They have an app for offline viewing. Looks like it's time to fill up the IPAD before my next deployment.
Jason
Modeling the Fort Worth & Denver of the early 1970's in N scale
Monthly. Though I would rather see an option for a year at a time or something.
Only offline option appears to be printing, which doesn;t seem to be working for me, unless I am selecting too many pages. OK, I guess I just didn't wait long enough, as I went to try it in a different browser, ny print dialog finally came up. Printed out and looks fine, but iof there's a way to select all pages instead of one by one clicking through an entire issue, I missed it.
Hmm, are they going to add the special issues, or else reprint that DVD? Its the only one I missed out on. I have a few missing MRPs and GMRRs, and I'd love to see those old Model Trains magazines from the 50's.
I may need to call on Monday, my account now shows an archive subscription ending April 2015 and another end Jan 25, 2015. I guess I should have looked before I just ordered, because I have MRVP already. Usually these things work themselves out, or they have when I renewed MR or Digital MR well before the precious subscription expired (looks like I have digital MR until 2018 at present...). Have to check back after the weekend I guess.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
How does the billing work?
Thank you. That is good news.
Jaime
NEMMRRC Are you able to print the archives? Jaime
Are you able to print the archives?
Yes, I just printed a page with no troubles.
Dean
30 years 1:1 Canadian Pacific.....now switching in HO
Just signed up! Looks like a great deal. Thanks MR!
Cliff Powers
www.magnoliaroute.com
It's here! The All Access page has gone up. Go to www.modelrailroader.com/AllAccess $4.95 per month additional to an existing subscription gives you access to the archive and Video Plus. Strangely they are actually billing it monthly. I would rather a single yearly bill. Cannot wait to see how it works.
All of which can be had (legally) for under $100, for Win 7 or 8.1.
Or you can use the VM to run a VM of the previous version of OSX, which works with the DVD collection. Depending on what Apple says about licensing it. Shame Adobe never made their software for Linux, then it could be a free solution all around - although heck, it might run under the latest WINE in Linux. I have to dig out my railroad computer and load WINE and see if it works. Using VirtualBox, it would be a 100% free and/or open source solution, though a tad more complex than just running a Windows VM.
If I had my DVD set with me, I'd set up a Linux VM and install WINE and try it. I could make the resulting VM available as a ready to go option. Won't be back to my DVD until next week though.
jguess733 Thanks Randy, I'll give it a try.
Thanks Randy, I'll give it a try.
You will need a licensed version of Windows after you procure thevirtualization software.
jguess733 Since I spend approximately 200 days out of the year deployed the determining factor is going to be if I can view offline. I'll pay the cost of it if I can download and save the content for later (underwater on a submarine). If not I'll stick to reading back issues of MRH, seeing as how my 75th anniversary DVD's no longer work on my Mac Book. 200 bucks down the drain. Especially since I bought the dvd set specifically for my deployments.
Since I spend approximately 200 days out of the year deployed the determining factor is going to be if I can view offline. I'll pay the cost of it if I can download and save the content for later (underwater on a submarine). If not I'll stick to reading back issues of MRH, seeing as how my 75th anniversary DVD's no longer work on my Mac Book. 200 bucks down the drain. Especially since I bought the dvd set specifically for my deployments.
Like I said - Fusion, or Parallels, or VirtualBox (VirtualBox is free), to set up a Windows VM. XP or newer will all run the DVD. Fusion and Parallels aren't free, but do have the benefit of making it a seamless app - you can have an icon on your launch bar that fires up the VM just as if it were a native OSX apps and even windows alongside other VMs and native apps.
Project phase one: X number of people complaining that an advertised product is not yet available.
Project phase two: Y number of people complaining that the now available advertised product is too expensive.
I know they do more than just monitor these forums for posts that break the rules, so it is very likely that the concerns being raised in this and other threads on this are having an influence in what the final product will be.
I often have quite strong opinions and have my comments not posted, because of this - but I'll try again. I too, am rethinking Kalmbach - rrinker poses work-arounds for the software not working on the new Apple OS. Kalmbach (Through Steven Otte) pretty much says 'don't upgrade', and then locks that post.
