I'm not renewing my subscription

Ok then, here's what I do!!!

I get a paper copy. Always have, always will. Space wise, I have a couple of shelves for the mags in the garage. The mags themselves are stored inside old large breakfast cereal cartons suitably cut. When I receive a copy, I read it, and then copy into the computer any, not many actually, articles which might be applicable to my admittedly narrow range of interests. I also have a home-made database into which I enter brief details of most of the articles.

What this means is that I can either find a copy on the computer and then print it out, backs of old A4 envelopes or those adverts that come through the letterbox, you know, the ones with a clean reverse side, are useful here. If I haven't already got it on the computer, then a search through the database, followed by retrieving the original and printing as above.

Which means that I don't need to bother about downloading, storage in the cloud, subscriptions, or whatever since I always have the original.

And by the way, the database is an old, ancient, obsolete, DOS based database known as Masterfile Professional which can be made to work very well under Windows XP, which in turn is running as a guest system on a Linux machine. Copying of articles is done by scanning and saving as a JPG under Linux now, but originally via Paint Shop Pro under Windows XP & 2000.

Smugly yours (!!!),

Peter G. Shaw

Hi Peter

So it's the digital subscription you're not renewing? Must admit I'm a paper copy guy keeping a database of all the articles so I can search when I'm undertaking a particular project then dig the relevant mags out

Good system for the electronic copies. And I'm a Linux user too

John

Thanks Neil for this info as stated elsewhere I am not happy with the quality of Pocketmags digital edition visually.

The statements here by some who have already pointed if using older win versions it may become impossible to transfer the digital copies downloaded to later win versions. Just try opening some old original Win Office files, thank goodness for Wordperfect Office.

However all may not be lost for those using older Win versions I have not done it yet but locating the storage folder and doing whats needed to transfer to new system.

I wonder also if in saving the files and software to a USB stick or external HDD maybe the best option that way its always portable.

Ray

Strange .... PocketMags works perfectly well on my Windows 8.1 machine and I don't allow Silverlight within a mile of it.

This has been dealt with elsewhere. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong (I'm sure) but it's my recollection that if you do a new install of Windows (new machine etc) and install PocketMags on it, Pocketmags will then re-download fresh copies all of the past issues that you subscribed to, to the new installation.

(OTOH, I don't know of anyone who has actually tried this yet.)

It's worked on my Windows 8.1 ever since I upgraded 8.0 to 8.1 (just after it was released) - Pocket Mags was already installed (in 8.0) at the time. So I doubt that any Windows updates, per-se, have been needed to allow PM to run..

It's possible though, that your Windows installation had developed a small "glitch" or misconfiguration that prevented PM from working and that an upgrade has refreshed it

Thanks Bandersnatch .

Still reckon saving to an external device would be ideal and transferring between OS would be great to do if it was easy such as is with PDF and other types. Also to be able to do off-line after all if you're paying for them its like paying for a hard copy.

Bikepete

Thank you for your response.

It's an interesting concept, that one can offer a 'service', specify costs and (potential ) benefits, arrange for automatic collection of customer's money and smugly sit back waiting for the customer to complain before doing anything constructive! IF the process auto email specified that one had to make contact to receive the subs number ... well, acceptable, just! But NO, the auto email indicates that the essential number is included ... AND IT IS NOT!

I (like many others) make a lot of on-line purchases. The various vendors seem to fall into two main categories - very good and crap! I have an opinion of the MTM subscription process and feel that the 'peanuts and monkeys' analogy strongly applies.

Rgds

Bill

Hi Bill,

Please be fair. If something has gone wrong (which it has, as the number is normally in the email) then clearly the subs department can't do anything until the subscriber lets them know. They aren't telepathic!

I do know we had some server problems last week (which did not affect this website) that may well have caused glitches in automated subscriber emails.

Neil

Hey ho, I was just gently suggesting, as someone who has some relevant experience, that making contact would be the quickest way to sort it out. As Neil says it's not meant to work that way, it's just a glitch. These things happen.

Anyway, no skin off my nose if you prefer to sit there fuming and waiting. Good luck with that.

Thank you Bikepete

"as someone who has some relevant experience" , would you or Neil have any further useful advice to offer.

Message sent to Subs, Auto response received (good job the robots are operating!!) REAL person response ... BIG FAT ZERO!

