I was lucky enough to be bought a (late) birthday present, a gift subscription to Narrow Gauge World magazine.
http://www.exacteditions.com/exact/browse/443/507
This is available through Exact Editions, as advertised in the magazine, http://www.exacteditions.com < Link To www.exacteditions.com for a smidge under £20.
Back Catalog
As well as the ability to access the current edition electronically, you also get access to an EXTENSIVE back catalog going back to the beginning of 2006. Access is reasonably quick and easy to setup - even for a novice. This access is in place for the duration of your 12 month subscription.
Online viewer
The 'online' viewer (the way you access the content on your computer) is ok - but doesn't allow full screen viewing so is hard to 'read' like you would a magazine. The advantage of the computer access is the ability to print to PDF pages and articles of interest, that you can keep forever.
iPad viewer
The product really comes to life on the iPad however, it's like reading a magazine. The whole page is readable, you can zoom to look at pictures, rotate to view two pages at once, and there is a snazzy navigation tool. You can at any point go back to the contents page. All links are live and take you to the relevant website or open an email. A fantastic user experience!
Even better the reader 'app' for the iPhone/iPad has just been updated so that you can synchronize more than one magazine for 'offline' viewing without an internet connection. Perfect for travelling - you can in theory take the whole back catalog with you. I've been downloading a couple of the older issues and have found some real gems of articles - getting particularly inspired by the Yugoslavian narrow gauge system!
So in summary...
If you have an iPad - worth every penny.
If you have only access to the internet through a desktop or laptop computer, continue to buy the magazine - although the back catalog might swing it for you, if you can live with the clunky user interface and limitations on screen size.
Note:
[*]There is a free preview issue on both the internet and the iPad application - take a look - it doesn't cost anything (http://www.exacteditions.com/exact/browse/443/507 )[*]The contents page is always viewable at full screen online, a useful way to check what's in 'this issue' without strolling to WHSmiths[*]Garden Rail is also published in the same way - and you can have both magazines on subscription through the one iPad app.
http://www.exacteditions.com/exact/browse/443/507
This is available through Exact Editions, as advertised in the magazine, http://www.exacteditions.com < Link To www.exacteditions.com for a smidge under £20.
Back Catalog
As well as the ability to access the current edition electronically, you also get access to an EXTENSIVE back catalog going back to the beginning of 2006. Access is reasonably quick and easy to setup - even for a novice. This access is in place for the duration of your 12 month subscription.
Online viewer
The 'online' viewer (the way you access the content on your computer) is ok - but doesn't allow full screen viewing so is hard to 'read' like you would a magazine. The advantage of the computer access is the ability to print to PDF pages and articles of interest, that you can keep forever.
iPad viewer
The product really comes to life on the iPad however, it's like reading a magazine. The whole page is readable, you can zoom to look at pictures, rotate to view two pages at once, and there is a snazzy navigation tool. You can at any point go back to the contents page. All links are live and take you to the relevant website or open an email. A fantastic user experience!
Even better the reader 'app' for the iPhone/iPad has just been updated so that you can synchronize more than one magazine for 'offline' viewing without an internet connection. Perfect for travelling - you can in theory take the whole back catalog with you. I've been downloading a couple of the older issues and have found some real gems of articles - getting particularly inspired by the Yugoslavian narrow gauge system!
So in summary...
If you have an iPad - worth every penny.
If you have only access to the internet through a desktop or laptop computer, continue to buy the magazine - although the back catalog might swing it for you, if you can live with the clunky user interface and limitations on screen size.
Note:
[*]There is a free preview issue on both the internet and the iPad application - take a look - it doesn't cost anything (http://www.exacteditions.com/exact/browse/443/507 )[*]The contents page is always viewable at full screen online, a useful way to check what's in 'this issue' without strolling to WHSmiths[*]Garden Rail is also published in the same way - and you can have both magazines on subscription through the one iPad app.
