Rant: RC Car Action Touring Cars Edition
08-09-2005, 04:06 PM
#16
True. i heard how good XRC Magazine is, but i never saw any. Where i live there isnt a single one for sale. And the price they ask is way too much for a mag...
Anyways, i feel most of the info they got on magazines is already on the net.
Example: i bought august RC car action on a rush because i saw they had an articles on batteries (and since i stoped the hobby for 5 years i new nothing about nimh).
What i see on their article is pretty much what i already knew from browsing... Charging advices from SMC and Trinity, the superiority of GP3700 and IB3800. And the worst thing is that that particular article is by far the best in the magazine!
In portugal i payed 7 euros for that crap (wich is actually good - it used to be worst when dollar was having better days). Next time ill just save it to pay the internet bill.
Im not posting my frustation, just expressing my opnions and conclusions: ill quote andsetin signature on that. For me thats the point of foruns anyway.
Anyways, i feel most of the info they got on magazines is already on the net.
Example: i bought august RC car action on a rush because i saw they had an articles on batteries (and since i stoped the hobby for 5 years i new nothing about nimh).
What i see on their article is pretty much what i already knew from browsing... Charging advices from SMC and Trinity, the superiority of GP3700 and IB3800. And the worst thing is that that particular article is by far the best in the magazine!
In portugal i payed 7 euros for that crap (wich is actually good - it used to be worst when dollar was having better days). Next time ill just save it to pay the internet bill.
Im not posting my frustation, just expressing my opnions and conclusions: ill quote andsetin signature on that. For me thats the point of foruns anyway.
08-09-2005, 05:21 PM
#17
yeah i have to admit that is kind-of-steep increase for international shipping, but here in France they do have a few RC CARS related magazine, but you dont get a fraction of the info as you do in XRC, if i do pick one up here ill tell ya its not for the article's, its just to see how my Friends here did at a particular race that i may have missed or didnt attend, and not to mention how expensive they are, and you dont get for what you pay for Here!!!
But also you have to look at the source of where the Mag is located, Southern California, right in the heart of RC in California, where you have, Tamiya, HPI, Novak, Airtronics, Associated, Losi, Proline, not to mention a few others, so if you want somewhat most current info, well there its, and i hate to say but if you want it you have to pay for it, but that international price is a bit big, i feel for you, but id have to say if anyone is going to hurt that particular magazine, its right here, and its almost free all its costs is just some of your time, and if you need an answer, you can get answers right here...ok Enough
But also you have to look at the source of where the Mag is located, Southern California, right in the heart of RC in California, where you have, Tamiya, HPI, Novak, Airtronics, Associated, Losi, Proline, not to mention a few others, so if you want somewhat most current info, well there its, and i hate to say but if you want it you have to pay for it, but that international price is a bit big, i feel for you, but id have to say if anyone is going to hurt that particular magazine, its right here, and its almost free all its costs is just some of your time, and if you need an answer, you can get answers right here...ok Enough
08-09-2005, 07:42 PM
#18
Originally Posted by andsetinn
Xtreme RC is good, ok. But have you seen how much Xtreme RC charges for international shipping? 60$ for each year. No friendly way does it cost them 5 dollars extra to ship each mag, I mean it's already bagged and marked for USA distribution and it's not free to ship within USA, this is on top of that cost. 3 year subscription goes from 60$ to 240$. How can they convince themselves it's fair price? They can keep the magazine at that price. Have you ever heard the term "Pricing yourself out of the market"? And you're complaining that RCCATCE is ripoff at 5.99$
Anyway, the price still sucks, not going to argue there. I am working on a digital distribution for us that would allow economical means for getting things overseas. No guarantees on when/if it will happen but I am hopeful.
08-09-2005, 08:08 PM
#19
Thats a good ideia.
I wondered why they didnt gave that option before... than i remembered that peer-to-peer software (Emule, kasaa) might not make that very profitable...
I wondered why they didnt gave that option before... than i remembered that peer-to-peer software (Emule, kasaa) might not make that very profitable...
08-09-2005, 08:46 PM
#20
well, if your spending 390.00 of YOUR money based on what some magazine that takes ad money for the car or whatever they are reviewing your nuts.
AND 6 bucks for 98 pages isn't that bad considering that 175 pages of the normal 220 is ads anyway.
AND 6 bucks for 98 pages isn't that bad considering that 175 pages of the normal 220 is ads anyway.
08-10-2005, 02:17 AM
#21
Tech Addict
Originally Posted by futureal
I am working on a digital distribution for us that would allow economical means for getting things overseas. No guarantees on when/if it will happen but I am hopeful.
