Pocket PC Magazine Launches Forums

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://pocketpcmag.com/forum/' target='_blank'>http://pocketpcmag.com/forum/</a><br /><br /></div>"Pocket PC magazine has launched its forums on their Web site. These forums will give you the ability to seek help and advice about using your Pocket PC, Handheld PC, and SmartPhone devices, along with a place to discuss news, games, new products, newsletters, and articles. These forums allow you to read messages, and as a member you can also post messages. Signing up as a member is a simple process which only takes a few minutes. Membership is FREE and open to anyone with a valid email address. An Extra Bonus: for a limited time, everyone who signs up as a member will receive a FREE copy of the current issue of Pocket PC magazine in MS Reader (e-Book) format. This is the version of Pocket PC magazine you can actually read on your device! It’s a $4.95 value!"

[dean_shan]

I'm down with a free copy. I accasonaly read PPC Mag. Not too often though Fairbanks does not get this magizine too often. Plus PPCThoughts has more up to date info.

[Vincent M Ferrari]

I'm down with a free copy. I accasonaly read PPC Mag. Not too often though Fairbanks does not get this magizine too often. Plus PPCThoughts has more up to date info.

I read it mainly for the reviews... They're usually very well written, and the specs on the PPC's are very detailed. I like that.

[ux4484]

This isn't a bad rag. I talked work in to subscribing to the meatspace edition, so I've read it a few times......but........Why is the electronic version the same cost as the meatspace version? Additional distribution costs? server space? certianly not paper or mailing costs? Is it ad-free? There really should be some incentive for the electronic version other than that it IS an electronic version. I'm not suggesting free, but knock a few bucks off for not killing a tree or paying postage.

[dean_shan]

There really should be some incentive for the electronic version other than that it IS an electronic version. I'm not suggesting free, but knock a few bucks off for not killing a tree or paying postage.

I agree. I would much rather get a physical subscription then and ebook version. I like ebooks but I only buy them when they cost less than their paper versions.

[PPCRules]

Yeah, these magazine people just don't get it. And it will end up killing the ebook species.

The big thing they are missing on is that many/most people (me, at least) would desire both print and electronic versions, to be utilized differently at different opportunities. And these exhorbitant prices are not going to allow anyone to do that. So people will pick one or the other, and I agree with dean_shan that most will pick paper. Really, what new subscriber are you going to pick up for just the ebook version (not many). And you are locking out your faithful readers with the high price.

(This part applies equally to all ebook publishing...)
It's also a lot like selling your house yourself (okay, let's not sidetrack the thread with all your own stories on this). The seller thinks they are going to save the money, but the buyer is expecting the same thing so the price ends up being about as much lower as the realtor (r) fees would have been. Here, everyone knows the publisher is eliminating a huge part of their cost in not having paper and printing costs, shipping/distribution costs, retailer margins and the waste of unsold copies. So the potential buyer is going to expect these savings. If the price is anywhere near the price of the print version, they will not be signing up and it will be interpreted as the public "not being ready" for ebooks publications, the offerings will be dropped, and we'll all try it again in a couple years.

[sullivanpt]

I am the weirdo who PREFERS the e-book version :!:

Paper and print snail mail ("meatspace"!?) delivered to my house usually goes straight to the outbasket; this even applies to the subscription magazine I still waste my money on.

I read a LOT (2 hours a day on the train). The truth is, I have tons useful information (avantgo news and dozens of e-books) loaded on my PDA. More than I can possibly read in a year. And it's always conveniently with me.

I just wish our PDA screens had twice the resolution. Not bigger screens, just higher pixel density, so I could see the details in the document images better.

[Paragon]

I buy the paper version for the advertising.....honestly!

[blusparkles]

Yeah, I actually like the Pocket PC ads in the Pocket PC Magazine print version (which, by the way, you don't get in the ebook version). Who doesn't want to know about all of the latest Pocket PC accessories and software? Not many people who visit Pocket PC Thoughts regularly, that's for sure!

I've read Pocket PC Magazine in MS Reader version quite a few times. A nice read, but I found myself preferring to read the paper version. The main reason for this is the memory leaks in MS Reader 2.0. Pocket PC Magazine uses a lot of graphics that are carried over to the .lit version .. and you'll find that you won't be able to get through the whole magazine before your available memory is reduced to zero and you'll have to restart your Pocket PC numerous times just to keep on reading. I'd find myself doing this 5 or 6 times just to be able to read the magazine through to the end!

