Digital collections
#31
(04-05-2020, 09:07 AM)Wally A. Wrote: The quality of the images is low. On my laptop, which has a fairly large screen, the print is too small for me to read, so I can't view an entire page. This isn't a problem on my main computer since it has a larger screen, but I had visions of sitting comfortably on the couch reading through each issue.

It sounds like the problem is with the laptop screen and the associated ergonomics, not the FW scans. When I have "visions of sitting comfortably on the couch reading" laptops aren't at the top of that fantasy.

If you have a 17" laptop, even a mid-sized 9.7" tablet would be a significant improvement, even if the viewing distance ended up being the same. But the viewing distance would be much closer, and the resultant field of view that the tablet would occupy would be hugely greater than that of a laptop. The ease and quickness of zooming in and out with a tablet is also important when viewing scanned print media.

For just reading, I recommend a flagship or at least a name-brand tablet, not some piece of hot garbage. You can get a used Samsung Tab S2 in good shape for under $100. What's nice about these is that they have a microSD slot. I recommend Apple if money is no object and if you're planning on doing anything more than reading books, as they are supported longer and are thought to possibly be more secure. With Apple, whatever storage capacity it has when you buy it is practically what you get, adding more is possible but can ruin ergonomics.

I recommend 64GB, perhaps even 128GB. You can get away with much less, but what I like to do is convert all PDFs to JPGs and use image gallery software to browse and view. PDFs, as an ebook format, are warm garbage. I do keep the PDFs for searching purposes. But when I'm just reading, nothing beats JPGs for the smoothness of page turning and zooming.
Reply
#32
I just took a look at the Fine Wood Working scans and Wally A. is absolutely correct, image quality is very low. Wow. FW can do better.
Reply
#33
(04-05-2020, 12:06 PM)Robin Dobbie Wrote: I just took a look at the Fine Wood Working scans and Wally A. is absolutely correct, image quality is very low. Wow. FW can do better.

That is not what i am experiencing with the Fine Woodworking DVD of issues 1975 thru 2019.  The DVD installs on your hard drive and appears as Fine Woodworking Archive in the list of programs in Windows 10.  The images of all pages are crystal clear and sizable with the plus and minus magnifying buttons.  You can also search on a keyword such as "router lift" and it brings up several pages of issues relating to "router lift".

Roger in Texas
Reply
#34
No problem here with the FW archive. Was the issue due to over zooming?

Simon
Reply
#35
To be fair, these I'm looking at are from Archive.org and may not be what FW put out. For example, The first issue is under 2.5MB. That's just absurdly low for a magazine with images. It's possible what they offer is better? What do your file sizes look like for the first years?
Reply
#36
(03-05-2020, 12:27 PM)adamcherubini Wrote: Sorry if this is super obvious.  There is a woodworking group not far from me with a lending library for members.  Maybe a group in your area would like your old hard copies. We may not be able to share digital content, but we can legally share hard copies.

Share yes, duplicate no.  I think I misunderstood and thought you wanted someone to burn you a copy.  Sorry about that.
When I was young I sought the wisdom of the ages.  Now it seems I've found the wiz-dumb of the age-ed.


Reply
#37
Makes a poor read when you are sitting on the porcelain throne waiting for something to happen
Laugh
Laugh
Laugh 
Ken
Carolyn "Kscott & GDay, can I come sniff you?"
Timberwolf "You ARE WHO you eat"!!!!!!! "
Spokeshave "You're swallowing someone else's DNA right now."
Reply
#38
I’ve loved having them and find it super useful to search the entire woodworking folder for specific project ideas or techniques. In fact, I just recently went to PWW to try to update my collection and it seems they’ve stopped selling downloads except as individual over priced back issues. Big bummer, would love the last two years.
Reply
#39
(04-12-2020, 07:14 PM)sylvius Wrote: I’ve loved having them and find it super useful to search the entire woodworking folder for specific project ideas or techniques. In fact, I just recently went to PWW to try to update my collection and it seems they’ve stopped selling downloads except as individual over priced back issues. Big bummer, would love the last two years.

All digital versions were overpriced if we looked purely at the costs of producing them. How much was a USB stick?

I never get them from the publishers but from the online auction site. Original DVDs or USBs at or less than half of the listed price. I could even resell mine if I wanted to save more...hey, wait a minute, did those guys sell me the stuff that they also paid only half the price in the first place?

Simon
Reply
#40
What I do is go through the magazines and cut out the articles I want to keep and put them in a binder. Then I toss the magazine.

When you think about it you only keep a few articles so you may fill a few binders.
Don
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 2 Guest(s)

Product Recommendations

Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.