John Dvorak

John Dvorak Speaker Biography

Award-Winning Technology Industry Analyst

John C. Dvorak joined the microcomputer revolution in 1976 and started a software company in 1978 specializing in developing and selling microcomputer software. By 1980 the part time business was so successful that he had to quit his job and run the company full time. At the same time Dvorak began a newsletter called the Software Review.
In 1982, because of his knowledge of computers and contacts within the microcomputer field, combined with his writing skills, Dvorak was approached by CW Communications to edit a growing new journal called InfoWorld. John took that position and held it for nearly two years when two book contracts required he concentrate his energies as a free lance writer. In 1981 he dissolved his software firm and has been a full time writer ever since. Currently, John Dvorak is writing under contract for a number of magazine publishers and two newspapers.

Technology Expert

Since 1982 John Dvorak has taught (at Stanford’s Association for Continuing Education) a summer TV course in “What’s New in Personal Computers” (1982 and 1983); appeared on “NBC’s Nightly News” and “Overnight”; hosted two Computerworld Special Reports and started and popularized a column in Infoworld entitled “Inside Track” which is now published by Ziff Davis Publishing in PC Magazine.

Media

John Dvorak has been the featured guest on the national radio talk show, “The Larry King Show”, five times. He has also been featured on the Christian Science Monitor’s radio interview show; PBS’s “All Things Considered”, “The Pat Bohannon Show”, “Entertainment Tonight”, “Voice of America”, “ABC Business Report”, and other national shows. He currently does a weekly syndicated radio show, “Software/Hardtalk”, coast to coast to 50 stations originating from San Francisco and, before that, regularly appeared on the local radio stations. For three years, John hosted a three hour syndicated call in show called “Dvorak on Computers” and is currently signed with C Net to do a series of computer related TV shows to run on VH1.

Publications

John Dvorak currently writes “Inside Track” for PC Magazine, “Ask Dvorak” for the San Francisco Examiner, “Ask Dvorak” (Canadian version) for the Vancouver Sun, “The Cack End” for the DEC Professional, the “Devil’s Advocate” for MacUser, “Dvorak” in PC Computing and the “Last Column” for Microtimes. He also does “Letter From America” for PC Magazine UK as well as the “Dvorak Online” column for Boardwatch Magazine.

John Dvorak’s writings have also appeared in Newsweek, Time Life publications, The International Herald Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, Barrons, MicroScope, PCWorld, Ahoy!, Computer Shopper, Computer Currents, High Tech Import/Export, PC Expert (Paris). Debug (Paris), Marketing Computers, Continental Magazine, Information Technology, Canadian Datasystems and elsewhere. Most of his writings have appeared internationally in publications such as Australian PC World, PC Magazine of Greece, PC Magazine Israel, MacUser England, etc. He was also a weekly on the air columnist for the Computer Cafe in Los Angeles and a correspondent for Thames Television, London. He’s been profiled in Business Week, The San Francisco Bay Guardian. Microtimes, the New York Times, Wired Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal.

Books

In the early 1980’s John Dvorak coauthored Hypergrowth – The Rise and Fall of Osborne Computer Corp., and edited and authored with Dell Publishing four personal computer guides as part of Dell’s Dvorak’s Instant Expert Series. He is the author of several books including: Dvorak’s Guide to PC Telecommunications, Dvorak’s Guide to DOS and PC Performance, Inside Track to the Mac, Dvorak’s Crash Course and PC Survival Guide – a book for beginners, Dvorak’s Guide to PC Games, Dvorak’s Guide to OS/2, and Dvorak’s Guide to Connectivity, and Dvorak Predicts. In addition, John edited the 1992, 1993 and 1994 PC Magazine PC Buyers Guide for ZD Press (and will do the 1995 edition).

Keynote Speaker

John Dvorak currently does 10 to 12 important keynote level speeches a year. He has been a featured speaker in many conferences and expositions including the National Computer Conference. He has also been a keynote speaker at the West Coast Computer Faire, one of the most prestigious microcomputer shows.

Affiliations

John Dvorak is a founding member of the advisory board of the Software Entrepreneurs Forum and a past member of the Software Publishers Association. He continues to act as a judge for the Discover Magazine Awards as well as the Corel International Computer Art Competition.

Awards

John Dvorak has won eight national awards from the Computer Press Association including Best Columnist for 1990 and the award for best column in 1991. He’s also received local recognition in San Francisco’s Focus Magazine in 1986 as “Best New Columnist.”