Is it true that our access to the digital archive going to disappear?

Some people, in earlier threads, have expressed a wish to be able to read the mag offline on various devices. Say on a plane/train/bus for example. The new reader will allow that.

What about hovercraft, or more pertinent to the readership, steam locomotives?!

Ian P

Hi Diane, this post has made the water cloudyer to my mind, because there is no memtion of the print issue allowing access to the online achive in the FAQ under the general subscription queries tab **LINK** and the flyer says it will no longer be available with print only from July 2014. If it is continued to all platforms as before, then as Rodger Vain says, why would one want to upgrade if you don't need to download and read off line etc.

By the way, the flyer that I recieved is only related to ME and there dosn't seem to be any mention of a print + digital for MEW in the subscibe tab at the top of this page, so will the MEW online archive not be avilable unless one subscribes to the MEW digital?.

Can this be clarified for definite?

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 11/07/2013 16:49:18

G'day all.

I was just about to subscribe to MEW. Even here down-under without the free gifts the digital archives seemed attractive ( I get my copies from the newsagent). But from reading this thread it appears that the magazine owners are getting greedy. That's what happens when the bean counters get creative. Hence NO subscription from this little bunny!

For limeric fans " There once was a man from Australia. Etc"

Regards from the land of the kangaroo

Cu Later * Danny M *

Hi Nick

To go back to my very long post:

· The digital archive will still be available, but it will be available as part of a new Print + Digital Subscription package and a new Digital Subscription package.

So - if you want to subscribe to print only, that's all you get - the paper magazine only. No online access to old issues.

If you want to continue to access the archive you will have to subscribe to the Print + Digital or Digital only which now has the added benefit of the longed for ability to download and read off-line.

The way I see it is that the emphasis is now definitely shifting towards Digital consumption - as is the way with so many publications. However - this is Model Engineer - and I suspect that old habits (printed magazines) will die hard. But we'll see....

I hope this helps.

Diane

Hi Diane, thanks for your reply, you have confermed exactly as I have read it and I hope it clarifies it for others as well.

Regards Nick.

Just a little more information from our Subscription manager:

If you subscribe to the print + digital edition and then cancel your subscription, then you will still be able to read those issues that you have already downloaded. You will not, however, be able to download any more issues, and you will no longer have access to the digital archive.

The archive will continue to be added to as we want to keep this resource growing and as complete as it can be. The point of the new editions is that they allow subscribers to download and keep the magazine issues beyond the term of their subscription (please note you only get the issues to which you have subscribed – you cannot download the whole archive!). It also allows subscribers to read issues of the magazine without an internet connection. So if you have a mobile device or laptop, you can download the issues you are subscribed to, and have the choice to read them wherever you like (for example in a workshop that doesn’t have an internet connection).

Hope that helps!

Train = steam locomotive doesn't it? ..... unless they've invented other kinds, I haven't been watching.

I must admit I hadn't considered hovercraft - mea culpa.

Diane ... another question for your Subscription manager ...

I have just renewed ME (June) ...

If I upgraded to the New Print and Digital (i.e ability to download and read current issues offline) -

a/ What would it cost me?

b/ Would I be able to download and keep all issues since the start of my current subscription period, (i.e the June/July issues) or only those after the upgrade?

Thanks

Dave

Edited By Steambuff on 11/07/2013 19:03:46

Am I the only one who has NEVER longed for the ability to download and read off-line??

Phil

Nope

Nope

Thanks for that Nick. Confirmed that if I stay paper only I will lose access to the digital archive. Bit of a poop that as I don't want to download and read. Off for a sulk in the corner.

John

In your case you would have to pay £12 a year more than you would for paper only in order to access the whole archive. I suppose you have to decide what, to you, is the value of that archive.
(I maybe shouldn't mention this but don't forget, also, there are always people selling collections of the magazine in the Free Ads!)

On the other point above - I know not everyone wants to read off-line (me included!!) but you would have to agree it has been one of the loudest complaints we have had - time and time and time again - ever since that technology started to become widespread.

,

There once was a man from Australia

who considered subscription a failure.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 11/07/2013 22:32:58

Well done Michael, 9.5/10 for that one!

However. The problem of access to information and the desire of the 'traditional' media to force people to pay for access because the print copies are losing customers is an ongoing saga.

Our own 'Mr R. Murdoch' has much to answer for but he does not speak for all of us here in Oz.

I just picked up MEW # 202. 'On the editors bench' still has a picture of David, surely this should be a photograph of Dianne?

Regards from the land of the kangaroo

Cu Later * Danny M *

Why? David is still the MEW Editor

Hi all,

After switching to the digital version i have been mostly happy with the exception that if i wanted to print something i had to do it a page at a time .
I feel i should be able to download the whole issue to my PC and view at my liesure as i have payed for it .
I should not have pay as much as a hard copy subscriber as there are no printing or mailing costs and i also lose the subscription offer as i live outside the UK.

So there could be tiered system :
Basic digital - latest issue only for budget minded readers -no archives .
Basic hard copy - mailed issue no archives as above but a hard copy .
Intermediate digital - latest issue + archives
intermediate hard copy - as above but with printed version.
premium subs - both ME & MEW hard copy + full digital access.

I should be able to download the magazine as a PDF and keep it for future refrence as i wish as i have paid for it .

I found the Digial subs are excellent except i cannot 'click a copy and print the whole magazine .

Ian

Dianne,

I have been a subscriber to both magazines for some years and am not at all happy with this situation.

I used to keep all my backnumbers but some time ago we were told that subscribers (to the paper magazine) would have access to the digital archives. Great I thought, I can recover some workshop space by sending my old copies for recycling. Now we are told that the promise made earlier will be renaiged upon and I will have to pay extra for something I have already bought. To my mind this is entirely dishonest and I am unlikely to renew my subscription next time if you continue to treat your customers this way.

I stronly suspect that this proposed move will significantly reduce your revenue and not, as your bean counters evidently believe, increase it. The way to increase revenue is to create happy customers.

I like paper copies of ME: once you have read them you can either give them to the club for others who do not subscribe to read or sell them as volumes.

Digital subscriptions seem very restricted. For instance when I down load a copy can I only keep it on that phone/computer that I downloaded it on to? What happens when in two years time I upgrade my phone/computer again? Can I transfer the file to my other/new computer? I assume I will not be able to because otherwise there would be nothing stopping me sending that digital copy out to all my mates.

Jo