Also, you don't have the ability to "flip" through the magazine, unless you bookmark the table of contents and then continually go back to this to jump to another section. The start of each section has a "Skip this article" link that lets you jump to the next article, which is not really helpful if you want to go back to the article that you were just reading.

I'd like to see Pocket PC Magazine publish to other ebook formats that dont' have the memory leak problem, like Mobipocket Reader or Palm Reader.

[Duncan]

Get the Zonio version and have the advantage of the full paper version (ads and all) without the disadvantages of actual paper! :wink:

[blusparkles]

Get the Zonio version and have the advantage of the full paper version (ads and all) without the disadvantages of actual paper! :wink:

Yah .. but I generally don't like reading things from a desktop or laptop computer - too unwieldy. Would actually prefer the paper version in that case.

[dochall]

Get the Zonio version and have the advantage of the full paper version (ads and all) without the disadvantages of actual paper! :wink:


How do you find it. When I have tried Zinio magazines in the past I have found them a bit slow and the UI to be painful.

I was thinking I re-subscribe but can't decide which version to go for.

[Diane Dumas]

The Zinio version of Pocket PC magazine indeed has the advantages of the Print edition with ads and the ability to "flip" pages. If you run your desktop resolution at 1280x1024 and use a larger monitor (17") you can actually read both pages at the same time without having to zoom in on a page.

It has another feature that allows you to print a hardcopy of the pages to your home printer! Also, link URL's are "live" and you can hyperlink directly to references in the magazine and also advertiser's Web sites.

Typically, the Zinio edition is delivered before the Print edition arrives in the mail and is excellent for people who live outside the USA.

Pocket PC magazine offers a FREE Sept. 2002 issue for download to try out.

Here's the URL for the Zinio edition:
http://pocketpcmag.com/digital/

BTW: if you want to subscribe to Pocket PC magazine use Jason's (PocketPCThoughts.com)'s affiliate link and support this site!

[rberry88]

&lt;sarcasm> Just Great &lt;/sarcasm> I usually visit their site a couple times a week to check out the reviews and new stuff coming but now this is going to put me over the top. What I mean is, it is a great site but everytime I leave the site I find that I've just added about 10-15 new additions to my IE favorites list.

Oh well, I guess I just can't get enough of a good thing.

rberry :multi: :beer:

[Crystal Eitle]

memory leaks in MS Reader 2.0. Pocket PC Magazine uses a lot of graphics that are carried over to the .lit version .. and you'll find that you won't be able to get through the whole magazine before your available memory is reduced to zero and you'll have to restart your Pocket PC numerous times just to keep on reading. I'd find myself doing this 5 or 6 times just to be able to read the magazine through to the end!

This happened to me too! I finally figured out what was happening. The first time, it locked up my PPC and I had to do a soft reset. Weird! Annoying!

[Hal Goldstein]

Yeah, these magazine people just don't get it. And it will end up killing the ebook species..

Pretty harsh assessment :(

The big thing they are missing on is that many/most people (me, at least) would desire both print and electronic versions, to be utilized differently at different opportunities. And these exhorbitant prices are not going to allow anyone to do that. So people will pick one or the other, and I agree with dean_shan that most will pick paper. Really, what new subscriber are you going to pick up for just the ebook version (not many). And you are locking out your faithful readers with the high price.

I get your perception of the situation. If I were in your shoes, I might feel the same. As the publisher (and person that set the pricing policies), I don't have any easy solution. One problem is the artificially low price of the print subscription itself of Pocket PC magazine. We are not Time or Forbes or even PC Magazine, whose majority income comes from advertising. We don't have big institional advertisers spending the big bucks. Rather we have a few 1 page advertisers and a lot of small software vendors. Yet, we done our best to keep the print price comprable to these other consumer magazine. We are able to do so because of a large newsstand distribution, the existing advertising, and a much lower cost of doing business in small-town Iowa then the big boys.

The question should be (but unfortunately isn't in many cases) is $20 for 7 electronic issues worth the cost. IMHO it is a great value. We do have "The Works" in which if you buy the print and one electronic version, we give the other free. The MS Reader version takes quite a bit of time to rework the issue so it is optimally readable on the Pocket PC. The Zinio digital version also requires a significant investment from our graphic artist. My feeling was the pricing we developed is fair and makes it worth the effort. If we lowered the price, it just might not be worth our time investment. Also, our overseas subscribers appreciate the electronic versions since they don't have to pay the $18 additional shipping charge.

[dean_shan]

Also, our overseas subscribers appreciate the electronic versions since they don't have to pay the $18 additional shipping charge.

Good point.