Recently got an email from taunton informing me of this new (i assume) dvd.
Just wondered if anyone had it? and how useful they found it?
Does it contain all of the magazine content since it was 1st published or just some articles along the way?
Thanks in advance ;0)
Replies
I received the same promotional email. It's somewhat interesting, but not if it's the "STUPID" format DVD that was discussed some time back.
If I remember correctly, that had a fixed low resolution display window that was about postage stamp sized on a modern high resolution display. The recommendation was supposedly to change your computer to lo-res. For me that's not feasible with the CAD apps I normally run.
I think there was also something about it not being PDF based too, so you couldn't easily print the articles out for reference at the bench.
Does anyone know if this is a more usable revision to that release?
cliff
Cliff,
Taunton reissued the "Best Of" DVD with the ability to load the PDF files from the navigation/search screen as native PDFs. This is much better than their first attempt, as the pdf files can now be treated as any other - they open in Adobe Reader so you can fill your screen, look at the whole page, print all or part, etc..
If you create a logical drive on an extended partition of your hard drive then copy the whole DVD there, you can run this virtual DVD from your hard drive. This speeds up access times.
Not all content of the magazine back issues is on the DVD. Taunton say that this is because they cannot get copyright on a lot of the articles, especially older ones where they did not routinely obtain copyright at the time of publication and cannot now obtain it retrospectively.
The DVD is a useful resource. I use it a lot to find articles containing this or that technique, tool review, type of joinery, etc.. It's faster than trying to remember if there was a relevant article and then rooting about in the stash of old magazines. Also, I don't have all the back issues. I only print if I don't have the magazine with the found-article(s) in it.
Is it worth the money? The answer will vary with every consumer.
Meanwhile, I see Taunton have issued another DVD with all this year's magazine content in it (minus ads). Apparently it also contains videos and other online-only content from 2007.
I will be trying one out to see if the videos are any better than the nasty (tiny res, streaming and jerky) videos they make us suffer on this site. The content is fine but the website versions are technically terrible, in my not so humble opinion. (I am the moaning consumer-person). :-)
Lataxe
Edited 10/28/2007 6:20 pm ET by Lataxe
Thanks Lataxe,I'm glad to hear that the DVD was revised. I do have a complete set of the magazines, but as you mention the electronic version is often more convenient for locating items. The electronic rights issue will probably guarantee that many of the old articles will not ever be widely disseminated, but there's still a lot of interesting content available on the newer media.Thanks for the reply; I may go ahead and acquire one of the DVDs.Cliff
I have not been reading FWW all that long (say the last 4 years or so) so I did not read it in the "good old days" I have looked at buying old issues on EBAY and such and by the time you take into the cost the price of shipping you are looking at a HUGE amount of money for the old issues. So I have been wondering if the electronic version (now that the problems are fixed) would be worth it. Down siding being they are not an easy formate to read (paper is simpler) but the up side is less shipping cost and i do not have to find storage space for all the back issues.
If you havd to guess would you say that most of the interesting articales are in the thing or do you think that to many of them are missing for this to be a good idea?
Doug
Hi Doug,
You know, I've been in the computer industry for the better part of my life and had access to all sorts of media, and stil do, but there certainly is a major difference between the real thing and a digital copy of it. I like the real thing and I use the WEB site to find things I am looking for from past issues.
Yes it's hard to find stuff in the mag. as opposed to the DVD. But then again I can take my mag. up to the woodshop if I need to. Taking the laptop up there can be risky, i.e. dust, etc.
From the first time I saw FWW (back in '79) I was impressed to say the least. I knew from the git go that I wanted every issue and I have them all. I can sit at the desk and just grab one from the bookcase and have fun. I get something out of each one every time!
May be an old timers thing but I really enjoy a cup o java and a good read, from the real thing.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Yeah that is my thinkin also, But the want about the same for the used mags (maybe more depending on how many bidders) and the cost to ship is as much as the CD to start with (if you are buy all the back issues)
So the cost is a BIG issue to me, add in that I need that many more mags in the library like I need a whole in my head and I am starting to look at the CDs
If the thing was just a LITTLE less or they had ALL the articals I would grab it but.....
Doug
Doug,
It's probably just me but I hold a sort of reverence towards FWW for some reason. I like the color format but, as others have suggested in other discussions, the content of the older mags. is really much different.
What I mean is that when go back to the old black & white issues I get to read articles by Castle, Klaus, Gilpin, Landon, Pine, Krenov, Frid, Vandal the list goes on and on. Feels like they're right there in front of me sometimes.
Of course it may be that I enjoy reading about period furniture, its construction and history. The Mendicino folks, etc. Hell I even get a hoot about some of the prices back in those days.
It's all fun,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
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