Forked Thread: PDF or Dead tree?

[Grimstaff]

.pdf or dead tree? Say rather, computer file or book?

I'll take book every time.

As many have stated, though, .pdfs are useful for the convenience of cutting and pasting stuff, but that really makes the .pdf more of an accessory than anything else. Which is fine. .pdfs are also a good form of advertising, I've bought a few books after perusing free rpg day .pdfs. But as far as paying 50-80% of cover price for a digital download that requires me to foot the bill for computer, printer, and ink to actually use?

For anything more than 5 bucks or so, a .pdf had better come with an alluring Swedish secretary to read it out loud to me.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I, too, despise gaming material in electronic formats, unless its something I made myself. And even then, I'll probably make a physical copy of it before using it.

I have never bought a gaming pdf, though I've been given a few. They're still unused (no reflection on the quality of the writers, honestly), so its not about $$$. Its a preference.

The moment a company's material goes 100% digital, I don't use it anymore- hence my expired subscriptions to Dragon and Dungeon.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

I almost always buy both, when the option to do so is available.

Like many, I find that a physical copy is more aesthetically pleasing to peruse casually, or to read through. However, the pdf format is super useful for preparation and for actually taking to the away-from-home game site.

 

[Aus_Snow]

It depends on what I need it for. Each medium brings with it unique utility. So yeah, 'other' was my vote.

The way it pans out, I tend to buy probably as many of each. Or, lately anyway, maybe slightly more PDFs. Dunno, 'cause I ain't counted 'em. Nor am I going to.

I appreciate both, but I have my (price) limits when it comes to PDFs. If they're priced too high, relative to the print version (or what that would be) I simply won't buy it, and will make do without. Sooner or later, I figure certain companies might learn. Or not, whatever.

Likewise, there are limits when it comes to physical books - for example, I won't buy full colour PoD books. Just can't justify it. Same goes for stupendously massive and expensive books like Ptolus. No way.