Anyone used an e-reader for the ST magazine?
I'd be interested in subscribing if it was readable on one.
In fact, any of the STW folk fancy putting together simple couple of pages as a test document that I (we) could download and see how it renders?
If it's just straight PDF then that may not be so great as they don't scale very well (although I can zoom on my e-reader I suppose).
Assuming that it's DRM locked too?
And yes I've seen this online mag but it's no use, I can't download it.
Digital Extra allows download of themagazine in PDF is well. http://www.singletrackworld.com/subscribe/ tells you what you get in each package.
What e-reader are you using?
ex-pat: although it's a banned word on here and I am probably an idiot for even mentioning this - but I reckon the standard PDF version will work great on an iPad (in landscape mode probably), and this is one of the [rubbish] reasons I can self-justify the purchase of a cheapo 16gig version when the come out.
The other reason is that my business scans large files to PDF and I think it would make a great, portable, search and display device - so I have to get one to test don't I? 
Apparently one of the reasons Apple have made the iPad screen 4:3 rather than 16:9 is that it's better suited for the display of web/newspaper/magazine pages.
If it does work as I hope, I think that powers that be up in ST Towers would do well to consider offering a PDF only subscription and cutting out the print/postage costs.
Edit: I've chucked a ST PDF onto an iPhone and viewed it OK with GoodReader. This app has a nifty beta function that allows you to display only the text from a page which is fine for articles. Bigger screen would make it great.
They already do, don't they? I thought that was what the "digital extra" one was, online mag plus downloadable PDF?
Ahhhh, maybe. My wife renewed my print subscription at xmas so I've not looked into the alternatives that are now available. Cool.
Eit: oh yeah...... 
No need for embarrassment, I only know because i looked recently (thinking about switching to that when the iPad comes out). Only thing is that the digital extra one looks quite costly still compared to the print one, £5 saving for no postage/paper/handling costs for a year seems a bit thin to me. Still, maybe they still get the same number of mags printed whatever and it doesn't actually save any paper... Be interesting to see how the costs broke down, but I suspect it's a trade secret. 
I'm using a BeBook which is a little known brand but the only one that proper shipped to Australia (and cheap). I've had it for a year or more now and it's ace.
Compared to buying the mag over here (exotic porn being cheaper*) an electronic version would be ideal.
Oh and it's not got a lower case i or an e at the start and isn't made with rounded off white plastic which is all important me.
iHate that's me...
;o)
Cheers
Andy
*Allegedly
Only thing is that the digital extra one looks quite costly still compared to the print one, £5 saving for no postage/paper/handling costs for a year seems a bit thin to me
My thoughts as well. Although the cost of the printing may not be that much/issue the delivery to your door must be close to £5.00 for the year.
The Premier Digital Extra sub @ £20 gets you much more than just PDFs. That's why it's priced like it is. For a start it not only gets you a subscription to the next 8 eight issues but our entire digital back catalog. Currently we offer PDF versions of the mag back to issue 18. That's currently 38 issues of the mag. That works out at 53p per mag and as we add more issue it gets better value.
Your £20 also gets you access to the Flash versions of the mag which you can read online and include video clips.
Your £20 also gets you access to the extra features that we publish online with each issue.
You also get to reduce the ads that are displayed on screen when you visit the site.
You also get 10% discount off everything in our shop plus discounts at the other Premier Partner businesses that have signed up to offer our subscribers special deals and discounts.
So.. is £20 really that expensive when you get all that? Can you think of any other mag that offers as much for so little?
Oh and we've been selling PDF only subscription for nearly three years and we are preparing for the iPad already
Mark - Resident Grumpy
The Premier Digital Extra sub @ £20 gets you much more than just PDFs. That's why it's priced like it is. For a start it not only gets you a subscription to the next 8 eight issues but our entire digital back catalog. Currently we offer PDF versions of the mag back to issue 18. That's currently 38 issues of the mag. That works out at 53p per mag and as we add more issue it gets better value.
I've got those already as hard copy as I'm a print subscriber, but agree that's good value if you haven't.
Your £20 also gets you access to the Flash versions of the mag which you can read online and include video clips.
You could easily argue that I don't need that if I've got the PDF, since I don't get the videos as a print subscriber anyway and I'm happy. Again, good value if you want them though.
Your £20 also gets you access to the extra features that we publish online with each issue.
Premier print sub gets that as well.
You also get to reduce the ads that are displayed on screen when you visit the site.
Premier print sub gets that as well.
You also get 10% discount off everything in our shop plus discounts at the other Premier Partner businesses that have signed up to offer our subscribers special deals and discounts.
Print subscribers get those discounts too.
So.. is £20 really that expensive when you get all that? Can you think of any other mag that offers as much for so little?
I don't think it's that expensive overall. However, compared to my current print sub, I'm not sure that the digital sub (with the only extras over print being that I'd be getting access to the back issues and the online Flash version of the mag) makes me feel I'm getting the same value when it's only a £5 saving for me and you don't need to make and send me a paper copy every time. I guess I'll see what you roll out for the iPad launch and decide whether to switch then. It would save having all the back issues lying around!
........... sorry
[creeps off to the naughty step while thinking that al_f is very brave]
Actually when compared to a meal out, 12 months of ST is bleedin cheap.
Why brave? As I said I think certain aspects of the digital subs are very good value (back issues, vid content if you want that), the subs costs overall compared to other mags are also good value.
On reflection I probably will go digital after the iPad launch as it'll let me recycle a lot of my back issues as well as being more convenient for new ones. Not sure if they do this already, but I'd like high-res downloadable versions of the photos from the gallery section and some sort of auto delivery of the PDF (emailed out on launch day?) with the digital sub, as the photography is one of my favourite parts of the mag. Be interested to see what changes are put in place to support the iPad, given Mark's comment that they're specifically preparing for it.
I never talked back to a teacher like that
Will be very interesting what prep they can make for the iPad. Could be a version of the site that would better suit the screen, but can't really see the point as it should display perfectly well as it is.
Version of the PDF mag with a different layout........ maybe. iPad app...... hmmmm.
Yes.. it's certainly an interesting time to be a publisher
"Oh and we've been selling PDF only subscription for nearly three years and we are preparing for the iPad already"
Interesting - So, have apple handed out Mag specific sdk's? or other info?
I'll be looking for mtb (WMB or ST) content for my iPad for sure. Personally I'd rather not subscribe but go into a 'MagStore' and buy one when I fancy it. I'd pay a little more than a printed mag if it had bits of video and other interesting stuff too. Not much more tho -
Be very interesting to see TV / magazines merge on the iPad...
Mark
The Premier Digital Extra sub @ £20 gets you much more than just PDFs.
That's great, and I'll happily spend that, but I won't gamble it, and not all PDFs are supported in eBooks, especially when they have rich content.
Was hoping for a simple/quick(?) test doc..
If you go have a shufti in the app store there are already a bunch of mags available on there, including Dirt.
Just went and had a look, and it's pixelmags doing the apps, and the mags available at the mo' include: Ride BMX/ Dig BMX/Play/SciFi Now/X360/Digital Photographer/iCreate/Advanced Photoshop/Onboard Snowboard. Once you've got the app you can get back issues, and the layout looks particularly designed to take advantage of the Pad's screen size.
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