Long bygone are the times where the programmer and computer/tech savvy didn’t mingle with their design peers, so call me picky, but I still think that these times it’s mandatory for things related to computers to be nicely designed, though it seems that it’s an opinion the people at PC User, self-appointed “Australia’s top selling computer magazine”, don’t share. Not that the unappealing design gets in the way of usability and interest, because it doesn’t: the site runs smoothly, has some very nice search options, the content is interesting and original, written in a style which experts, aficionados and helpless newbies can feel comfortable with, and does not charge or prompt readers to buy any subscription; they even have a very mild ad and banner load.
But the fact remains that it’s not nice or comfortable to read from the site because the type is too small (they should have at least put an option to increase the size), the white layout is too white, and well, the design is altogether uninteresting. Now that that’s done, let us speak about what PCuser.com.au actually does: it presents summaries of the print edition of current and latest issues of the magazine, several sweepstakes, coupons and special offers for readers, but most importantly a forum where users ask tech/computer questions of the most diverse nature and get an expert answer. Since all the posts in the section are available to site visitors, it is a good plce to find those odds and bits of information it’s always handy to have around, like how to create automated backup and recovery systems in different OS, tips on some nice web apps, plus lots of comment on free and license software. 
