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Looks like I can join those who hate reading digital MR

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  • Member since
    January 2016
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Posted by conrailguy on Friday, April 30, 2021 2:42 PM

rrinker

 Got an email - new issues in my subscripotion will no longer be delivered through Zinio. Instead, I will have to go to the archives to read any issues I have access to through my subscription.

 

 
I just discovered this issue today, after contact support because my issues were not showing up in Zinio. 
 
Somehow I missed this email. Anybody have a copy of it they can paste here?
 
I'm not super happy with the new interface - I much prefered Zinio. But you CAN bookmark where you are at, and you CAN download to read offline. 
 
Not sure if I will keep this up, but its not as bad as I first feared. 
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Posted by MarkML on Friday, March 26, 2021 9:55 PM

Very frustrating. I tried reading the current issue from my iPhone 6 Plus through Safari and it keeps crashing. I’ve only gotten as far as four pages in before an error occurs and the page refreshes, back to the issue cover page. I was exctied about this change, but now, not so much. Haven’t tried it on the laptop yet. 

Navigating to forums is frustrating. I’m signed in on trains.com, but am redirected to the original MR furum page where I have to sign in again. 

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Posted by York1 on Friday, March 26, 2021 6:23 PM

gregc

too be honest, how long does it take you to go thru the magazine?   how many of the articles really interest you?

 

 

I usually read every article, regardless of scale or topic.

York1 John       

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Friday, March 26, 2021 6:06 PM

gregc
To be honest, how long does it take you to go through the magazine?  How many of the articles really interest you?

I read everything. The hobby as a whole fascinates me, and I read it all.

Same on these forums. I read almost all the threads even though I do not reply to them all.

I use to read MR twice through, one for the artcles and once for the advertisements. The advertisements do not interest me much anymore.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

Moderator
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Posted by Steven Otte on Friday, March 26, 2021 5:02 PM

chris.mincemoyer

Anyone else hit their limit of free articles from the newsletters even though they subscribe to MR and MRVP and we were told we'd maintain access. On my second call to customer service in less than two weeks

If you are being limited to 8 articles despite being a magazine subscriber, you either haven't logged in or you haven't linked your login to your subscription. Once you have, you'll have full access.

--
Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editor
sotte@kalmbach.com

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Friday, March 26, 2021 2:06 PM

gregc

too be honest, how long does it take you to go thru the magazine?   how many of the articles really interest you?

 

I usually read almost everything, not all in one sitting. I do usually skip the DCC stuff.

Sheldon

    

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Friday, March 26, 2021 1:54 PM

Honestly, I just prefer a printed magazine or a book over a digital version.  I really think the printed version of MR has gone downhill since Neil B. was replaced, and I'm not planning to renew my subscription.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by gregc on Friday, March 26, 2021 1:48 PM

too be honest, how long does it take you to go thru the magazine?   how many of the articles really interest you?

greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Friday, March 26, 2021 1:06 PM

Doughless

I must have missed a transition.  What is this "new" site.  I've been logging in the same way for the past 10 years and the screen looks the same to me.

 

Click the link at the top of the page that says "Model Railroader".

Sheldon

    

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Posted by Doughless on Friday, March 26, 2021 12:56 PM

I must have missed a transition.  What is this "new" site.  I've been logging in the same way for the past 10 years and the screen looks the same to me.

- Douglas

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Posted by chris.mincemoyer on Friday, March 26, 2021 12:50 PM

Anyone else hit their limit of free articles from the newsletters even though they subscribe to MR and MRVP and we were told we'd maintain access. On my second call to customer service in less than two weeks

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Posted by NittanyLion on Friday, March 26, 2021 11:31 AM

rrinker

 There's a direct Download PDF option, no need to fool around with print to PDF or same all the HTML and links. It's just extra steps from how it used to be, and how others do it.

 

Ha, I didn't even look for that.  I'm used to sites locking out certain save PDF features when there's a viewer involved that I just default to printing it. 

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Posted by kasskaboose on Friday, March 26, 2021 7:59 AM

Forgive the ignorant question, but is the system simialr to Model Railroad Hobbyist? [Link removed by moderator]  That site is quite easy to use.  Not sure how it works on tablets.

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Posted by rrinker on Friday, March 26, 2021 7:53 AM

 There's a direct Download PDF option, no need to fool around with print to PDF or same all the HTML and links. It's just extra steps from how it used to be, and how others do it.

 I do think if your subscription lapse, that's it - no more access. Unless they tell us otherwise. 

 Using my tablet, the form factor is correct for a magazine page, and the page is nearly the same height as it is on my 27" desktop display. Since you typically hold a table closer than you sit to a desktop monitor, overall it's almost bigger. Plus it's portable - I can sit out back when it gets warmer, sit on a comfy chair in the living room, read in bed, or while sitting on a plane.

                                         --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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Posted by Carolina Northern on Friday, March 26, 2021 7:40 AM

I got an Email telling me to go to Trains.com to read my subscribed May issue of MR. OK, I do that, sign in, and click on read and get back You must Subscribe to read. 

 

I think this is the last straw for me with Kalmbach.

 

Don

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Posted by gregc on Friday, March 26, 2021 4:39 AM

NittanyLion
You can save it.  I just tested that.  Select print, then all pages.  In your print dialog box, save as PDF.  You now have a permanent file.

what about just saving the web page, ctl-s in chrome.   (i do this to read NY Times articles)

greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading

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Posted by NittanyLion on Thursday, March 25, 2021 10:08 PM

Colorado Ray

The email I got telling me that all new issues would be on Trains.com and not on ZINIO also said that my old digital issues will always be available on ZINIO.  That's good, but will my soon to be old issues always be available on Trains.com if I ever stop my subscription or don't get the Unlimited subscription?  Once I've paid for them I want to always have acces.  

