OT: Anyone subscribe to PCPlus Magazine?

[Roger Mills]

I have subscribed to this magazine since about Issue 9 in 1987 (I think) when they first included a cover disk (3.5" floppy in those days - or was it 5"?) containing various bits of useful software.

Over the years, the floppy has given way to a CD and, more recently, to a DVD.

However, in the most recent 3 issues, they have done away with the DVD - and have made the content accessible on-line.

As far as I can tell, this on-line content can be accessed by everyone without having to log on with any specific account details. So, it seems to me that if your primary interest is in the free software, there's no point in subscribing to the magazine any more - 'cos you can get it for free without doing so.

Am I missing something?

[therustyone]

I've always come to grief over the years with free software. It's either crippled or out of date versions of the real stuff, or totally useless. Best avoided.

Rusty

[Hugh - Was Invisible]

Often trial versions that are freely available elsewhere. Nowadays I try to avoid cluttering my PC registry etc with software until I am sure it is what I want. Amazing how difficult it is to fully uninstall some stuff.

[Roger Mills]

In other words "If I were going there, I wouldn't start from here!"

But you haven't answered my question - i.e. is my conclusion about PCPlus correct?

YMMV, but I've found lots of useful stuff over the years - going right back to DOS utilities!

FWIW, without really trying, I can identify at least a dozen decent applications which I use regularly, and which came from a PCPlus CoverDisc. One or two I have spent a few bob on upgrading - but the vast majority are "as supplied", or free upgrades obtained by registering the applications. One which I use virtually every day for keeping track of my finances is Quicken 98. I've been using this since W95/98 days, and it still works perfectly well under W7. [I did get a free update of a Year-2000-compliant version at the end of 1999].

[Brian Gaff]

A bit harsh I'd say. It does depend on what you need and what you are expecting of course. CCleaner, CD Burner XP, my screenreader, nvda and of course Firefox etc, are all free software, and all work very well. I was wondering in the original query if it might be a come on to do away with the paper and use online publishing, then when everyone is hooked, make it a subscription service as is increasingly the case recently. Brian

[John Williamson]

The reason I originally bought the magazines was for the cover disc, as it took forever to download the software via dial-up (Or GSM data at

9600 Baud, which was all I had most ofthe time). Now, with even mobile data being faster than dial-up, I just buy the occasional one to keep up with the hardware. If I find an interesting program,it's easy enough to download it from the publisher's website.

Like you, I have a number of programs installed on all my machines which came off cover discs, and, like yours, some of them are DOS programs which do things better than Windows programs.

I've not tried downloading stuff from the PC Plus website yet, as I've not seen anything worth the effort.

[therustyone]

__ ___________________________________

Well, to be honest I did get a 1998 spreadsheet, off a mag around 2001 that a colleague used for years. Probably a casualty of the then upcoming XP. But I've had the OS trashed by freeware more than once.

Rusty

[The Night Tripper]

No idea about PCPlus, but FWIW I try to look at this website when I remember:

(week-?)day thay have a different free download. They are only occasionally of interest to me, but now and again you get a cracker.

There is a mechanism for downloaders to give feedback to the company, upgrade the version of SW, etc. It's a nice model.

HTH Jon N

[Roger Mills]

Looks useful - thanks!

[John Rumm]

Probably not. Point to remember is that cover disks in general are simply compilations of stuff that is freely available anyway - there is rarely anything in the way of original content beyond a few menus etc. So putting restrictions round access to it seems slightly pointless.

In the very early days it was far harder to access PD and other such content. Then later when people did have internet access, it was still far quicker to get big apps from a CD rather than dialup speed downloads. These USPs have been greatly diminished in value over time.

[Gib Bogle]

Not to mention tools like gcc, gfortran, Qt, VTK, ImageMagick, Irfanview ...

[Peter Johnson]

I'll answer your question, Roger, as a reader of PC Pro since issue 1 and subscriber since issue 2. The cover mount would have been a 3.5in floppy then. After a trial with the DVD a few years ago I reverted to the CD and the issue that came on Saturday had a CD with it so they obviously still find it worthwhile to produce two different versions of the magazine. I have checked the mag and the website and think that you DVD subscribers must be given a software location that is not published in the CD magazine nor promoted on the site.

[Man at B&Q]

I get free access to the .pdf version of a magazine I used to advertise in. They used to mail a free copy to advertisers but then went on-line. The only problem is it's a page-by-page download. I'm not naming it in case some spots the mistake :-)

MBQ

[Man at B&Q]

Except that he was talking about a different magazine!

[Bob Eager]

But thst's PC Pro, not PC Plus.

Incidentally, I get the DVD version of PC Pro - and it *does* still come with a DVD. I reckon it's worth it over the year.

[rnews]

I am not bothered about the disappearance of the DVD for reasons others have stated, but am about to cancel my sub because it seems that most content in recent issues is just really basic "how to use this or that software package " stuff.

[Peter Johnson]

LOL- so he was