Coming up with a potential work-around like rrinker did, would leave a much better taste in peoples mouths. Perhaps it wouldn't work for everyone, but some information is better than telling your customers sorry - nothing we can do; especially knowing that there actually is somthing that can be done - suggesting work arounds or publishing the password to name two.
I wonder if Kalmbach really knows what they are going to do with the all access pass, or are actively monitoring posts in threads like this to see what would be the best route for them to follow. I find the moderators curiously silent on what is a hot topic for their customers.
NittanyLionZero risk of that. If you want to use a given software package, you have to use it in the enviroment that it was developed to be executed in. The responsibility is on YOU to provide an operating system that works for the software that was sold to you on the understanding that it works on a predetermined set of operating systems. I can't go back to EA and sue them because Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed refuses to run on a Windows 7 machine when it was developed for a Win98 machine.
As far as the DVD's being a software package - as I recall (correct me if I'm wrong) the advertising sold the DVD's as a digital collection of all MR's produced up to then. NOT as a "software package." Certainly room for argument about that, which is the foundation of almost all civil litigation.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Three months on and still no details released on the new "All Access Pass". Come on MR, we're waiting!
It's the prices that lead me to the "cash cow" conclusion. The digital versions of Kalmbachs books and special editions are hardly cheaper than the print editions.
when the digital magazine costs 27.00 on top of a physical subscription I am left wondering why there is any extra cost at all?
Why is the archive a rental model? Let me buy and download the issues I need for a small fee per issue, a dollar perhaps?
Pin my opinion back issues are something you need now and again for a specific article, not something that one subscribes to for 5.00 per month indefinitely.
Library subscription models are surely better suited to services where the content is refreshed constantly like Spotify or Lovefilm.
And there are utilitites in for Windows that probably WILL let that Win98 program run on Win7.
All is not lost because APple did something silly in the latest OSX - There are several options to allow you to run other operating systems within OSX, so that you can run an instance of Windows (and not dual boot with Bootcamp, more like a VM like Fusion or Parallels) and run the MR DVD in there. It works with Win 7 and should still work fine with 8/8.1, the Adobe software used for it still runs on newer versions of Windows. It's not like a high performance game that may be sluggish in a virtual machine on a non-native OS, there's nothing about the MR DVD that requires ultra high speed graphics.
We're still speculating, but if All-Access requires an internet connection the entire time, it will be next to useless. It needs to be at LEAST like an e-book, where I connect, download the book I want to read, and then I do not need an internet connection to finish that book, only to get any additional books. If it expires in 30 days and needs to be redownloaded, or needs to 'phone home" on some reasonable basis, like every 30 days, that would be fine. That would allow you to load up some reading material, and then take off on vacation.
I am new to model railroading and have bought just about every book kalmbach publishes as well as online and paper subscriptions. I have MRV plus as well. I bough the 75 year DVD and now cannot access it. Their decision to leave me with out access has got me rethinking Kalmbach.
Brunton These days there's also the risk (probably slight) that in this litigious climate one or more of the left-out-in-the-cold customers will file suit to recover the cost of the too-soon useless product
These days there's also the risk (probably slight) that in this litigious climate one or more of the left-out-in-the-cold customers will file suit to recover the cost of the too-soon useless product
Zero risk of that. If you want to use a given software package, you have to use it in the enviroment that it was developed to be executed in. The responsibility is on YOU to provide an operating system that works for the software that was sold to you on the understanding that it works on a predetermined set of operating systems. I can't go back to EA and sue them because Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed refuses to run on a Windows 7 machine when it was developed for a Win98 machine.
JL UK I'm dissapointed [sic] to see that Kalmbach continue to view us readers as a cash cow.
I'm dissapointed [sic] to see that Kalmbach continue to view us readers as a cash cow.
While I agree with this to some extent, I don't think it's that simple.
Kalmbach wants it both ways - they want to sell their product while not giving the purchaser reasonably unfettered access to it. The first makes lots of sense as that's what keeps them in business. The second displays a strong paranoia that their intellectual property will be stolen and distributed all over the internet by some ne'er-do-wells. While a reasonable level of concern regarding this is good, Kalmbach goes way overboard, and are alienating a (probably small) minority segment of their customer base with their approach.
