Hi there. I love SOS and have read it for 20 years but times have moved on. I have IPad subs for your inferior competitors and it's so convenient that I'd now rather end my SOS sub than carry on lugging print mags around.

You have been warned!

Dan

Nice. I see that tact and diplomacy course really worked wonders for you....

Hugh

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Technical Editor, Sound On Sound

Um... doesn't your iPad have a browser and wireless web access like just about every other computer in the world? Certainly those I've used do.

Of course, there's also the existing option to buy pdf versions of those articles which interest you...

while i'd dearly love an app for iOS that integrates the website, forum and magazine content, i can live (just about) with using safari and logging in with my subscription ID .....


it works , okay , it's not as elegant and slick a solution as we have come to expect from SOS over the last 25 odd years... but it works....


your hard copy subscription comes with a free esub, and that log in allows you access to all the current months articles, and the previous few months that are otherwise locked ... (i think it's at 6 months old that articles become free for all...?)


safari seems to work quite happily with the web site.... so get yer ipad out and log in with your subscriber PIN.


(yes i'd like to see it in the itune bookstore thingy , free to subscribers... or something.... so on those occasions , up in the mountains, or down the deepest darkest coal mine, where i have no wifi, and no 3G service... i can still read it.... )



Edited by idris y draig (21/05/11 03:56 PM)

Me, I _like_ these new fangled editions printed on what I believe is called papyrus. No longer do I have to worry about the battery running out when away from mains power...

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* Soundcloud *
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hello again. i'll respond to a few things said here!

Hugh says: "I see that tact and diplomacy course really worked wonders for you...." Well I thought there were diplomatic undercurrents if you looked for them. For example, I said I love SOS, I referred to your competitors as inferior, and my only complaint was about lugging print mags around, no disrespect to your grand magazine. And calling it a threat was meant tongue in cheek. Obviously you're not going to jump through hoops and spend a fortune developing something just to save one subscription. And yet I also thought it was worth expressing that way, because it's literally the case that I'll give up on SOS until you get an iPad friendly version up and running, and so I thought I'd express that so that you know that at least someone out there feels that way. Maybe there's a silent army of iPad wielding SOS readers, who knows

Mixedup suggests using the browser or buying PDF articles. About using the browser - it's just a bit ugly and unwieldy messing about with links and html. The print magazine is really well laid out and that makes it much nicer to read. Likewise a PDF or iPad version feels the same - nicely laid out and alluringly more-ish. I slightly prefer the iPad experience to print, partly because it's nice to read stuff on an iPad in bed with the lights dimmed.

And I'm not going to pay £1 for each PDF article when I'm already subscribing, it'd cost a fortune.

Idris y draig - yes safari works, it's ok but it just feels a bit third world somehow. I know the content is more important than the layout really, but you know it *does* matter. Imagine if the print version was laid out like basic html web pages, it would put you off.

Part of what inspired my wild outburst was that the digital addition had a download link until this month. So, I was downloading the whole thing as a PDF, putting it on my iPad and reading it from the iBooks app, and it was great. Then I was really looking forward to doing that with the June edition only to find that the download icon has gone.

Is this to combat piracy? If so I do understand, it's just a shame for me that my enjoyment has to be spoiled. Sorry if that sounds sulky, I'm just a big baby sometimes.

Quote Dan_Pop:

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Hugh says: "I see that tact and diplomacy course really worked wonders for you...." Well I thought there were diplomatic undercurrents if you looked for them.

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Yes... it started out really quite well... and then you concluded with the phrase "You have been warned!" -- and not even softened with a smiley!

Quote:

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And calling it a threat was meant tongue in cheek.

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Indeed... as was my comment about tact and diplomacy, naturally....

Quote:

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I thought I'd express that so that you know that at least someone out there feels that way.

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I'm certain there are a lot of people who would like an SOS iPad/iPhone app -- me and the rest of the SOS staff included. It is something we are currently working on -- indeed we had hoped to be able to launch something last year but a decision to radically update our web systems has had to put it on the back burner for a (hopefully short) while.

The iPhone/ iPad app idea has been discussed on the forums several times before, and the reasons for the delay have also been aired here.

Quote:

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Then I was really looking forward to doing that with the June edition only to find that the download icon has gone. Is this to combat piracy?

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No, it's because of a pdf quality issue we are currently having with our digizine provider -- again, it was discussed here recently in another thread on that topic. We hope normal service will be resumed shortly.

The bottom line is that, despite appearances to the contrary, SOS is actually a very small company and we don't have enormous resources of staff or finances to throw at developing these kinds of things. At the moment we are devoting all our effort to a very major upgrade of the website and all the associated back-office systems, and that will then allow further (long overdue) upgrades to the forums, and make practical the iPad/iPhone (and Android) apps that we are all so desparate to see.

Please... be patient. I think we all understand and share your frustration. We are working on it. Hopefully we will still be able to afford to do it if you postpone renewing your subscription...

Hugh

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Technical Editor, Sound On Sound

Thanks Hugh that all sounds promising.

How come you haven't considered Zinio as a stop gap? Works well!

Dan

I personally played around with the digital media formats of the competitors but what really is the gist of the debate is content and SOS is by far superior. Granted - can't say I care much about the video media article or the price increase because of it but compared to EQ or Recording magazine, the wealth of information per release is way worth the extra price in the US for me.

So honestly - I don't care how you release it as long as we have the paper format available I like the digital library search function - recently had to brush up on some Pro Tools points and I found the articles online then referred back to my magazines.

I also have a print to pdf function on my machine so when I need to take some pointers to the studio where I don't know if I'd have internet access I carry it on my usb drive.

