Ask HN: Does anyone have scans of these missing PC Plus issues (1991–1993)?

[billpg]

I'm looking for copies of these issues of PC Plus magazine please.

1991-Nov, 1992-Jan, 1992-Mar, 1992-Apr, 1992-Jun, 1992-Jul, 1992-Oct, 1993-Jan.

This was a popular PC magazine in the UK, and one of its highlights was Wilf’s Programmer Workshop, a regular column full of programming puzzles, challenges and reader submissions.

At one point, he ran a contest around quines (programs that output their own source). I sent in a tongue‑in‑cheek entry, a batch file that used PKZIP to “compile” code into PKZIP.OBJ (instead of .ZIP) and then ZIP2EXE to “link” it into an EXE. The result was an executable that unzipped itself back into a source file. He was amused enough to mention it near the end of his column, though he noted it didn’t quite qualify for the contest since I hadn’t written PKZIP myself.

I found scans of his section on archive.org, including the issue where he announces the contest, but I couldn't find my particular contribution. I've narrowed it down to the eight issues listed above that are in the right time-frame.

If you have any of these issues (paper or PDF), could you please check Wilf’s section near the back and see if my submission is mentioned?

Thanks!

[jfil]

I looked around for you - the best I could find is a listing for the magazines at the British Library at https://www.bl.uk/. It appears that they have a copy of all the issues and they are available by request for physical viewing.

[PaulRobinson]

I regularly go to BL and had planned to go in the next couple of weeks, except I just got an email suggesting a strike might mean there are limited facilities available from Monday for a couple of weeks.

That said, I'm happy to go and try and pull those copies (it's sometimes hard to get physical copies), and send the OP scans of his contributions (if they're in there!), when I go in mid-late November.

OP - if this is a useful help to you, let me know and we'll find a way to connect!

[reedf1]

I'm busy the next few days but I could clear an afternoon to check this out. I live nearby.

[trollbridge]

This can be a pain, but we’ve done the same thing at the Library of Congress. In theory, they have access to every digital book published, too.

[dandelionv1bes]

If you’re in the UK this is quite an easy solution. The library is right by two large train stations and you can sign up same day for a card.

[billpg]

PS. Link to the scans: https://archive.org/details/wpw-1991-1992-1993/WPW-1991-01/

[Daneel_]

Unfortunately those don't contain the specific issues the OP mentioned.

[jen20]

PC Plus in the days of Paul Stephens (RIP) and Dave Pearman was hands down the best computing managazine around. I believe I have every issue from -1994-2000 with the exception of Feb 97 (long story) but these ones predate me sadly.

[bagnus]

Paul Stephens contributions were incredible. His web design articles in PC Plus and those Lotus Screencam tutorials on the SuperCD were what got me started. They were my first proper lessons in building web pages, and they ended up shaping my whole career in software.

I still remember following Huw Collingbourne’s Delphi and C++ Builder tutorials too. I actually learned to write a word processor in C++ from those.

PC Plus was such a good magazine. I bought it religiously from around 1996-2002. Miss those days.

[afavour]

Haven't heard that name in years! Thanks for a trip down memory lane. I was always more of a PC Format reader than PC Plus but would buy any of these magazines I could get my hands on and devour them. A simpler time...

[dcminter]

I was a devotee of PC Plus back in the early 90s with my first XT compatible. I have exceedingly fond memories of the 5¼" cover disks and discovering a variety of shareware, freeware, nagware, commercial-but-lightly-maimed-ware and so on. I learnt a huge amount about the PC from their pages too.

Sadly most of the cover-disk images kicking around at archive.org are from the later 3½" cover disk era, by which time I was at college and more focused on Linux, SLS/Slackware, and so forth.

[n4r9]

You've probably already looked but it may be possible to purchase physical vintage copies if all else fails, e.g.: https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?item=145752856587&rt=nc&_t...

[krypdoh]

There's at least one of the issues on eBay.

[ta1243]

For the 120th (10 year) issue, I think in 1996, they had a "what will computers look like in 10 years time" article.

I'd love to see that.

[iam-TJ]

Have you checked out the The National Museum of Computing (TNMoC) archive. Last time I was there they had a rather good magazine collection going back to the early 1980s. It may be worth a call. I see they have an (incomplete) online catalogue:

https://www.tnmoc.org/library-archive

[toomuchtodo]

Might inquire in r/DHExchange as well.

[radial_symmetry]

This post is proof that I truly do not understand what it takes to get to the front page of HN

[dcminter]

It requires that it offer the opportunity for an interesting discussion in the view of those checking the /new page at the time that it's posted.

This ticks several boxes - the desire to archive technical literature, sympathy for an achieveable goal, and nostalgia for the magazines of yesteryear.

The element of serendipity is part of the appeal for me; for example if OP had posted at a different hour, it might have sunk without trace.

[supportengineer]

All I have is Family Computing, INFO, and Amiga World

[roflchoppa]

oh wow! back in August of 2005, I was on a trip to the UK and found a magazine that was talking about Counter-Strike hacks, and I think it was published by PC Plus,

I could be wrong but man I want to find that magazine now.

[roflchoppa]

ahhhh nah i don't think it was PC Plus, but man I wish I could locate the magazine. :(

[rasz]

mmm PC Plus, UK mini version of Computer Shopper, 300 pages of product listings with prices to lust over.

[stavros]

> he noted it didn’t quite qualify for the contest since I hadn’t written PKZIP myself.

Why? Had the other entries written GCC/LD themselves?