NF Digital magazines?

[major bill]

I have re-subscribed to a couple of Civil War magazine. I gave some thought about getting the magazines digitally instead of hard copy. So what are your thought or experiences with digital magazine?

1. I always save these Civil War magazines and going digital would save shelf space.
2. I am not sure but probably could access the magazines on my tablet or smart phone. I am not sure how the company sends out the digital copies.
3. What if I some how lose the digital copy I was sent? Printing a copy of the digital file would defeat the purpose of going digitally.
4. Is there any advantage of getting the magazines both digital and in hard copy? It does cost more to get both.
5. Usually I like hard copies of things. But I know many people get books digitally.
6. Maybe I am just old fashion.

 

[huskerblitz]

You go to a website to access your library. There is no way to lose the digital copy. Reading on a phone might not be the best mode, though a tablet would be better.

Personally, like digital books, I don't like reading off a screen as much as holding them physically.

 

[huskerblitz]

On the bright side, you download the issue to your device and take it wherever you go. Great for waiting rooms or trips and no fear of losing or damaging your copy. Unless of course you damage your device...then you have more concerns than losing a magazine.

 

[Rank and File]

I download books to my iPad but have never done a magazine. My only complaint in using the iPad is that maps can't be enlarged. When following an ACW battle, that would be a problem. I have old Blue&Gray mags that I still use because of their maps.

 

[Lincoln56]

1. I always save these Civil War magazines and going digital would save shelf space.
2. I am not sure but probably could access the magazines on my tablet or smart phone. I am not sure how the company sends out the digital copies.
3. What if I some how lose the digital copy I was sent? Printing a copy of the digital file would defeat the purpose of going digitally.
4. Is there any advantage of getting the magazines both digital and in hard copy? It does cost more to get both.
5. Usually I like hard copies of things. But I know many people get books digitally.

I get Civil War Monitor in both digital and hard copy. Digital notification arrives a couple weeks before the hard copy so I usually have read the whole digital magazine before the hard copy arrives.

Also have purchased Civil War Times and America's Civil War digital only.

Blue & Gray offers a select few issues digitally - I wish they offered ALL their back issues on digital.
Their website is still active so perhaps someday.....

You go to a website to access your library. There is no way to lose the digital copy.

The American Civil War and Civil War Times are on Zinio. I've never had a problem accessing these copies and some have been there for several years. So no copies lost to this point.

The Civil War Monitor digital are stored on the Civil War Monitor website; I've not had an issue with access.

I like digital for the space saving.

Perhaps a larger positive for me with digital is that I can enlarge the page to whatever size I want, which is important as my eyesight is beginning to fail and it is getting harder for me to read small fonts and detect detail in pictures in books and magazines. With the ability to change the size of pics and fonts in digital my limitations have been resolved.

Agree with @huskerblitz that these work best on Ipad or other tablet as opposed to a phone.

Overall I'm very happy with digital magazine content!

 

[Nathan Stuart]

In my view, digital access is the more practical and popular way to go nowadays for magazine/newspaper subscriptions.

Digital content is quicker to deliver, easier to manage (to access, analyze, copy and store) and is probably a lot cheaper to acquire, than equivalent hard copy forms. Most of all though, it saves on space (and is environmentally friendly). My own experiences with past physical magazine subscriptions are that bought editions tended to accumulate and became a nuisance in finding enough storage space.

However, collectors and traditionalists might prefer hard copy versions and the tactile feel of holding physical copies to read. Some people also like to display their favorite books on their home bookshelves as showplaces.

Bottom line is, choose the option that one feels more comfortable with, as its meant to be an enjoyable pursuit for most. But if practicality is a major concern, then suggest digital delivery is probably best for accessing magazine/newspaper information.

 

[major bill]

One of my reasons for asking is that The Company of Military Historians now offers all back issues of their "Journal" on a thumb drive. My back copies of the "Journal" takes up a ton of shelf space. If I want to research a topic in the "Journal" I have to go to their web site and use their index of articles. Their article index is not all that good. This is not a great way to do research. The Company of Military Historians will likely soon offer their "Journal" digitally at a lower cost. I will have to decide what to do.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

One of my reasons for asking is that The Company of Military Historians now offers all back issues of their "Journal" on a thumb drive. My back copies of the "Journal" takes up a ton of shelf space. If I want to research a topic in the "Journal" I have to go to their web site and use their index of articles. Their article index is not all that good. This is not a great way to do research. The Company of Military Historians will likely soon offer their "Journal" digitally at a lower cost. I will have to decide what to do.

If you run out of shelf space, you may have no choice.

 

[Belfoured]

I get Civil War Monitor in both digital and hard copy. Digital notification arrives a couple weeks before the hard copy so I usually have read the whole digital magazine before the hard copy arrives.

Also have purchased Civil War Times and America's Civil War digital only.

Blue & Gray offers a select few issues digitally - I wish they offered ALL their back issues on digital.
Their website is still active so perhaps someday.....


The American Civil War and Civil War Times are on Zinio. I've never had a problem accessing these copies and some have been there for several years. So no copies lost to this point.

The Civil War Monitor digital are stored on the Civil War Monitor website; I've not had an issue with access.

I like digital for the space saving.

Perhaps a larger positive for me with digital is that I can enlarge the page to whatever size I want, which is important as my eyesight is beginning to fail and it is getting harder for me to read small fonts and detect detail in pictures in books and magazines. With the ability to change the size of pics and fonts in digital my limitations have been resolved.

Agree with @huskerblitz that these work best on Ipad or other tablet as opposed to a phone.

Overall I'm very happy with digital magazine content!

I do the same for CWT and ACW, with the same results. I wasn't sure at first but now I wonder why I didn't do it sooner.