     2.  Its content  is  provided  in  the  main  by  professional
     writers  -  writers who work for some of the country's leading
     magazines.

     3.   More  emphasis  is  placed on independence - nobody tells
     STUNN! how they should carry out a review!

     4.  It's been more widely accepted than SUUG. More  magazines,
     software  houses,  retailers  and  manufacturers recognise and
     support STUNN!

     5.  STUNN!  is more active than SUUG.  It occupies  stands  at
     shows, campaigns for its members and continues to develop more
     services and facilities for those who want them.  For example,
     the  STUNN!   magazine  now carries a regular fiction section,
     again, largely written by professional writers.

                            PC STUNN! - 1992
                            ----------------

     And now we arrive at the present.

     SUUG and STUNN! have been responsible for many  "firsts".  The
     staff  have  experience and a proven track record.  We believe
     that the PC is now the future of British computing - it's time
     to bring STUNN! to PC users.

     With the launch of PC STUNN! and AMIGA STUNN!, the newly-named
     STUNN GROUP achieves yet another first: the world's first disk
     magazine to appear on three machine formats.

     The    STUNN!    Group   continues  to  grow  in both size and
     popularity.  In the near future, look out  for  AMIGA  and  PC
     STUNN! Shareware libraries (one already exists for the ST) and
     a  number  of  retailing projects which aim to raise funds for
     the expansion of each user group. Planned for '92 and '93  are
     a  STUNN!   24  hour  news  and general interest BBS, in-house
     printing facilities (so that members can obtain  booklets  and
     other  material  free  of charge or at cost) and a licenseware
     label with programs intended to retail for LESS than the price
     of an average PD disk! More on this as it happens...

                                 Ends.
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