Free PC magazine launched

Cranboy · 23 November 2004 at 9:29PM

First of all, many thanks to Martin for giving us permission to post a one-off article about this magazine launch.

Very kind.

We have just launched a new magazine called Home Computer Magazine, and it's free. Hence the reason for wanting to tell people about it here.

http://www.homecomputermagazine.com/

It's produced in PDF format, so requires Adobe Acrobat Reader v6 (also free) to be read (the link is on the site if you need it). It's produced professionally by people with more than ten years' experience in computer journalism and publishing. It's full of PC reviews, hardware reviews, games reviews, tutorials, Q&A, etc. Additionally, the broadband edition (which is the "proper" version) has masses of interactive content, so you can, for example, play around with some of the software interfaces or explore the hardware, all from within the magazine itself. Hope people find it useful. The first issue is available now:
http://www.homecomputermagazine.com/issue1.htm

Not only is there no charge for the magazine, but we don't ask for reader registration or even your email address. I hope people find it useful.

Regards
Dave

LincsLad_3 · 24 November 2004 at 2:18AM

Best of luck with the venture; high time someone published a 'proper' online magazine, rather than churn out an electronic version of a paper journal.

Haven't read Issue 1 yet (see my post in your own forums as to reason why! :-/ ) but I can already see myself taking the magazine away on my PDA for reading later. 8)

Cranboy · 24 November 2004 at 1:06PM

Thanks for that. I've fixed your problem for you with the reply in the mag forum.

Not sure how it will work on a PDA. It designed landscape for a monitor screen. ???

Anyway, enjoy.

Dave

wirm · 24 November 2004 at 6:12PM

From what I have read of it so far I like it, I'll post my feedback when I have read the full thing!

sra · 24 November 2004 at 8:03PM

I really like the new magazine

But never been a fan of the pdf format - And Acrobat 6 is absoultely horrible

I usually have to use version 5 to stop my screen freezing

Cranboy · 24 November 2004 at 8:15PM

6 is a bit sluggish to start up, but it was the only format that gave the compression we needed and supported the interactivity. 5 only allowed movies, sadly.

Interestingly v7 is due soon, so we're hoping they've addressed some of the speed issues from 6.

Glad you like the mag though.

Dave

sra · 24 November 2004 at 8:23PM

The reader is a big issue

I have a slight feeling of dread when openning up anything in v6. (and that's not what you want people feeling before looking at your magazine:D)

It's not just at startup - scrolling is horrible

Not much you can do I suppose - pdf and Acrobat are the standard

Here's hoping for v7 ;D

Good luck with the mag

steeev · 26 November 2004 at 2:08AM

high time someone published a 'proper' online magazine, rather than churn out an electronic version of a paper journal.

interesting that you should say that, as in my experience and opinion pdf is a terrible format for an online magazine, the user experience of reading a PDF in their web browser just defies all logic, you are in a web browser you are used to the way a web browser works, then all of a sudden after downloading a pdf you are plunged into a totally different user interface, its just silly, it also takes up loads of extra system resources.

IMHO the only useful thing you can do with a pdf is print it out, as you will get an exact reproduction of the layout they intended, but by doing that you are defeating the purpose of having an online magazine in the first place. If their intention is that people should print it out then read it, i guess its ok, but its still far from ideal, having a sheaf of loose sheets knocking about, and its not very good for the environment either.

sorry rant over, can u tell i cant stand pdfs either?

Cranboy · 26 November 2004 at 1:10PM

Each to their own, but I would call the user experience between PDF and a browser all that different. They are both mediums for reading content electronically, a pretty similar mindset. The difference is, as you point out, that the PDF has constrained design to allow it to be printed out, which was one of the reasons for choosing PDF.

I don't see why being able to print it out takes away the point of electronic distribution? It's only by distributing it in this manner that we can make it free.

People who are happy to read it on screen, whether within the browser plugin or in the full Acrobat Reader window, can do so and people who want to print it out can do that too. That's why we built a Print icon onto each page that just prints out the article you want rather than the whole magazine.

I hope this provides some explanation.

Regards
Dave

sra · 26 November 2004 at 11:22PM

Can I ask why it has to be in landscape format?

I'll admit that my screen isn't the best but I don't think it's below the standard the average person will have.

this is how much I have to magnify it to read it comfortably.

Even then, I can barely read what it says in below "product details" -

I have to constantly scroll left and right (your ads don't ever get a look in)

LincsLad_3 · 27 November 2004 at 12:25AM

What monitor do you have and what resolution is it running at sra??

I would say that mine is probably today's 'standard' at 17 inch and 1024x768 resolution although it may be less than 'standard' in that it is a CRT not an LCD and the viewable area is therefore a bit less - not that it should make that much difference.

I can read the magazine comfortably zoomed to 109% in Adobe Reader - at which size it fits the screen perfectly although, sadly, the sidebar ads are not viewable.

Free PC magazine launched

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