I have not printed this magazine out to read as of yet. However.. I get the OpSig journal in electronic format. I print that PDF and put it in a binder.. then I read it like a regular magazine. Other then an initial scan to "see whats there" when I first get it, my experience with that one is entirely paper. Of course, printing the much smaller opsig journal is an entirely different thing. I am not sure I would ever want to print a 100+ page magazine but maybe I would print individual articles.

I do know that my "threshold of interest"s higher with online magazines. I end up reading every article in the opsig journal and in print magazines. However, there are articles in MRH I never read because my level of interest has to be higher for me to sit at the computer and read them. Sitting in bed with a magazine at the end of the night is an entirely different experience and I am inclined to read from cover to cover.

Chris

I will have my work area arranged such that my computer will be next to a work area to do projects and review the information in an article.  I have so many magazines in boxes already, I don't want to add more and more paper.  The ability to NOT have paper is very appealing to me. 

Having said that, if it was available, I may print out an article or two on scrap paper to read on the plane or something, but that would be rare.

I do the same thing with the OPSIG newsletter, print out the PDF and read it over time. For MRH, I wouldn't.

It's important that you keep to your business model Joe, however I can see the use of having a "print friendly" version of individual articles. Not the whole publicaition, but just specific articles themselves.  kind of reverse of what print magazines do now - when they say "see the web".

I printed an article about DCC from MRH but I doubt I would ever print the whole Magazine when I could just click on my lap top or my desk top and see it all in living moving color. If you feel like wasting your time producing a version for the 1% of the people that want to take the time to print what they can read in half the time, well it's your time but in my opinion if it were me I wouldn't waist my time. There is a old saying that goes something like " You can't satisfy all the people all the time so be happy when you can satisfy most of the people some of the time.

Joe you and your associates have produced one hell of a great magazine and there is no way your going to make everybody happy and making one version after another spending another 10 hours a week trying too is really a waist of time but, It is your time so, the only person that can answer this question is you. Do you really feel like reverse engineering a great work of literature just so a half dozen people that will never be satisfied have another way of reading what you have already given them. My father said "when you get something right move on to the next thing or you'll spend your life going in circles". The answer to this question is really totally up to you and sure there will be a few that want this 3rd version of the same thing But really don't waist your time.

Dan

I have subscribved to an online automotive emag for 3-4 years, and have been downloading MRH since issuer #1.  If I want to go back to review an article, I re-open the magazine on my pc.  I have boxes of print magazines that I want to eventually scan and put on cd's so that I can gert rid of the paper.  I would never print an entire issue,  I might print out an article, particularly if it had a blueprint of something I wanted to scratch build or kit bash.  I think you would be spending extra time for a feature that very few people would ever use.  I suspect that those who have expressed an interest in having a print version to take to the "reading room," would find that they don't bother to print it out once it is available.  I suspect a lot of the desire for a print version is due to the newness of reading an electronic version on the pc.  Once people get used to opening a magazine on the pc to read it, I think print will be forgotten.

MRH in its current iteration gives me:

• The ability to read and then store MRH issues and articles in a highly retrieveable fashion.
• No stacks of magazines in the garage.
• Access to articles adjacent my work area, in a vertical format (no work space taken).
• Lots of visual media;  compatibility with my learning process.

Other comments:

I can print articles if there is the need.

I don't generally read in bed, it's bad for the back.  (Used to:  that's one of the secondary reasons for the bad back.

Issue size/download speeds will improve over time.  Faster hardware and utility company services tend to get faster and cheaper over time.

Went to a local RPM meet this weekend and two different people came by the MRH table and told me the current "optimized for computer screen" version prints out lousy - and they prefer to print it out.

The comments about printing a specific article is interesting. We could very easily provide a link on the comments page for each article that lets you print out a printer-friendly version of just that article.

The comments about printing a specific article is interesting. We could very easily provide a link on the comments page for each article that lets you print out a printer-friendly version of just that article.

That' would be great!.

I will have my work area arranged such that my computer will be next to a work area to do projects and review the information in an article.  I have so many magazines in boxes already, I don't want to add more and more paper.  The ability to NOT have paper is very appealing to me. 

Having said that, if it was available, I may print out an article or two on scrap paper to read on the plane or something, but that would be rare.

Dave

Yeah, that's what I would have said too.

At alot of forums and web sites I have visited have at the bottom of the page for different articles and blogs the words "Click here for printer usable version" so if someone really wants a copy they can print it. also you said that 2 people at the local RPM meet came up to you asking for a printer version. That was 2 out of how many that were there and how many asked about a printer version at the NMRA show last month. so printing out the whole thing would be crazy to me but printing an article that's something different and I think that makes alot more scene if it doesn't take too much time to set up on your end.

Dan

If we all start printing it out some of those 1000s of pulp wood cars will return to the rails. In my area they have closed at least 3 big paper mills in the past 10 years.