What Makes Gaming Books as PDFs Desirable?

[rgard]

I prefer paper, always have, though pdfs are nice for prep as cut and paste beats typing all the time.

But buying one and then the other just strikes me as wrong. Buy the book and get the pdf just makes sense, or buy them seperately. But having to buy both form the same publisher is wrong.

I hear you and yes it is annoying to pay twice, however...

I still have 33 rpm records. I can't play those anywhere but in my house on my turntable. If I want to listen to the same music in the car I buy the cd or purchase the songs on line, download them and put them on a flash drive or cd.

Now I could spend the money to buy the copying equipment to get the music off my 33s into a digital format, then spend the time to do it.

I could do the same with all my RPG books, but I don't want to spend the money on a good scanner & software or spend the time scanning the books.

I look at this as paying for the convenience of not doing the work myself.

Now if the RPG company wanted to make pdfs available free (or at least severely discounted) for those who purchased dead tree versions of their products, I think that would be a great business decision on their part as it would keep me coming back for more.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Umbran]

I never have to worry about tearing a page or spilling coffee on a PDF.

Now, this point is weak. When you are reading your pdf, you probably are more worried about spilling coffee, not less. I dare say dousing your laptop is typically a darned sight more problematic than dousing a single physical book.

 

[rgard]

El Mahdi! I'm jealous...how did wrangle 2 'Community Supporter' thingies?

Also, thanks for the xps. I think I'll go find other posts moaning about that decision and give them all xps.

 

[rgard]

FWIW, I'm not tied to PDF per se; any electronic format would be fine.

As long as it's DRM-free, that is; I'm not too interested in paying money for files I can't use if the folks who sold them to me can't stay in business.

Hi, I didn't understand this one. How does the DRM-free link with companies that go out of business?

Thanks,
Rich

 

[El Mahdi]

El Mahdi! I'm jealous...how did wrangle 2 'Community Supporter' thingies?...

I have no idea. I've asked a couple of times in Meta and PM'd Morrus but I've never gotten an answer. It may have just been some kind of glitch from when my account switched from the old Annual subscription to the new monthly subscription. But who knows. At least I only get charged once a month for just one account.

 

[IronWolf]

Hi, I didn't understand this one. How does the DRM-free link with companies that go out of business?

If the DRM used requires some sort of activation server that ceases to function when a company goes out of business you could lose access to your files. Or if the original producer of the product or DRM technology ceases to exist the files may become much more difficult to use in newer versions of software if no one is around to maintain it.

 

[rgard]

I have no idea. I've asked a couple of times in Meta and PM'd Morrus but I've never gotten an answer. It may have just been some kind of glitch from when my account switched from the old Annual subscription to the new monthly subscription. But who knows. At least I only get charged once a month for just one account.

Ok, thanks. My annual subscription is up next month and I plan to convert to monthly. Maybe I too will have a double Community Supporter designation!

Thanks again,
Rich

 

[rgard]

If the DRM used requires some sort of activation server that ceases to function when a company goes out of business you could lose access to your files. Or if the original producer of the product or DRM technology ceases to exist the files may become much more difficult to use in newer versions of software if no one is around to maintain it.

Ok, thanks.

 

[Piratecat]

I have no idea. I've asked a couple of times in Meta and PM'd Morrus but I've never gotten an answer. It may have just been some kind of glitch from when my account switched from the old Annual subscription to the new monthly subscription. But who knows. At least I only get charged once a month for just one account.

I'm pretty sure it's a setting in your user settings! PM me if you don't see it, and I'll figure it out.

 

[ghaladen]

The iPad. And Goodreader. \,,/