PDF.. WTF

[JWLaRue]

Re: PDF.. WTF

Don,

What you have proposed was seriously considered. However, there comes a point where there aren't enough members to support the costs of printing the SCR in the manner that has been done in the past. What makes that calculation even worse is that as soon as an electronic version is taken into account the number of members opting out of the printed SCR makes it even more expensive to print the SCR.

-Jeff

[tommydeen]

Re: PDF.. WTF

Jeff i tryed what you said to do and i get an "error cant repair file" any suggestions?
Tom

[JWLaRue]

Re: PDF.. WTF

Hi Tom,

Can you send me a PM with more detials such as the url that is giving you the problem? We may eventually need a screenshot as well.....

We'll figure this out!

-tnx,

Jeff

[crazy ivan]

Re: PDF.. WTF

Jeff,

Perhaps Tommydeen has an older machine. I had exactly the same experience as Tom, with the blank page and the file repair error, when I tried to open the pdf on my old Win98 pc. This dinosaur, with its out of date Firefox 2.0 browser and Adobe 5.0 reader just can't handle the newer pdf formats. And it cannot be updated either. Fortunately, I also have a somewhat newer XP machine, and have no problem there.

[Guest]

Re: PDF.. WTF

I highly recommend ubuntu linux distro, which comes with a very good pdf reader and will work on older machines.

For something more portable perhaps investment in one of these natty little pad computers would be more worthwhile than forking out money on printed copy. I see Amazon have just released a low cost colour version of their popular kindle.

An electronic editon does hold a number of advantages, notably the easy search facility- how often have you tried to recall what issue and what year that 'article' you wished to re-read was, and spend an inordinate amount of time searching for it.

[steveneill]

Re: PDF.. WTF

I got to say you guys did an outstanding job with the PDF version. I will always miss having the real deal in my hand but as it's been pointed out you can have them printed and bound.

The advantages are clear. And we get to see peoples work up close and in full color. Not to mention the money saved. The economy is bad here in the US. Real bad. And the membership is down. So SC had to do what worked best.

After seeing it an being able to zoom in and click on video links direct to my Nautilus in action I was made a supporter of the new format.

Good job gentlemen! You have my support.
Steve

[wlengel]

Re: PDF.. WTF

Can someone give me exact directions or a link to download the PDF? I have looked this site over for the members only section and see nothing like that or a download for the PDF. I know I'm getting old but I am missing something...LOL

Bill Engelke
Member 0151
SS 396 in the fifties

[salmon]

Re: PDF.. WTF

try this:

<sorry, link removed as it's member's only at this point - edited by JWLaRue>

I am sorry. I did not intend to circumvent members only area.

[wlengel]

Re: PDF.. WTF

Thanks for the link, I got it and reading it now. But were on the Forum site is the link so that I can get the next issue.

Thanks again

[steveneill]

Re: PDF.. WTF

Right here. First post. viewtopic.php?f=69&t=10662

For future reference it's in the members area under SCR report.

Hope that helps. And right click and save file as to your documents are your hard drive. That way you can access it anytime you wan from your PC without having to go on line each time you want to read it.

Steve

[wlengel]

Re: PDF.. WTF

Thanks for the help. Weird to have the last paper issue. I started in 1991 with issue #5. Never have built a sub, if I could have found a kit of a Guppy II might have gone for it. Been building and RC planes for many a year.

Thanks again
Bill Engelke

[steveneill]

Re: PDF.. WTF

Glad to help. Build one they are a nice and different kind of build from an RC plane and it will never hit the pavement. I build and fly too. Nothing like it.

Steve

[jefftytoo]

Re: PDF.. WTF

Hi guys,

Just had to weigh in for a moment with an important fact... Don Prince speculates at the end of page one of this thread that a four-issue annual SCR printing cost via HP's MagCloud would be $120 per year PLUS shipping. Well, sorry, buddy, but you're way off...

Gotta report in to all of you that I just ordered a printed copy of the September SCR from MagCloud simply as a test of cost and quality, and the quality was excellent while the per-issue cost was a mere $15.85—and that INCLUDES postage! This makes the annual out-of-pocket for our familiar printed but now FULL-COLOR-THROUGHOUT SCR (for diehards/dinosaurs like me) just shy of $64.