The 75th anniversary DVD's are a great example. These were not sold as a temporary way to access all 75 years of MR; in fact the implication was just the opposite. Now it turns out that, after only a few years, a new operating system (OS) won't read the DVD. Kalmbach has three options:
The first option may or may not be prohibitively expensive, depending on the complexity of the patch / application needed to properly read the DVD. But it would support the purchasers, at least for the near term. For the longer term, it may be a recurring cost.
The second option seems pretty drastic, and Neil's comments in this thread seem to be reasonable. But consider - The DVD's are no longer available, and apparently will not be available again in the future. So they've already been paid for all that material, leaving one wondering exactly what they have to lose by allowing free access at this point. The answer to this is obviously that there is an intent to sell this very same content yet again, and in fact we will soon have the "All-Access Pass," which will do exactly that. Another point to keep in mind also is that Kalmbach still has all the tools publishers have always had to protect their products - National and International Intellecual Property protection, known more colloqially as patent / copyright laws, which cover both the digital and hardcopy realms.
The third option, which is certainly the cheapest (at least at first glance), is to do exactly what Kalmbach did - disavow any responsibility to support their product, period. This has some cost, though, in terms both of customer goodwill and lost customer revenue into the future. These days there's also the risk (probably slight) that in this litigious climate one or more of the left-out-in-the-cold customers will file suit to recover the cost of the too-soon useless product at what to many is significant cost.
Sorry - long winded.
I'm dissapointed to see that Kalmbach continue to view us readers as a cash cow. The digital version ought to be a freebie to print subscribers like other magazines do (for example american cinematographer is free digitial version with a paper subscription) and the archive ought to be free to subscribers while they subscribe... As an incentive to continue to subscribe. Charging $5 per month on top of a paper subscription for the archive is extortion.
While all these opinions are interesting, Obviously the staff @ MR has already decided on the format or they wouldn't have printed the tease announcement. But just in case, please don't drop the printed magazine.
Going to play devils advocate
I'm trying to understand if the loss of all of my mags, digital or paper, would really have that much affect on me?
I subscribe to MR digital and have some RMC's as digital (which is working fine thank you)
The web is full of so much information anything lost, to me, could be replaced, if I really needed it. (How many ballasting track articles do you need?)
I believe there is much concern about nothing short of your own personal data (pictures, videos) that cannot be replaced.
I have the MR DVD btw, and have zero worries about my ability to view it in 10 years, as a lot of the information in them are out of date or new methods have replaced the old.
This is my experience, others obviously differ.
I subscribe to Alldata but only when I need access to the automobiles service manuals to repair my own vehicles, I can subscribe for a a single model vehicle, for a short time, long enough to get the information I need to perform the repair. I don't care to pay for a complete hard copy factory service manual that I won't need, only for the pages that I do. (professional service manuals, not Chiltons)
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
While we are well into the digital age we seem also to be at a crossroads where there are both digital & paper options for either or both. Each one
having benefits & disadvantages over the other.
Ok, I get that.
But perhaps what is happening is that we are seeing the early stages of the end of paper magazines, especially those publications with a limited circulation amongst special interest groups such as ours.
Magazines with a mass circulation, while seeing their circulation & readership decline, will no doubt continue for a while yet.
Kalmbach Publishing will be aware of the apparent sucess of MRH, the digital only magazine & delivered free each month with additional articles arriving between issues. Because of the dig7tal nature of MRH, it will have more of an appeal to the younger generation where any growth in our hobbie will be found.
Just to stand still, each of us who head of to the eternal train room (aren't euphemisms great), will need to see our places taken by a much younger person startiig out at the other end.
I guess that these are just scattered thoughts - I have no factual basis from which to propoupnd any of them. Other than what logic suggests, I do see a future - pehaps not immediately, when digital will be all that there is.
Dusty
Some interesting questions and concerns have been raised. What happens when you stop paying for cable? I have and you no longer can access the previous content.
Per the digital magazines mine are all on 2 hard drives as is a copy of the installation software.
But I believe the only way to make money for all access is a monthly fee. If the videos can be downloaded users can sub for a month copy then cancel. Wait 6 months to a year and repeat.........
Jim
It is customary for digital publications to license their content to the user. The user does not own anything (except the license to use the content). Thus, a digital copy of MR is not the same as a paper copy of MR.
But, I'm not a lawyer. I'm just a model railroader that still remembers when model railroading was fun.