TOUR magazin with digital quarterly English edition for Ipad

[prendrefeu]

so you start with saying kindle doesn't support photo, illustrations, i post a quickie example showing that this was wrong, so now you change your position to say it's a quality issue, based upon a heavily compressed screenshot.

First, let's read carefully, the second line.

Kindle is very text heavy, imagery light (if at all).

Now, go to the various magazine reviews. Let's try National Geographic, for example: articles that *should* be image heavy. They include one image per article. In black & white. It's the platform.

well, you are wrong again, image quality can be fine, again it's creator choice not a format limitation

Black & White screen is not a format limitation? Huh. I guess if you're colour blind, which a certain percentage of men in the world are but refuse to admit, sure.

your market share argument is crazy, kindle format is readable on kindle, iphone, ipad, android, pc, mac, i.e. far bigger than ipad and android together

and you previously stated:

there are free readers available for many platforms (browser, pc, mac, iphone, blackberry, android), and amazon manages all the distribution and payment processing for you

Right, and likewise there are methods available to view iOS and Android content on many other platforms as well, so that argument is a bit moot.
Which brings us back to the original argument of platform.... see above.

the cost of repurposing is a major factor, especially for specialist publications, using a widely readable format is sound business sense.

Obvious statement of the thread there. So why start off with a limited, black&white format?

as i originally said, i'd be fine with pdf, but the people who own the content then have to accept the likelihood of widespread piracy

Again, you're circling back to why they're choosing to use a tablet-based app format in the first place.


Kindle is great for books. Just great.
Tour Magazin is not a book. It is a magazine.

[maquisard]

There is now a free sample edition to read online in a browser.

http://www.tour-qtr.com/epaper_4_2011

[kervelo]

The sample is a really good collection of the Tour tests from recent magazines:group set comparison, tests for normal and aero wheels, huge number of frames tested etc.

[bustamove]

When will the 2012 Q1 issue be out?

[Chris_W]

When will the 2012 Q1 issue be out?

If you look at the last page of the online sample issue, it says December 21st.

I'd previously bought some of the downloadable pdf's in German from Tour's website and used Google translator to get the gist. I was impressed by their tests then, but now that I'm able to understand 100% of it, I'm absolutely amazed. I'm never going to be able to read another UK/US bike magazine again - they are all full of useless, subjective dribble. The stuff published in Tour is what I've been looking for in all the other publications. OBJECTIVE DATA! HURRAY!

The restriction to the iPad is very strange, though. If they can publish it on the iPad, then why not the iPhone/iPod Touch? I own an iPod Touch, but I'm going to have to borrow an iPad four times a year just to read Tour magazine. How annoying.

[maquisard]

If they can publish it on the iPad, then why not the iPhone/iPod Touch? .

- They are apparently considering Apple NewStand ( available across iOS ).

- I also enquired if future new issues would be available in the web epaper format like the sample issue but they did not want to risk piracy and pdf copies floating around.

It really is a great magazine, I too am very impressed and am nearly tempted to get an iPad just to read it.

[stephenkchang]

Why not put the magazine on a plateform like Zino or Amazon kindle so it's cross plateform. Apple has it's place but i'm not an Apple fan.

[tobyinsydney]

Just so you guys know.... RIDE Cycling Review is now available for download via Zinio.

Works on iPad, android devices, Mac, PC and soon iPhone (although maybe hard with all that text to read on your phone)

http://au.zinio.com/browse/publications ... =500648988" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Current issue we test six carbon race wheel sets (as well as six bikes) in the jig and with our vibration test (real world testing rather than just lab)

Let us know what you think?

[xrs2]

Just read the Tour sample. I'd never read it before because of the language barrier.

I have to say, it's too bad Tour isn't published in a paper English edition. From what I've seen, it's far superior to the US- and UK-based cycling magazines, which are 90% fluff and thinly-disguised advertising.

Nice work!

[r_mutt]

thanks for the heads up. bought and downloaded!

[guadzilla]

I'd previously bought some of the downloadable pdf's in German from Tour's website and used Google translator to get the gist. I was impressed by their tests then, but now that I'm able to understand 100% of it, I'm absolutely amazed. I'm never going to be able to read another UK/US bike magazine again - they are all full of useless, subjective dribble. The stuff published in Tour is what I've been looking for in all the other publications. OBJECTIVE DATA! HURRAY!

Yes and no. I find it interesting how German stuff always ends up better. Eg: in the last issue, with frames, they do objective testing for stiffness and STW ratio, but then somehow, a German frame does really well in "Ride Quality" and ends up overall first.

Hmmm. I haven't quite made up my mind what to think of this yet.

However, it does remind me of British cycling mags, reading which always give me the impression that Wiggins is the next coming of Merckx.

[Chris_W]

There is certainly a bias towards the German brands in terms of what products are tested, but that is mainly due to which brands are giving them products to test, which is based on which brands are trying hardest to do well in the German market.

Whether there is then bias towards the local brands in the ratings, I am not so sure, but it is true that some of the more subjective criteria and the weighting scheme used to make the total score could easily be altered to favor one bike, or one type of bike, over others.

Even so, there are some tests where there are few if any German options, like chains; so those tests should be pretty independent. Also, between the non-German brands, I think you can trust the stated differences.

So, there may be some pro-German bias, but it is not great, and despite this there is still some really useful information.

Maybe after a few years of publishing in English, more of the international brands will want their stuff included in the tests, and they will try to appeal to a broader, more international readership. Therefore, I see this problem as hopefully diminishing over time.

[neeb]

I'm extremely interested in reading this regularly, but I do not use apple products.

TOUR need to make this available on a PC and/or Android platform, but at least the former. If not, I hope it will be widely available in some pirated form. Sorry, but while I support copyright protection I have NO sympathy in situations where publishers do not make publications easily available to the majority of the potential paying audience. Apart from anything else, it seriously erodes the important argument in favour of copyright protection laws by encouraging people to infringe them. Same as with the general unavailability of films to purchase for download in most countries.

[Liggero]

I'm extremely interested in reading this regularly, but I do not use apple products.

TOUR need to make this available on a PC and/or Android platform, but at least the former. If not, I hope it will be widely available in some pirated form. Sorry, but while I support copyright protection I have NO sympathy in situations where publishers do not make publications easily available to the majority of the potential paying audience. Apart from anything else, it seriously erodes the important argument in favour of copyright protection laws by encouraging people to infringe them. Same as with the general unavailability of films to purchase for download in most countries.

Exactly, I already own too much Apple crap. I hate apple and i will never ever buy an ipad. I like open hardware and open software. I hate my macbook and my ipod. I'd like to read the new issue of tour magazine quarter and i can't!!!!!! Should be available on the Zinio platform... These germans are not so so good as they seem. hope they improve soon so i can read them. Please guys do it soon!!! or make it available in papaer and i will subscribe.

You have gold in your hands guys, just do it!! come on, do it!!! do it now!!!

[TimW]

Anyone known when the next issue of Tour QTR is out? Supposed to have been "published" in march?