{{short description|Indian technology publication}} {{other uses|PC Quest (disambiguation)|PCQ (disambiguation)}} {{More citations needed|date=June 2011}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}} {{Use Indian English|date=December 2022}} {{Infobox magazine | title = PCQuest | logo = 250px | image_file = PCQuest-Magazine.jpg | image_size = 265px | image_alt = | image_caption = | editor = Thomas George | editor_title = Group Editor | previous_editor = L Subramanian, Prasanto Kumar Roy, Krishna Kumar, Anil Chopra | staff_writer = | frequency = monthly | circulation = | category = Computer | company = [http://cybermedia.co.in Cyber Media India Limited] | publisher = Pradeep Gupta | founded = 1982 | country = India | based = New Delhi | language = English | website = {{URL|https://www.pcquest.com|''Official website''}} | issn = }} '''''PCQuest''''' is an Indian technology publication, and part of the Cyber Media group of publications that also publish Dataquest.
==History and profile== First published in July 1987, the magazine was originally called ''PC World'', and was one of the earliest technology magazines published in India. It was later renamed to ''PC Quest'' and then again to its current name, ''PCQuest'' (without the space).<ref name="35years">{{cite web |last=Rajguru |first=Sunil |date=July 4, 2021 |title=35 Years of PCQuest |url=https://www.pcquest.com/35-years-pcquest/ |website=PCQuest |access-date=February 3, 2026}}</ref>
== PCQ Online BBS == In 1994, ''PCQuest'' launched India's first attempt by an Indian publication to create an online, interactive service for its readers, by setting up a BBS.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |title=List of BBSes in India |url=http://bbsdocumentary.com/library/COUNTRIES/BBSCULTURES/INDIA/unu-indb.htm#BBS18 |website=BBS: The Documentary |access-date=February 3, 2026}}</ref>
== PCQ Labs == To support its sister publications, as well as external entities requiring such services, ''PCQuest'' formed '''PCQ Labs''' in 1994. The charter of ''PCQ Labs'' was to do technology and product reviews, investigate new technologies, and document them for readers. The labs has been renamed to ''Cybermedia Labs''.<ref name="35years"></ref>
== PCQ Cover CD/DVD == In 1995, PCQuest became the first Indian publication to include a cover CD, a CD-ROM that carried supplementary information, software and other material. With permission from IBM, the first cover CD carried a fully functional copy of OS/2 Warp 4.
== PCQ Linux Initiative == In March 1996, ''PCQuest'' launched its '''PCQuest Linux Initiative'''. The initiative included the publication of an annual Linux distribution on the cover CD as well as technical articles about Linux and other Open Source technologies. This has resulted in the distribution of close to a million Linux CD-ROMS in India since 1996. For many people in India, this became the primary source of Linux distributions.<ref>{{cite web |last=Nag |first=Aditya |date=March 24, 2004 |title=PCQuest Linux: A Fedora-based distro for India |url=https://www.linux.com/news/pcquest-linux-fedora-based-distro-india/ |website=Linux.com |access-date=February 3, 2026}}</ref>
Since 2001, the PCQuest customized Linux CD distribution has been called '''PCQLinux'''. The last ''PCQLinux'' was published in 2009 after a user poll <ref name="userpoll">{{cite web|url=http://forums.pcquest.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=7003 |title=user poll |publisher=Forums.pcquest.com |date= |accessdate=2012-06-07}}</ref> concluded that the CD distribution was not useful to urban users, as a consequence of improvements in broadband Internet access.
''PCQuest'' has published "Linux Specials" every year since 1996, except in 1997 and 2001, when it published two such special issues.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}
== Content == ''PCQuest'' initially did not retain dedicated writing staff. In late 1992, then-editor Prasanto Kumar Roy initiated a new approach, by sourcing much of PCQuest's content from technology industry writers, contributors and enthusiasts. Over the years, these writers included names such as Atul Chitnis, Kishore Bhargava, Ashish Gulhati, Rishab Aiyer Ghosh, Vipul Ved Prakash, Varun Jaitly and others. Subsequently, ''PCQuest'' built up the first magazine owned test and review facility for IT products in India with Krishna Kumar joining to setup PCQLabs. PCQ labs built up a strong team of internal reviewers and analysts including Vinod Unny, Nikhil Dutta, Sanjay Majumder, Anindya Roy, Shekhar Govindarajan and many more.
In 1999, Krishna Kumar became the editor of ''PCQuest'' and started repositioning the magazine in the enterprise technology implementation space.
Today,{{as of?|date=May 2012}} most of the content is created by a team of in-house technology analysts.
== Video == In 2005 ''PCQuest'' started experimenting with producing a video on technologies and products that was carried in the cover mounted CD/DVD. In 2006, this became a regular feature of about 25–30 minutes that is carried every month.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.pcquest.com }} * [http://cybermedia.co.in/ Cyber Media website] *[https://archive.org/details/texts?query=Pcquest Archived PCQuest magazines] on the Internet Archive
Category:1982 establishments in Delhi Category:English-language magazines published in India Category:Computer magazines published in India Category:Monthly magazines published in India Category:Magazines established in 1982