75 Years Of MR Magazine on DVD

Thx 2slim, I didn't even know the online search function existed. Now that I do, I'll experiment with it and see if there's a way to get a cross-reference from issue date to issue number. Thanks again.

 

A Good Idea in Theory, But in Practice...

Um, actually...yes it is. iPad's and iPhones don't support FLASH, but they do support PDF's, and also several different eReaders. (as does just about every other tablet/reader running other OS'es) So, MR could have utilized existing technology to provide value, but apperently instead chose to basically just cheap it out.

I am a fan of MR and Trains and a longtime supporter but they kinda dropped the ball on this one. Of course there's always a way to make it work, somehow...I'll likely buy it and "modify" it so I can use it on my iPhone and iPad.

Did we find out if it is searchable? That would be key. If it's just a bunch of static PDF scans well...shame on them.

 

The description does mention: "Explore the fully-searchable index instantly by issue, keyword, title, contributor and more"

Mike C.

 

75 Years Of MR On DVD---GREAT!!!

I'll be ordering my copy ASAP. $199 is a bit pricey, but worth it in my book. I'll spend that much for a couple good steamers. Hopefully some other magazines will follow Kalmbach's lead.

I don't care if it runs on an iPod/Pad whatever, I don't have one now and mostly never will. But I do have this quad core, desktop powerhouse and a commercial grade color laser printer to print out ANYTHING I want. Plans, drawings, articles and images that will help me with my modeling and layout building. Plus I will be able to give away/donate my MR collection to people who need it.

I've already got N-SCALE Magazine from 1989 until 2009 on DVD. I wouldn't trade them for anything. You can print out anything and then use said prints for building/modeling. And throw them away when you are done, but still be able to re-print the images again if you need to.

 

I'm amazed at the negativity towards MR for not making this available for iPads and eReaders. You guys act like notebooks and desk top computers don't exist anymore! If you have a 64G iPad would you REALLY want 25G taken up by MR? Come on, don't we have real things to gripe about????

 

I don't. They have already sold the magazine one time. Basically they have 35 cents invested in a DVD with a cute paper insert. If it was like some special issues never released before then it might be worth $200.

But it will take up $200. I can buy a lot of turnouts or other stuff with $200.

So is GOOGLE, but it don't cost $200!

 

Not many people complain about having to pay for back issues, so I don't really see your logic - this is the ultimate back issue (well, until the next better one arrives )

Regarding compatibility this is clearly NOT just a collection of scans (as might be a set of pdfs). Full installation with data on drive: 25 GB - given that a DVD can hold a bit under 5GB the whole thing must be heavily compressed and therefore needs some special software to serve it up. That they have only supplied this to the most common platforms (PC/Mac) is no great surprise since the % of the general population with other devices isn't that huge, and for RR modellers I suspect it is quite a bit smaller. And reading MR on a smartphone really wouldn't appeal to a lot of us anyway - it's bad enough reading non-mobile webpages; like Trainboard in fact .... (no, that is not a complaint )

 

I tend to agree with the comment that it's an "ultimate back issue." Some hard copy back issues can be hard to find in good condition if they can even be found at all.

I can recall at least two instances of purchasing a back issue online for a specific article or set of drawings only to have it show up missing ONLY the 4-5 pages I specifically wanted, and then having to try and find (and pay for) another copy.

I suppose, like everything else in model railroading, it comes down to how much value it holds for the individual making the purchase. Some will consider it a must-have, others will not.

Mike

 

I think this is a great idea, but I would like to know now before I spend $200 how MR is going to handle updates. The DVD is only up to 2009 so it is already not current. If I could get an electronic subscription like this that would replace the paper and be current that may be something to look into.
I don't like the idea of having to pay twice for something.

Pete

 

I have an Ipad, Ipod, a laptop and a desktop with Windows 7.
For some reason my Apple products just work, and work much better. If over bloated buggy software that takes around 1GB of physical memory just to run the desktop is your definition of "training wheel free", you can have it. Enjoy upgrading, I'll spend my $$ on choo choo's

I used to make jokes about Apple products too, until I tried one. This Windows Desktop is starting to look like a VHS tape to me. Sales of Windows O/S has dropped significantly since the introduction of the IPAD. I can see the future, and I see MS struggling to play catch up. If there was an app the would allow me to open and manipulate MS Office documents (reliably), I would say watch out MS.

As far as someone asking of your can open PDF's and view flash with an IPAD, you
can with several available apps. I read MRH on my Ipad when I'm traveling, and there is a brower that allows me to view flash websites, but to tell you the truth, it's very rare when I need flash.

