Welcome Back BYTE

BYTE -- It's time! BYTE, the most venerated tech media source of all time, is back!

Authoritative, trusted and deeply technical, BYTE set the bar for tech coverage for decades. And I'm thrilled and so pleased to announce its return today, right in the middle of summer 2011. It's been too long!

Originally launched in 1975, BYTE ushered in the personal computer revolution. It was midwife to the birth of the Mac and the PC. In its pages, readers devoured each delectable detail. No one covered tech like BYTE.

Since BYTE closed down in 1998, there has been an aching chasm in tech journalism. A gaping hole. We're filling it now. And BYTE couldn't come back at a better time.

BYTE is here to focus on the technology you care most about. The technology you love. The technology we love. Our news, reviews, how tos, tips, blogs and columns are as authoritative and meaty as they ever were, but now we're able to offer them up in a mix of media and include the audience in the conversation via social channels.

BYTE pulls no punches -- we'll dig deep to make sure you know exactly what you need to know to get the most out of your tech, to find out what's worth buying and what to avoid at all cost. Check out what our team of journalists and tech pros has to offer. We call ourselves teamBYTE. Sit down and stay awhile. So glad you're here.

I want to give a special thanks original BYTE folk who join us on its return. This includes BYTE's original cover artist, Robert Tinney, whose gorgeous art once graced its covers. Robert's on teamBYTE. So is Tom Sloan, BYTE's original cartoonist. In coming days, as our site moves from beta to gold, you'll see the return of Dr. Hydrogen in all his glory.

To top it off, we have as our senior technologist Jerry Pournelle, whose Computing from Chaos Manor column was the first thing so many readers turned to in the decade. Welcome back, Jerry! You'll always have your manor right here.

Jerry's reprising his column, which you can find right here, right now, in our debut electronic pages. Thanks to John C. Dvorak, my long-time mentor and co-conspirator in various mediums, for re-connecting me with Jerry.

And a huge thanks to my old friend and former cohost on the radio every Sunday for years, Leo Laporte. He let me announce the return of BYTE on his great TWiT Sunday show, which in turn helped me find the most incredible staff or writers and tech pros the techmedia world has ever seen. Leo, you rock. Thanks for helping bring back BYTE and for providing a home for BYTEcast, our weekly show out Leo's Studio. We love you, man.

Speaking for teamBYTE, we hope you'll love BYTE as much as we love bringing it back to you. As for teamBYTE, I am deeply grateful to have the most incredible startup team in history. Later this week, you'll see full bios and videos introducing these folks, but for now, know I'm indebted to this team.

In the spirit of loving tech for tech's sake, let me introduce you to the rest of teamBYTE, beginning with my executive editor, Brian Burgess. The day Brian emailed me from Pelican Rapids, MN was my lucky day. I looked at the work a guy who called himself "mysticgeek" was doing -- incredible, gorgeous and deeply technical How To galleries -- and I was a goner. We spent countless late nights, often well into morning, brainstorming, examining images and editing copy over videochat. From all of teamBYTE, thanks, Brian. Good morning, Minnesota!

Deepest thanks to everyone on teamBYTE, every one who spent long hours testing products, taking screenshots and photos, analyzing trends, working on BYTE TV and BYTE radio, designing, planning, writing, drawing, sending in tips, how tos, videos, ideas for reviews, news, columns, just ideas period. Hey, teamBYTE, we did it! We're doing it.

BYTE is back.

Who is teamBYTE? It is and shall always be the following, listed alphabetically by last name. Coming to you from New York to the new UBM office in San Francisco to Hawaii and all the way to New Zealand, teamBYTE is:

Sam Abuelsamid

Dallas Behling

Nevin Berger

David Berlind David Biedny

Julie Blaustein

Nunzio Bruno

Brian Burgess

Marc Canter

Matt Conner

Duane Craig

Joy Culbertson

Chris Deghanpour

Michael Doornbos

Tim Downs

Mike Drips

Dario Dulic

Eric Finkenbiner

Warren Frey

Ty Fujimura

Buzz Garwood

Peter Baer Galvin

Adam J. Grill

Seth Heringer

Jonathan Hoffberg

Craig Johnston

Joey Kelley

Stephen Krause

Stephen Lackey

Mat Lee

Jeremy Lesniak

David Linthicum

Dino Londis

Jacob Lopez

Eric Mack

Daniel Maloney

Demetrius Mandzych

David W. Martin

Rob Maxwell

David Michaelis

David McCabe

Ron McCarty

David Michael

Chris Miller

Todd Moore

Fritz Nelson

Todd Ogasawara

Rafal Ochalski

Larry Press

Michael Rodriguez

Jerry Pournelle

Dan Resciniti

Don Rose

Mike Rothman

Ken Rutkowski Loria Ryan

Esther Shein

Tom Sloan

Paul Somerson

Chris Spera

David Street

David Strom

Jessica Swesey

Dave Taet

Michael Tchong

Robert Tinney

Todd Townsend

Tony Uphoff

John Wargo

Ron White

Emmett Williams

Josh Windisch

Serdar Yegulalp

Two words. Thank you!

Two more. GO BYTE!

gs July 11, 2011 --

Gina Smith, editor-in-chief, BYTE.

Chief Editor Gina Smith leads BYTE. Follow Gina @ginasmith888 or email her at Gina@BYTE.com.