John Dvorak graduated from the University of California with a B.A. in history and a chemistry minor. He worked as a chemist for Union Oil and with the Bay Area Air Quality Management as an Air Pollution Inspector before he became interested in computers. In 1975, he returned to the university to learn computer programming.
John joined the microcomputer revolution in 1976, with the purchase of an early SOL computer. By 1978, he began a software company which specialized in the development and sales of CP/M microcomputer software. By 1980, the part-time business was so successful that he quit his day job to run the company full-time. In addition, he began a popular newsletter, The Software Review. CW Communications approached him in 1982, to edit a growing new journal called InfoWorld. He remained for two years until book contracts required that he concentrate his energies. However, he remained as a free-lance writer and became a leading columnist. (In 1981, he dissolved the software sales company as the market had moved in different directions).
The popular "gossip" and news column moved from InfoWorld to PC Magazine to reach a larger, more advanced computer audience in 1985. (This column is translated and found in Ziff publications on every continent).
He currently writes for a number of publications including: The Vancouver Sun, PC Computing, PC Magazine UK, Boardwatch Magazine, and Microtimes.
John is an on-air television columnist on the popular C/NET cable program, and hosts a weekly nationwide Public Radio interview radio show (Software/Hardtalk) broadcast to over 100 stations. He has had a number of published books. Current titles in print include: Dvorak's Guide to PC Telecommunications, Dvorak's Buyer's Guide (updated yearly), and Dvorak Predicts.
John freelances whenever possible. His writings have appeared in Newsweek, Time-Life, International Herald-Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Barrons, Microscope, S.F. Examiner, MicroScope, MacUser, Computer Shopper, Computer Currents, High Tech Import/Export, Continental Magazine, to name a few.
He's been profiled in Business Week, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Rolling Stone.
He has been a featured guest on The Larry King Show (four times), the Christian Science Monitor talk interview show, PBS's All Things Considered, Entertainment Tonight, Voice of America Business Report, as well as other national television and radio shows.
Since 1982, John has been a popular and entertaining feature and keynote speaker at tradeshows, conferences, expositions, and corporate meetings. Tradeshows clients include the following: '85 NCC; '91 West Coast Computer Faire; '93 Softworld - Vancouver, B.C.; '94 1BBSCon; '95 2BBSCon. Germany; and, '95 ComputerFest, Toronto. He has given speeches both in the United States and abroad to a number of organizations. These include: Borland International; Apple Computer, IBM Sales/Marketing; IBM Technical Symposium; Compaq; AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants); Illinois CPA Association; General Electric/NBC; The Progressive Corporation; Nynex; Top Speed Corporation; Novell: CUE (Comten Users' Exchange, Inc.) for Bell Atlantic; INLY (Canada); Acer (Taipei); Fenasoft (Brazil); Clarion Software; Samsung (Korea); Ziff Davis Publishing; OS/2 Professional; NEC; Merisel (Canada); Ameritech; and M Technology, among others.
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