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www.descentintomadness.com

Quote 4TrackMadman:

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can't say I care much about the video media article or the price increase because of it

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I didn't think there was a price increase. If you view the video stuff as freebie extras (see previous threads on this) it really isn't that bad

Quote Mixedup:

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I didn't think there was a price increase. If you view the video stuff as freebie extras (see previous threads on this) it really isn't that bad

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In fact, the price of the magazine has stayed the same since 2005. And prior to that, it was only 50p cheaper going back until 1985...

When you offset this fact against an average inflation rise each year of 5%, and the fact that the mag has significantly increased in pages since its beginning, we're offering excellent value for money!

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SOS Web Editor, Support & Social Media
Friend SOS on Facebook | Follow SOS on Twitter

This whole debate is irrelevant. Hugh has said that the PDF download option will be fixed on the Digital Magazines soon. Therefore, it's very simple and easy to download the PDF and transfer it to the iPad. That's fine, it doesn't need to be a bloated app full of videos, sound and the forums (as nice as they would be!).

So, hurry up and sort that out, and I'll renew my sub after all, the righteous world order will be restored and happiness shall reign ever after.



By the way. Between threatening the hand that feeds, composing and running a movie trailer music library, I produce sample libraries.

Recently did Animato and Spiritoso for Zero G, which have had some good reviews elsewhere, hope you get a chance to review them at some point,

Cheers!

Dan

Edited by Dan_Pop (24/05/11 11:32 AM)

Hi Dan,

We are trying to get the download functionality on the Digital Editions fixed asap. Please see this thread for details:

http://www.soundonsound.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=895608&page=0&v iew=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1#Post915848%23895608

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SOS Web Editor, Support & Social Media
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As I've just posted in the other technical forum...

I've got the June issue as a PDF now, it wasn't so painful. I just loaded the digital edition, selected 'Print all', then 'Print as a PDF' and saved it to my desktop. 1.38GB and 15 mins later here it is.

So, world peace is officially restored and I can go and find something else to moan about.

i find instapaper and the iPad a good combination with which to enjoy my monthly digital subscription... great for reading the text and it has an inbuilt browser if there's lots of pics or illustrations to look at... an app would be nice but it's not a deal-breaker.... still a good mag after all these years x

Well, my subscription period has nearly ended and still sadly no iPad-friendly edition.

And so I'll say farewell and from now on read the aberrant blitherings of your puerile competitors on my iPad.

I'll check back from time to time here to see if you've managed to produce an iPad version. Until then, thanks and goodbye!

Remember! You could go through the iOS 5 magazine rack, Zinio or a dedicated app. I hope you see the light,

Dan

Edited by Dan_Pop (10/08/11 02:26 PM)

Pssst.................has he gone?






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My Songs are at http://songramp.com/RonnieG

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Put the fun back into dysfunctional.
Mr Punch's Studio

I,

I am sad to see that the thread as ended and it doesn't look that the outcome is "posive.

1) About a year I cancelled a 2 years "paper sub" because the local canadian distributor was
unable to ship the magazine on time; instead I switch to a competitor to stay in touch with
the recording world but, I'll admit, it is not that good.

2) I tried the esub for 3 months but I dropped it because I found it unpleasent to read something
on a monitor screen position "vertically" so I forgot about hte e-sub approach

3) For my coming birthday I am going to get an ipad2 and I was looking forward to give another go
at the e-sub version. In canada 3G can get very expensive and I am not going to pay for it so
I was looking forward to be able to download a file to the ipad, and I would have no problem
having with "copy protection" mechanisms.

I have wireless at home so I can live with reading stuff on-line but, like others, I am sad to
see that this is the best SOS can provide. As for renewing my subscription I'll thing about it.

Cheers!

Mario

Be patient... good things come to those who wait... or something like that.

hugh

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Technical Editor, Sound On Sound

my birthday is on the 29th, will it be ready by then....please, please, please......Just Kiddin'

Nice to see something you have it on your plate; planning face or developement phase.

Cheeers!

Mario

This is a wild guess, but I think SoS might be waiting on iOS5 to be released, which is due very soon.

Well. iOs5 is here. Would be nice to have SOS in the "new" Newstand.

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Alain

Thank you for your continued interest in iPad/iPhone availability of Sound On Sound.

I'm pleased to confirm that we are in the final stages of development regarding availability for mobile devices, and we hope to post a formal update on the website soon.

In the meantime, for more info, please read this thread.

Thank you again for your patience!

JJ

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SOS Web Editor, Support & Social Media
Friend SOS on Facebook | Follow SOS on Twitter

Is it just me - however, I just don't get this thread?

SOS is the best music mag period - both in print and on the website

I have an iPad2, however, the fact that I could get say "Electronic Computer Mash-ups" (made up name) as an iPad app is pretty irrelevant if it doesn't deliver the appropriate content for me as a reader.

It's like saying I bought a new TV and now can really enjoy all those awful american sitcoms due to better pixel quality!

Go figure!

Perhaps some people value convenience over quality... It's like mp3 and 24/96 PCM all over again!

But we are getting very close now with the iPad thing... I can feel it in my waters...

hugh

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Technical Editor, Sound On Sound

Quote Hugh Robjohns:

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I can feel it in my waters...

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Did we HAVE to go there Hugh


Martin

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YewTreeMagic

Quote Martin Walker:

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Quote Hugh Robjohns:

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I can feel it in my waters...

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Did we HAVE to go there Hugh


Martin

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We didn't, but apparently we have >.<

:P

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SOS Web Editor, Support & Social Media
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TSUNAMI !!!!!!!!

Andy

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When the going gets weird, the Weird turn Pro.

muddy or roger?