Model Railroader Magazine Goes Digital!

Model Railroader Magazine sent me an email this morning and announced that they were going with a Digital option for those whom wish to read there Mag on Smartphone, Tablet, or PC/Mac.
same $29 but now in new formats.
I think this is cool

 

I paid the extra $10 at the beginning of the year to try it out, but won't do it again. Now if I had the option of a digital only subscription I might bite, but not at the regular subscription price for the hard copy. Also, they use a third party to feed you the digital version, which I don't care to deal with. Another link and password to remember becomes bothersome when there should be a simple link on the MR site that should take me directly to my digital copy.

That's just me.

 

I agree with what your saying there John.

Glen

 

As mentioned they've been Digital since around the first of the year. I absolutely love it and will never look back. As an apartment dweller for the time being, reducing clutter is a top priority and not having stacks of magazines laying around is a beautiful thing. And, the ability to have MR with me wherever I go is just awesome. I have also received Great Model Railroads digitally, as well as their recent "Train Wrecks" book, and have MRP 2013 on order. I have ALL of this with me at all times, including all of my backissues for the year. I use it via my iPhone and via a work-issued iPad and I have to admit I probably wouldn't do it long-term if all I had was an iPhone at my disposal...the iPad or similar Android device is the best way to go...there are plenty of inexpensive Android tablets out there.

I like the setup so much that I recently also subscribed to Trains as well. I also subscribe to Railfan & Railroad via the Carstens app. All of this up to now has been about the same money as I usually spend in hobby shops buying magazines onesey-twosey. I just wish the N-scale mags would get on board, and that Kalmbach would offer all of their archive DVD's through the digital delivery as well. At least the n-scale mags have their archives in PDF which can be ported over to tablets so in theory I could have just about every model railroad magazine I've ever read (and then some) with me at all times.

 

What is now being offered by MR is not the same thing. It is not the magazine digitized. It is a completely new endeavour as can be seen by viewing the clip on the MR website. I, for one, am looking forward to it.

Dave

 

Dave, I'm not sure I understand....."not the same thing" as what? I went out to the website and didn't see any "new endeavor" being hawked. Can you provide a link?

I did notice that it appears you're no longer limited to Zinio for digital distribution...a byline under the Digital subscription area states that Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple all offer MR as an option.

 

Would this new endeavor be at a lower rate than the hard copy? I'll have to take a look.

Doug A., I do agree that having the issues digitized sure makes for less clutter and likely easier to find desirable articles.

 

So it looks like the digital only option is now available, but at the full subscription price. I know there are expenses for an online magazine, but I would think they could do much better than full pop. I would think they are disadvantaged some by the fact that they're overhead is all based on a print magazine so it simply becomes a personal preference. I'm OK with paying a fair price to have the good articles available, but I would have to weigh their price with similar online choices.

Shoot these forums have similar great articles and I can converse more freely with the authors and get varied opinions.

 

I get MR at the library, excellent price, no clutter since it goes back within a day (sometimes the same day). OTOH I buy Trains and Classic Trains; more to learn reading those two than MR.

 

I am having to guess that not everyone has yet seen the teaser on the MR website, which is about a 15 minute video. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the Zinio magazine version. It involves a lot of enhanced new content and HD videos.

Dave

 

I know I haven't seen that as yet. Guess I'll have to go and take a look. Thanks for the heads up. I knew though if I posted something about this that I would get lots of informed feedback on here. Thanks Folks:happy:

 

The E-mail I got says its an extra 12 bucks to add it. Think the price of a regular subscription is high enough without adding another 12 bucks......Mike

 

Well, the OP referenced reading the magazine on the various devices, not the new "Video Plus" you are mentioning. That's where the topic wasn't matching up and why I asked you for a link. (Which is http://mrr.trains.com/mrvpromo btw). I think it will be a nice add-on to MR.

 

I think its a waste of money. There is plenty of free model railroad sites/forums out there. All Modelrailroader is to me is a catalog of advertiments and their forum is not really of interest to me (too many beginners and the rest are know it alls).
I bet the magazine is history within 5 years.

 

Call me stuck in the Transition Era or whatever, but I prefer real books and magazines to tablets and screens. I like to sit down at the beach, on an airplane or on a lounge chair on the deck with something to read, and not worry about batteries or glare or someone stealing my expensive electronic doohickey if I go in for a swim. I know, it's the wave of the future and print magazines will be gone within 10 years, but let me ask you a question.

Do you prefer orange juice, or Tang? The Future isn't always better.

 

Were MR the magazine of old (pre 2000) it might be worth it, but considering that its page count has shrunken to less than one half of what it was back then, with ads comprising half that, and its modeling content no more than mediocre, I'll stick with picking and choosing the issues I buy.

At the same time, I cannot see justification for paying a full hardcopy subscription price for a digital magazine, especially when there is a better, totally free, one already available on-line (Model Railroad Hobbyist) that is aimed toward more serious modeling.

NYW&B

 

I got the subscription earlier this year and got the digital as well and will not buy either again when it runs out , not much content for N scale and Cody needs to better prep his videos and the archive is not open nor free to past issues which i feel subscribers should get one or two previous articles free with out having to buy the whole mag. I like the Timber times I get and the NMRA mag as well.

 

Problem is, you get what you pay for. I've seen more misinformation posted in ONE DAY on <pick a forum, any forum> than I have EVER seen in a quality, professional publication like MR or RMC in the 35 or so years I've been reading them. Don't get me wrong...I love Internet forums and have learned how to weed through the "Monday morning model railroading quarterbacks" with no experience, the folks that haven't had their coffee yet, etc. (and talk about know it alls...seen plenty of forum dwellers that make Tony K. look humble.) Among the bad advice? Wiring instructions that would result in a direct short, someone saying the only way to MU diesels in DC is to reverse the contacts on the motor, recommending chemicals that (from experience!) would severely damage a shell, dangerous 110v wiring practices, etc. And I could do a Mythbusters show about crazy stuff said about DCC, usually from folks that admittedly had never even touched a DCC throttle.

I'm not saying MR is perfect, but I enjoy reading it and still am somehow able to get *something* out of every issue. Yes, they have to cater to a wider audience but I grew up with MR and as long as I can afford it I will buy it in some format or another.

The digital way just means I get all the previously mentioned benefits, and I don't have to depend on USPS and many prayers just to receive the magazine.

 

Well I watched the 14minute video on the Video Plus and don't find it to be much of a value. This appears to be what their site offered for your Magazine subscription as a plus and now they want to charge you on top of your magazine subscription. No soap; I let my Magazine subscription expire due to lack of what I wanted to see and the site kept me going for the length of the subscription but I won't renew.
Best wishes to those who choose to spend the money