I admit it: I want a printed piece. And spread out over a year, $64 ain't so bad, especially when you consider the cost of a single laser color copy from the local copy shop or office supply store and compare it to getting the equivalent of 272 color laser copies when having your annual four issues printed in this manner. And I do mean laser color copy: the printout technology used and thus the rendering of final output looks EXACTLY like that. Much better, I must say, than the standard color printout I tried (as another test) on my own color HP inkjet printer at home. Think also about how printing your own copies at home in color is probably going to set you back something close to $64 in ink cartridges anyway if you output all 272 pages yourself...and like I say, likely your home print quality won't be near as good.

I work in the print industry, so I'm a print kinda guy: I admit I'll miss my pre-printed SCRs with my annual SC membership. But I also fully understand and agree with the necessity of having to go all-electronic with our publication. Yet, if this now means that for not much more money than my old membership dues—spread out over a whole year—I can now retain my beloved SCR in real magazine format and also have it in FULL COLOR to boot, well, I just don't understand what all the controversy and creebing is about. I'm in. And who knows: this was just the cost at one service attached to a national brand name. Perhaps there are other ones that'll do as good a job for less if we just do some poking around?

One last comment: my MagCloud test was handled via standard Internet-submitted .pdf file and it showed up in my snailmailbox in less than a week—a mere few days! No trips to Kinko's, no wasted time nor shoe leather, no gas expense. Just upload, authorize PayPal, click, and it shows up in a few days. MY kind of service. And by the way, though obviously not the thick glossy stock of our magazine's glory days, the MagCloud paper, though thin, was a sort of semi-gloss that really reproduced the images well. I was certainly happy enough for my $15 and change put out, anyway.

So consider me all signed up for the change. Try a printed issue yourself guys, if you don't believe me.

Headed back below PD,
Jeff Porteous

P.S. I do understand costs would be higher for our Canadian and other out-of-the-U.S. friends because of international mailing rates.

[don prince]

Re: PDF.. WTF

Hi Jeff,

I did realize later the cost would be as you stated. I uploaded the SCR to an account at MagCloud and it looked like there was about 1/8 to a 1/4 of an inch of the original SCR would be cut off on the reprint edges. I contacted Jeffrey LaRue about the problem I ran into and gave him my account name and password to look into the problem (I haven't heard anything from Jeffrey yet). Did you run into this problem when you uploaded the SCR?

I believe if we get enough of us dinosaurs (20) to get the printed magazine, then we will get a 25% discount on the printing cost. I asked Jeffrey LaRue if he knew the paper weight of the original SCR. You stated the paper used by MagCloud was a much lighter weight and not glossy. Would it be the weight and quality of a standard magazine available at a news stand, or Wal*Mart and Target, etc...

If you remember awhile back, the SCR started printing a $15.00 subscription price on the cover. Was there a conspiracy hatched about the SCR back then - Hmmm...

If we had more than 20 takers, then could we get the original printing company to print the magazine at a matching price?

Regards,
Don_

[jefftytoo]

Re: PDF.. WTF

Hi Don,

Not sure if we could ever get our original SCR printer to go with what you're proposing, though there's certainly no harm in having Mr. LaRue (our liason officer) look into it. They're simply not set up for a MagCloud business model—very different core technology, printing hardware and labor. But who knows?

To be honest, the MagCloud paper used seems to me much more like the laser printer paper you get from your office supply store than actual professional magazine stock. I can only assume this is what works best on their output equipment while also being not so high-end as to not permit an acceptable profit margin on these types of print jobs. What makes the whole thing work for them (and others, I'm assuming) is the high level of automation in the process. "Look, Ma, untouched by human hands!" Still, as I say, the paper was at least a semi-gloss stock, and certainly reproduced type and images to a satisfactory level for the $15+ price tag, IMHO.

Thanks for letting me poke you a little about this, Don...

Jeff

P.S. Oh, yeah: like you, I was concerned about what appeared to be excessive cropping of the image (or "live") area of MagCloud's printouts, and gave one of their online "contact us" service people kinduva hard time about it. I needn't have worried: internally, the SCR has always been produced with plenty wide enough margins to not be affected by this concern. The front cover, however, since it prints "to the bleed," IS affected. But the amount of image actually cropped out turned out to be pretty minimal, and thus not all that significant. In other words, despite my initial misgivings, I was okay with it. (Nothing's perfect.)