You can save it.  I just tested that.  Select print, then all pages.  In your print dialog box, save as PDF.  You now have a permanent file.

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Posted by Colorado Ray on Thursday, March 25, 2021 9:51 PM

The email I got telling me that all new issues would be on Trains.com and not on ZINIO also said that my old digital issues will always be available on ZINIO.  That's good, but will my soon to be old issues always be available on Trains.com if I ever stop my subscription or don't get the Unlimited subscription?  Once I've paid for them I want to always have acces.  

I used to subscribe to the digital edition of RMC.  I let that expire and now can't login to White River publishing to see my old issues. I haven't called their customer service so I don't know if that is a glitch or by intent.  I'll be pretty upset if the can't let me see old issues.  

Ray

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Thursday, March 25, 2021 9:06 PM

rrinker

 Seems to work if I request the desktop site instead of using the mobile. It's Google's fault if Chrome doesn't work.

BTW there is a search in each issue that seems to work just fine. Just can't search across all the issues.

                                     --Randy

 

Within the known problems, it appears to be working fine for me on Chrome, both on the S4 Tablet and the desk top, windows 10 and Chrome.

I have not yet taken the time to sift thru the new site. I only subscribe to the mag and the archive. Not interested in videos.

When I have time, I will take a closer look.

I really don't use the tablet much when I am home, I prefer the quiet of my office and the big monitor of my desk top.

Sheldon

    

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Posted by Drumguy on Thursday, March 25, 2021 8:59 PM

I can access the new issue via archive, but if I try to read current issue from the main site, it tells me I need to subscribe. Brilliant. 

When I do get to an issue, I can scroll left and right, but up or down always advances one page.
The thumbnails for magazines are square so the mastheads and bottoms of mags are cut off. Brilliant.

The thumbnails for videos are vertical (ironically ideal magazine format), so the sides of the video thumbnail are cut off. Brilliant.

If you log into your account in a vain attempt to find your subscription status, it says "no dashboard available." Brilliant. Maybe I have not dug deep enough to find that info, but we should not have to.

Overall, the Trains site looks like a buggy Wordpress theme. Nothing wrong with Wordpress, unless the theme sucks and the devs are clueless.

One more thing: since the new online format will not allow you to view a single page in landscape format (rotating a tablet changes the view to a 2 page spread), will the suits allow the magazine's art directors to design accordingly? ScaleTrains may want to clue in and stop those 90 degree rotated ads.

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Posted by Trainman440 on Thursday, March 25, 2021 8:47 PM

Idk Im just glad they finally gave the archieve for free to just MR most basic tier subscribers. Finally got to get a copy of the long wanted Nov 2011 magazine which had one of my favorite layout showcases. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Modeling the PRR & NYC in HO

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Posted by rrinker on Thursday, March 25, 2021 8:40 PM

 Seems to work if I request the desktop site instead of using the mobile. It's Google's fault if Chrome doesn't work.

BTW there is a search in each issue that seems to work just fine. Just can't search across all the issues.

                                     --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Thursday, March 25, 2021 8:30 PM

Just tried it on the Samsung S4, on Chrome. Works fine. A little slower but my desktop is ethernet connected.

It's that little apple.........

    

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Thursday, March 25, 2021 8:25 PM

I have not tried it on my tablet, I use chrome on my Samsung S4.

I do not have a smart phone, so can't comment there.

And I don't own anything with the little apple on it..... 

Sheldon

    

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Posted by rrinker on Thursday, March 25, 2021 8:05 PM

From a desktop browser - they are left to right. On a mobile browser on my tablet, it's up and down.

Actualy, it goes left to right in mobile Chrome, but get 3-4 pages in and it literally crashes the browser. Using Safari I can read the whole issue but it's up and down to scroll through pages.

 Abd yesm,, with some extra steps I can get it full scree, right to left scroll - Read the issue with my desktop, download PDF, copy said PDF to my tablet, then open in the Books app. 

 

                           --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Maryland
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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Thursday, March 25, 2021 7:38 PM

Randy, there are lots of problems so far with all these changes.

But I'm puzzled by one thing. When I go to the new archive, the pages flip left to right? Nicer than they did on the old version, and they load almost instantly?

Other features are missing like full search of the archive?

But reading the issue was not bad?

I wonder why you are seeing something different from me?

Sheldon

    

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    February 2002
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Looks like I can join those who hate reading digital MR
Posted by rrinker on Thursday, March 25, 2021 4:31 PM

 Got an email - new issues in my subscripotion will no longer be delivered through Zinio. Instead, I will have to go to the archives to read any issues I have access to through my subscription.

 Just tried it - uggh! No way to read offline, you have to be online. Can't download the issue. And you scroll UP AND DOWN to read through the issue, not left and right like turning pages.

 It appears that if I want to go through some extra steps I can download a PDF on my desktop and then transfer it to my tablet, but that's about it.

 Even the old Archive app at least allowed you to downlaod the issues and read them without being connected to the internet. ANd they scrolled left to right like a book or magazine. This is yet another HORRIBLE change. For what purpose? I guess it is now easier to block you from reading old issues if you let your subscription expire. There are plenty of other examples across all hobbies and topics that do it right - any issue I subscribed to is mine perpetually, just like a paper subscription. But apparantly not MR, now.

 I've got nearly a year left on my subscrition. I guess the question I have to ask myself it, what would I miss if I let it lapse? This new change is certainly not pushing me to continue. And I can't be the oly one. I do think the suits are getting in the way of the real modelers on the staff, and are now managing to cut off their nose to spite their faces. All about the short term, rake in the cash, forget the long term sustainability. But that's how they teach MBAs these days.

                                       --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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