I most certainly don't want to "sit there fuming and waiting" but, other than making a several hundred mile round trip to hammer on the MTM door, options appear to be thin on the ground. Undoubtedly, there will be 'reasons' (read excuses) for this sort of foul up - most likely "Computer problems" management speak for GIGO (in old computer terms!)

Hey Ho!, indeed (fuming and waiting)

Rgds

Bill

Sorry Bill, I shouldn't have been snappy, it's annoying when this sort of thing happens. Anyway, to quote from Neil's message above:

"Our Customer Care Team can also be reached by phone on 0844 543 8200 (UK) or +44 1858 438798 (Overseas) lines open weekdays 8am – 9:30pm & Saturdays 8am – 4pm (GMT)."

Might that be an option?

Edited By Bikepete on 03/09/2014 10:38:47

Bikepete

Thank you - and the advice is undoubtedly good ... to deal with what appears to be an incompetent, uninterested 'organisation'.

MTM's priorities would appear to be:- obtain the money, ignore the customer until the SECOND complaint and then, (although this is speculation) deliver the goods. Not, perhaps, the most ethical business model, but " hey, (in modern eejit speak) it's good for finances , yey!!"

Is that really how businesses should operate?

Rgds

Bill

Edited By Cornish Jack on 03/09/2014 11:42:09

Hello Bill,

Bear in mind that the MTM staff who deal with subscriber issues have this as there ONLY job. They are not uninterested and have nothing to gain from ignoring people.

As I said in my message above:

Anyone who is NOT able to resolve their problems through these routes, please email me with as much detail of the problem as possible and I will pass it on with a request to get it sorted, but PLEASE try to follow the above route first.

My email is [email protected]

Please do include a copy of the email you sent earlier and the address you sent it to (the reply would be useful too).

Since becoming editor I have received several subscriber enquiries; my experience has been that the MTM staff have put in a lot of effort to solve what have often been quite unusual issues

Neil

After spotting this thread I got worried and tried to access my mags offline (win7) and the viewer just crashed so spent some time with primopdf printing to PDF via sIlverlight all the articles that would interest me now or in the future the append function of PrimoPDF is very useful so when a new digital mag is available I can just append.

This is actually the best way to store and access interesting articles so this restriction has forced me to do something I should of been doing anyway.

Paper copies are great if you have loads of space and a understanding wife I have neither she just about tolerates my keeping every issue of Clock magazine in the upper cupboards of our Static caravan keeping ME MEW as well would be too painful to think about.

Edited By Stephen Benson on 03/09/2014 15:47:10

Edited By Stephen Benson on 03/09/2014 15:50:31

Edited By Stephen Benson on 03/09/2014 15:51:22

Hi Stephen,

You really shouldn't be having problems with the offline viewer. Check the help section of the Pocketmags website.

Neil

That's it! Enough is enough!

I have no idea what is happening at MTM, but whatever it is they can do it WITHOUT any financial contribution from me

From my initial attempt to subscribe made on Sunday last, MTM's input to rectify matters has been 2 auto-messages (utterly uninformative). Even Neil's kindly attempts to help have failed to generate a response. As a last resort, I attempted to call their 'phone contact ... garbled auto message which was broken up and at an inaudible level. Final attempt was to the subscription /help website to be greeted by a "This domain may be for sale " splash!

As pointed out to Neil, I believed that 35 years in the military had exposed me to real professionals in the art of confusion and incompetence - but no, MTM have it in spades!

I have no idea what is going on there - and (on this sorry episode) I suspect that they don't either. The cancellation email is on its way and I offer these details to any other forum members who may be contemplating subscribing.

Rgds

Bill

Hello Bill,

The head of department wasn't in on Friday; she's looking at this today.

Neil

In the opposite direction I have been thinking of adding digital to my paper copy after it got eliminated by the changes a few weeks ago but use a variety of Company laptops with various operating systems and IT lockouts and a cheapo android tablet. So is there a test point with say a couple of sample documents that I can use to test if any of my equipment will work?

I have little faith in geeks getting it right for more than a few machines as my own company's customer facing apps and websites don't work on my tablet or even on my company issued laptops. It seems that unless you can fork out for fruit based products or this week's version of MS the geeks don't put the effort in.

If you use the viewer on this site as you were previously to view the archive and newly published mags then it will be exactly the same as it was previously so you should have an idea of what that works on for you.

Pocket mags viewer that you will also be able to use if you have a Print Plus may be different and Neil would have to answer your query about a " Try before you buy"

J