Offline copies

I just got back from a couple of days in Germany on business, and managed to liberate the iPad from my wife's grasp so I could enjoy the digital editions of Model Engineer on the flight over.

Seatbelt sign comes off, iPad comes out, flight mode on... no digital editions.

Why do I have to be online to read them? The other magazines I/we subscribe to digitally (Railway Modeller, wife's Vogue) are available offline. I notice that the other magazines are available in the "Newsstand" app on the iPad, whereas the Model Engineer ones are a separate app altogether.

This seems a real shame, why only do half a job MyHobbyStore?

Please sort it out. Although I subscribe to the paper copies (I pass them on to others when I'm done) it'd be nice to have the back-editions offline. I'd be particularly miffed if I'd paid for the digital-only subscription if I had to be online to read them.

Joel

Hi CB

you may know this already but when you zoom in on a page there is a faciltiy to print the page (tab at the top) and in the print dialog you can save it as a pdf for later viewing, bit of a pita, but then as half the mag is taken up with ads, you focus on the articles you want to read and digest later, but it needs 10 mins preparation.

Trouble with offline copies, is that its irtually impossible to stop it being copied and recirculated fro free

Its a work around and I like to do this with worthwhile articles for my library (and there are many btw)

cheers

Robin

Thanks for the reply Robin.

Sadly you can't save the .pdf on the iPad, only on a laptop.

The magazines I get through the iPad's "Newsstand" app are presumably authorised (or whatever) by Apple, but I cannot see any way of copying them for illegal distribution (surely Apple, if anyone will have solved this problem!) and so I'm at a loss as to how Railway Modeller can manage but Model Engineer can't.

Can't you create the pdf file on a computer then copy it to your iPad?

Russell.

Joel;

I understand your frustration; I had pre-loaded Nick Feast's Q1 articles on my Android phone for the trans-atlantic flight by saving to a pdf, and then loading them all up on my Android device.

One BIG issue I have is, if you somehow do not renew, you loose all access. At least with the paper copies, you can keep and refer to them in later years, unless you really, really, download each and every page of each and every digital issue.

Another JohnS.

I subscribe to a digital version of a high quality American woodworking magazine. It costs a fraction of the paper copy (around $10 for 6 months) and has many varied articles. I can save it or print it easily. It is because it is inexpensive that no one would bother to copy and redistribute it. It is the high cost of digital subscriptions in the UK that is the real problem.

T

Agreed TD

The publishers are really trying to price gouge you. Its the same with Ebooks. The publishers are desperately trying to fight their own hc corner and are real Luddites about Ebooks and want to charge you almost the same as a paperback, but its changing and the market will force the issue. You are right, if the digi copy is cheap enough, no one will bother with pirating. Way to go

Its the same with DVDs, a few years ago they wanted you to pay 19.99 for one. Now on Amazon I can by say 6 DVDs of a boxed series for 6 quid. That says it all.

BTW I had such awful trouble trying to activate my digi mag account with this lot, that they neednt expect a renewed subscription.

As for saving, IMHO although the Issu page turning thing is a novelty, its a pain to read on screen, alright for scanning, then I print out the article for quiet digestion and I save it in a file cabinet. Its not pretty but it does the job. You probably junk 3/4 of the mag anyway. So much for a paperless society

Robin

It's rather a faff, transferring stuff that should be accessible but ...

I suggest you get two Apps for the iPad

1. FileBrowser
2. GoodReader

Drop me a PM if you want to discuss.

MichaelG.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. What I was really hoping for is perhaps David to suggest a reason why other magazines I subscribe to allow me to read them offline but ME does not. Otherwise I'll just resort to reading these other mags when I'm on the road.

It's nothing to do with me wanting to make copies or backups or share them or to get around a pay-wall. I just want to read them on the plane as easily as the other mags I subscribe to digitally.

Incidentally, going back to what Robin said above about making copies, I cannot see any way of making a copy of Railway Modeller, for instance, and nor would I wish to. But I can read it on the plane!!!!

Management decision.

I think we are looking at the Smiths method.

regards David

David

Please enlighten me. What is the 'Smiths method'.

It might help it make more sense to overseas readers who may not know of Smiths, Potato crisps is it?

Ian

I think it may help most of the UK readers too who have no idea what this 'Smiths method' actually is.

The whole 'digital subscription' regime needs overhauling as far as im concerned. The viewing quality is absolutely pathetic and harkens back to something akin to the 90's. The print quality and overall user friendliness of it all leaves much to be desired. And the digital price. Well that needs at least cutting in half.

Bloody Hek David!

Just throw in terminology to put everyone off the scent!!

What do you mean by the Smiths Method?? I used to train my gun dogs by the Smith method!!

Somewhat vague and misleading methinks!!

To be fair, David did say it was Management decision and said 'they' were looking at it, So its one of those 'Need to Know' situations again. The other thing he said was that he only 'thinks' thats whats happening, so its all non information really.

After all why should we, the forum members, be concerned about what other people are looking at?

Ian

(I'm not a smiley person but I could not see one with a wink)

Edited By Ian Phillips on 11/12/2012 21:37:22

Edited By Ian Phillips on 11/12/2012 21:39:16

Hi There

W.H. Smith is a UK newsagents chain.

I believe they do a lot of magazines as digital downloads. You can buy one copy or subscribe.

I think the management said they were looking at it.

regards David

Traaditional publishers in UK are notorious for acting like Luddites railing against the inevitable trend towards Epubs and outrageously price gouging us for the same rrp as a physical pub. America is way ahead of us

But its only a matter of time and the Dinosaur publishers will fade away as everyone shops on line

Its not rocket science, its the Smith Conjecture

Robin

Very frustrating at the moment. Due to weather I have had intermittent internet connection. An ideal time to sit and read. Shame I am unable to read what I have paid for!

If it were a film they would want different rights managment (payments) for each device type be it phone, laptop, tv, etc. Then halfway through the flight it would be deleted because you had entered another zone.
And if you dared to turn the sound up in a public area or even if working at home alone you would need to pay two organisations for performing rights.

If you pay for a digital subscription, you should be allowed to download what you have paid for!

If at the end of the subscription you are no longer able to access what you have paid for, then what exactly did you pay for??

The attitude of MHS in not providing downloadable pdf format for genuine subscribers ammounts to a luddite attitudede to its subscribers.

Most, if not all of the 'international' magazine providers give the option to download their magazines in pdf format for paid up subcribers. Why are we, in the UK so far behind the times, or so scared of plagiarism.

regards

Graeme

Hi There

You pay for access to read 13 issues of MEW. As a bonus you get access to another 200 or so Model Engineers' Workshop magazines.

How much should we charge if you get to keep them?

£4 each x 212 copies = £848. (199 copies + another 13 issues.)

If I get enough interest from forum members, I will see if management will allow PDFs to go on sale for £848.

Who is going to be first to place an order?

regards David