Byte was really meant more for computer hobbyists than just your average user. As such, it tended to have more technical content though it had plenty of typical reviews and other coverage as well. The July 1986 issue includes:
Feature
Ciarcia's Circuit: Parallel Interfacing: A Tutorial Discussion, Part 1: Basics - The first in a series of articles on building your own parallel interfaces. This month covers building a parallel keyboard interface and a Centronics printer inteface.
Programming Project: A Spreadsheet Program - An implementation of a spreadsheet program in Modula-2 for the Macintosh.
Programming Insight: Anagram Solving in Pascal - An algorithm in Pascal for solving anagrams.
The Commodore 128 Personal Computer System - A favorable review of what would turn out to be Commodore's last 8-bit machine. The Commodore 128 was unique in that it was really three machines in one. It had a native Commodore 128 mode, a fully compatible C64 mode, and a CP/M mode.
The ITT XTRA XP - An IBM PC AT clone with a 6-MHz 80286 CPU, 512K of RAM, and a 20-megabyte hard drive for $4595.
The Conquest Turbo PC - A PC XT clone with an 8088-2 CPU that can run up to 8-MHz, 256K of RAM, and two double density floppy drives for $1239.
BYSO LISP and Waltz LISP - A comparison of two LISP implementations for IBM PC compatibles.
Kernel
Computing at Chaos Manor: Traveling Computers - A look at a variety of products including Fastback from Fifth Generation Systems, Los Angles on a Disk from Klynas Engineering, MCI Mail from MCI International, the NEC PC-8201 from NEC Home Electronics, Traveling SideKick from Borland International, the TRS-80 Model 100 from Tandy, and more.
According to Webster: Programming Tools - A look at programming tools including the product of the month which is Personal Pascal for the Atari ST.
BYTE U.K.: Personal Supercomputers - A look at Inmos's Transputer as well as the Computing Surface, a machine that makes use of it.