The front cover of the September 1980 issue of Softalk (Vol 1, No. 1)

Softalk (ISSN 0724-9629) was a magazine of the early 1980s which focused on the Apple II computer. Magazines, periodicals or serials are Publications generally published on a regular schedule containing a variety of articles, generally The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. Published from 1980 through 1984, it featured articles about hardware and software connected with the Apple platform and the people and companies who made it. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Unlike other computer magazines that generally focused on a specific, narrow subject matter or market segment (e. g. , business applications, games, or professional programming), Softalk gave broad coverage to all parts of the Apple world of the time, from programming tips to game playing, from business to home use, including computing as an industry, a hobby, a tool, a toy, and a culture. On occasion it even ran fiction. As a result, it developed a loyal fan following.

Another characteristic of the magazine was a playful, insider-like voice, where the experts in those early days seemed to chat in their own relaxed language about the techniques and elements of their world. Bert Kersey, of the small, homey Beagle Bros software company, was one columnist; as were Doug Carlston, founder of Broderbund software; Mark Pelczarski, founder of Penguin Software; and Bill Budge, creator of MacPaint and many early games and breakthroughs at Apple itself. Beagle Bros was a software company that specialized in creating personal computing products that were both useful and whimsical. Doug Carlston was CEO chairman and co-founder (with brother Gary) of Brøderbund Software, a software publishing firm that produced such hit titles as Brøderbund Software was an American maker of Computer games Educational software and The Print Shop productivity tools Mark Pelczarski was an early pioneer in digital multimedia In 1979 while teaching computer science at Northern Illinois University, he self-published Magic Paintbrush Penguin Software was a Video game publisher from Geneva, Illinois that produced graphics software and games for the Apple II, Macintosh Bill Budge (born c 1954 is a Computer game programmer and designer.

A regular feature was a monthly chart of the most popular software in various categories, which was the Apple community's equivalent of the Billboard charts for pop music. See Billboard (Turkish magazine Billboard is a weekly American Magazine devoted to the Music industry Unlike most such bestseller lists, which report shipment from warehouses, not sales, Softalk's bestseller numbers were drawn from polling retail sales in computer stores throughout the world. There were also contests encouraging the participation of readers. Originally, Softalk was sent free to all registered Apple owners, but later it required paid subscription after a free year. Softalk underwent rapid expansion in its early history, with issues getting very thick (largely from advertising), but an industry slump in 1984 caught Softalk with too many unrealized revenues against heavy printing costs, which overtaxed its undercapitalized status. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Rather than take the unprofessional path of erratic publication, the Softalk board chose to cease publication. In its 48 influential months, the original Softalk's readership grew from 30,000 names loaned by Apple Computer to 250,000 readers; in its third and fourth years, Softalk achieved a place on the Folio 400 list of the nation's largest magazines.

When the IBM PC came on the market, Softalk Publishing was on the spot with "'Softalk for the IBM PC. "' And with the advent of the Apple Macintosh, Softalk Publishing launched an edition for the Mac, named Softalk Mac, written as ST. Macintosh, commonly nicknamed Mac is a Brand name which covers several lines of Personal computers designed developed and marketed by Apple Inc Mac. For a few years Softalk Publishing published a magazine begun by OnLine Systems (later Sierra-OnLine and Sierra Software). This small magazine had a double life as a gentle industry lampoon as well as covering the gamut of computer games (Softline, renamed to ST. Game for its final issue).

The startup capital for Softalk came from the money one of its founders, Margot Comstock, had won on the game show Password, along with a generous early contribution from John Haller. Password is a word association game developed by the Milton Bradley Company in 1962

Softalk, along with founder/editor Margot Comstock and founder/publisher Al Tommervik are named as pioneers of the microcomputer industry in the Smithsonian Institution.

The disk magazine Softdisk was originally partly owned by Softalk, and survived on its own. A disk magazine, colloquially known as a diskmag, and also known by the Portmanteau magazette (from "magazine on diskette" is a Magazine Softdisk ( originally Softdisk Magazette, was a Disk magazine for the Apple II computer line published from 1981 through 1995