. Check out www.Zinio.com for distribution of electronic magazines. They have more than 40 titles already. For eBooks I must plug www.baen.com here. It's a sci-fi book publisher. If you buy the book in electronic form you only pay half retail price. And they have lot of old books for free. When they're up to book 3 in series the first one is often free. Then if you want more free eBooks there is www.gutenberg.org
08-10-2005, 05:37 PM
#22
My words here are my opinions, bases on my experience. They're not natural law or unconditional truths. I reserve the right to change my mind about everything I say. I might even under special circumstances be wrong. If you're offended by my words then you misunderstood me.
08-11-2005, 02:15 AM
#23
Tech Addict
I like having a safety net. 
08-11-2005, 09:02 AM
#24
Originally Posted by Itchy
I wondered why they didnt gave that option before... than i remembered that peer-to-peer software (Emule, kasaa) might not make that very profitable...
One thing I am looking at is a downloadable file that can get "unlocked" by communicating with our web site and is then keyed into the viewer's computer, but that is just a planning stage. I know most would prefer a hard copy of the magazine but this would be the difference between a $20 foreign subscription and a $60+ foreign subscription. Still not a bad option.
08-11-2005, 10:09 AM
#25
Jamescam - Thanks for the rant. I am sure we all can appreciate what you contributed. However, I am more interested in how you are able to "sneak out" to the hobby store to get the XRay. Also how you are able to "sneak" getting the XRay ($400 value) past your wife or significant other without being noticed or criticized. I look forward to the details so that I may learn from you and do the same very soon 
08-11-2005, 10:13 AM
#27
Originally Posted by YR4Dude
Jamescam - Thanks for the rant. I am sure we all can appreciate what you contributed. However, I am more interested in how you are able to "sneak out" to the hobby store to get the XRay. Also how you are able to "sneak" getting the XRay ($400 value) past your wife or significant other without being noticed or criticized. I look forward to the details so that I may learn from you and do the same very soon
Saying it out loud makes me realize that I will in fact be going to hell.
08-11-2005, 11:58 AM
#28
Tech Addict
jamescam. There is a Special Hell for some people. And as soon as your wife finds out what you did you'll get a preview of it.
Futureal. Zinio is not bullet-proof. In fact no electronic distribution is safe.
I for myself would like to be able to read the magazine both in my laptop and my home computer. My laptop is often offline for days when I travel and it would be nice to browse the magazine while away from the net. So the unlocking scheme wouldn't be convenient for me. Would insist on me buying 2 subscriptions because I have 2 computers?
You want to stop piracy? Why not give the magazine away for free or maybe 1 dollar token price for each month. Who would pirate it, if it's free? Don't forget that one issue is basically worthless as soon as the next one comes out.
In electronic distribution you're not printing the issue AND you're not physically shipping it anywhere so it would most definitely cost you less to give electronic magazine away than to sell a paper one. And all your advertisers would have live links to their web pages straight from the magazine.
Futureal. Zinio is not bullet-proof. In fact no electronic distribution is safe.
I for myself would like to be able to read the magazine both in my laptop and my home computer. My laptop is often offline for days when I travel and it would be nice to browse the magazine while away from the net. So the unlocking scheme wouldn't be convenient for me. Would insist on me buying 2 subscriptions because I have 2 computers?
You want to stop piracy? Why not give the magazine away for free or maybe 1 dollar token price for each month. Who would pirate it, if it's free? Don't forget that one issue is basically worthless as soon as the next one comes out.
In electronic distribution you're not printing the issue AND you're not physically shipping it anywhere so it would most definitely cost you less to give electronic magazine away than to sell a paper one. And all your advertisers would have live links to their web pages straight from the magazine.
08-11-2005, 01:15 PM
#29
If you give it away for free it automatically devalues the newsstand and hobby store distribution which is unacceptable. Magazine revenue is valuable to hobby shops; even if they sell only 50 magazines a month at about $2.50 a mag markup, that's still a healthy bit of recurring profit.
Unlocking on multiple computers wouldn't be a problem. Just have to log in to the site once from that comp to unlock it.
It's not a perfect solution for sure, nothing will be. But it's an option...
Unlocking on multiple computers wouldn't be a problem. Just have to log in to the site once from that comp to unlock it.
It's not a perfect solution for sure, nothing will be. But it's an option...
08-12-2005, 07:55 AM
#30
Jamescam - I will keep spot nice and warm for ya because my wife already bought me the express ticket there.
As to the method you used... a checkbook??? Any guy should know that you should NEVER use any finances that involves documentation when it comes to RC
I hope you survive the audit
As to the method you used... a checkbook??? Any guy should know that you should NEVER use any finances that involves documentation when it comes to RC
I hope you survive the audit