 

Not sure what your talking about site builder, as far as "can't get my own music off of my Ipod", Yes I can, one shouldn't assume my library comes from Itunes. :tb-wink: I ripped my collection of CD 's to Itunes, and load them on my Ipod and/or Ipad. I can use them however I wish. Some people believe you can only use an Ipod for songs/movies purchased from Itunes, not true at all.

(btw-music is loaded on the Ipod from a computer , not vice versa)

 

I'll probably end up buying it even though I have most issues going back to 1950-ish on paper - hey look the filing cabinets they are in cost me more than 200 bucks !

The only thing that would make me not buy them was if they had issues in some proprietary format that prevented me transferring them to some other device like a tablet in the future. I'm not too worried if I lose the index side of the DVDs, but I want to be able to take the mags with me were ever I go.

I've not got one of these yet, but it's something I can see myself getting and using at some point. I'm a man who loves books - at the last count I had around 200 liner foot of shelving's worth of them - but I've moved about 12 times in the last 20 years(including changing country 3 times) and that's a lot of baggage to take with you each time.

What really made my mind up on this was that in my last move a couple of boxes of my railroad books went missing - course I din't realize this until about 2 years later when I finally unpacked everything and by that time it was far too late to do anything about it.

Now it not only that I've lost about $3000 worth of books - it's that some of them are old and rare hard to find titles. I can replace most of them from Abebooks and Amazon but at my age I'm not entirely sure it's worth it or the effort and time it would take.

Now although most of those books are not available in electronic form yet I can see a time in the future when just about any book will be. Besides the efforts of Google scanning out of print books there are a whole load of individuals who hare building their own book scanners and releasing the the resulting scans on the web.

Although the legality of this is a little dubious, for most out of print books there is no one who cares and I can see a time in the not too distant future were just about any book you want will be available for an instant download.

 

Overall I think it's a great idea, like tebee I enjoy a good hardcover but every time I move I start to realize just how big and heavy all my architecture books are! I believe in the future electronic books (ebooks, iBooks, whatever) are going to be much more available, somewhat like how TV shows and movies have found their way onto the internet. Especially once publishers produce electronic versions as they come out with the print version.

I'd love it if companies like Kalmbach came out with an electronic version issue-by-issue and made it slightly cheaper (because you aren't paying for paper and printing). Each issue would come with a searchable database program, and once a month it would connect online and update it's database for the newest issue. Then you could decide if you wanted to pay to download the new issue. Then you could do a search through all the MR issues ever, or you could limit your search to only the issues you've downloaded. If MR can do this for 75 years worth of issues, I don't see why they couldn't do it for one issue a month.

 

I don't understand this at all. It's every issue (until 2009) for $200! Some of us weren't even born when half of this collection was printed!

Then that's your perogetive. If turnouts are where your money is better spent, do it.

Good luck finding back issues of MR searching Google.

 

If it was frivolous disposable income for me I'd go for it. Still, the realty is that I probably would not use it very much. It had those outstanding drawings of the DD40 and the original article that turned me on to the CP bright red / multi-mark and the "East Glass Top" N Scale layout / coffee table. Beyond those? Not sure I would find myself reading it.

Think I'll save my cash for school or trains or the track to run them on.

 

900 issues on your computer screen.

You better get a reclining lift chair. If you have a lap top, don't take it into the bathroom, your family will never see you again.

 

The real question regarding MR on DVD disk and I think something many are overlooking here, is simply that the great bulk of the content will not be of much or any real value to those modeling modern (say post 1980) railroads, new modelers, or those under 35-40.

Having bound hard copies of MR from 1940 forward, I can tell you that the material covered in these early issues (up through the 1960's and ever later) centered heavily on true modeling and scratchbuilding, approaches to the hobby that are increasingly scarce among average model railroaders these days. Likewise, steam modeling and modification of then existing but now long vanished commercial HO locomotives dominated the pages, with "modern" diesel articles not appearing to any degree until quite recently. Even many of the later kitbashing articles addressed using structure kits, car kits and detail parts no longer to be found in the marketplace. Yes, there are plenty of layout tours, but the vast majority will not look like anything most hobbyists would want to replicate themselves today.

If you are a true modeler, a scratchbuilder, or hobby historian, then I would say that these DVDs will prove a treasure trove of information, plans, and vintage approaches to the hobby. For the average hobbyist today I think it will undoubtedly prove to be a great disappointment.

NYW&B