Showing posts with label free magazine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label free magazine. Show all posts

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Icreate - England

Icreate - EnglandYou bet, this one is. There are only a few Mac oriented magazines out there and they all wish they could be this well written. This is a large format magazine and each issue is filled with a series of how-to articles that I consider the best written, best illustrated and easiest to follow. I can slog through some fairly dull reading but this is the magazine I would give to my wife / daughter / co-worker to explain how to use iChat, hook up an iSight camera, customize iCal, get started with Safari and so on.

They review many new software tittles and the latest hardware goodies. Since it is a magazine, the reviews are very current. Each issue comes with a CD and they are starting to include pdf copies of prior issues, great for reference.

I started reading iCreate with the very first issue and haven't stopped yet. I had recently purchased an iBook for my sister in an effort to bring her into the 21st century but for all of the ease the Mac offers, my sister still wasn't really doing anything but using email...and even then maybe once a week. I picked up a copy of iCreate for her when it first came out. I liked it because it was written in plain english and it seemed that every page was a tutorial. Well it is 11 issues later and I am still hooked on this magazine. My sister has her own web page and is a master if the iLife program..all thanks to iCreate magazine. I read it too,,,love the disc and the articles. I find that it is better than Mac Addict (which hurts to say) and some of the other Mac mags. This magazine is geared towards the beginner to intermediate user but I'll tell you...even experianced users will enjoy it.

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I picked up a copy at a local book store strictly for the article on networking and found a lot more useful items included. If you're into Macs for using the iLife and similar software, there are a ton of good "tutorials" included in each issue. Newstand price was $15.50, so it's more on the order of buying a paperback book instead of a magazine. Content is excellent--I found things in the tutorials that even the local Apple store didn't give in their classes.

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Great magazine couldn't recommend it any higher for anyone starting out with macs. iCreate also introduced a great Pro section in 2005 to delveinto the workings of ProApps such as Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, mDVD Studio Pro etc. Now here's the thing, I'm wondering how the magazine can be available for subscription while the magazine was put on hold late last year. Me, or anyone I know with a subscription haven't recieved the mag for months, and there has been no contact from the people who handle the subscription despite zillions of e-mails. So be careful, get the full story before you hand over any money!!!!!!!!!!! check the web for similar storries, you will find them

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I subscribed at their website; used promotional code "USA3"

The price dropped from '80 Pounds to '50 Pounds ... thats less than $USD 80 for 13 issues (Amazon's price is over $USD 139).

Downside: (1) the credit card will add a fee for foreign currency; (2) You don't get Amazon's satisfaction protection.

8/27/2011 I just renewed my subscription. The code "USA3" still works; 13 issues delivered to USA for 50 Pounds. Great magazine, highly recommended.

8/6/2012 Time to renew? Promotional Code "USA3" no longer works. "USA4" is a new code, does work, but the price is £65 for 13 issues. That's over $101 USD and exceeds my budget by a lot. Digital edition may be less expensive, but since I don't have an iPad, that's irrelevant to me. (Come to think of it, much of the mag's content is now iPad-centric.) Guess I'll let the subscription expire.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

The Magazine Antiques (1-year)

The Magazine AntiquesThis is an informative magazine for antiquarians and persons interested in interior design and Decorative Arts. The articles are well-written and accompanied by good photographs and illustrations. It is a pleasure to read and you will come away from it each time learning something new that is worth remembering.

I thought this magazine would be full of pages about Antiques with pictures, explanations of the items and possible values. I found it had too much advertising, not enough about Antiques/Antiquing for my taste. It has very high quality/high priced antiques, so if this is what you collect or are interested in this is for you. The printing is lovely. I was looking more for antiques like you might acidentally find, not the ones you have to mortgage your home to own! Others may love this magazine but I didn't. Cancelled this magazine.

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Antiques Magazine is a publication made for antique lovers and history buffs and its pages are loaded with photos of artistic paintings, handmade goods, rare pictures, and other items of similar nature. It is a magazine for those who love antiques and also those who consider themselves historians since many articles deal with historical collections of art and antiques.

This magazine is overflowing with antique goods and information. The articles contained in this magazine are intended to be visually stimulating in some cases, educational in others. They offer history lessons on the art that was popular during a specific era, a glimpse into an art collection at a museum, and more. The articles are meant to stimulate the interests of those who already like this subject and they often provide a means to learn more, to discover places to see or purchase some of the featured works, and to develop an appreciation for the craftsmanship that went into making these items.

Antiques Magazine is a publication dedicated to creative art and history but one thing that isn't very creative is the titles of the articles. This might surprise some readers at first, but the editors at Antiques decided to get straight to the point in the naming of the featured articles rather than try to be creative. The features thus have titles like "The Eating Utensil Collection", "Spanish Culture in Art", etc. Each title points out exactly what the article covers, leaving nothing to the imagination.

The writing in Antiques is certainly good and welledited. But I'm afraid that many readers will find the articles a little boring. They describe things well and they usually offer a good history lesson. But they lack spark and readability. I have tried to read some articles in this magazine and found my eyelids getting heavy and my thoughts drifting to other subjects. This is why I generally stick with the pictures when I glance at Antiques Magazine. I don't bother reading because most of the material doesn't keep my interest.

Overall, Antiques Magazine is an okay publication and unless you have a deep interest in antiques and their history, you will likely become bored quickly if you try to read the articles. But the pictures in Antiques are often very interesting. Even if you have little interest in reading a magazine like this one, the photos alone make it worth an occasional look.

Read Best Reviews of The Magazine Antiques (1-year) Here

This beautiful magazine is in itself a work of art. The quality of every page and bits of information is fascinating.I see the art, the homes and read every word including the ads. I first discovered this gem in London many years ago and now it is in my home and very welcome at that.

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Enjoying the magazine overall. Very nice transaction. The photographs are lovely. I would recommend this to anyone interested in art, antiques, or even household design.

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Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Consumer Reports Money Adviser (1-year auto-renewal)

Consumer Reports Money AdviserI would recommend this publication to anyone that wants unbiased information regarding personal finance. I have been a subscriber for several years now, and I look forward to getting this magazine in the mail. The great thing about Consumer Reports is that it does not receive advertising dollars; thus, the publisher is less likely to be persuaded to push particular financial products. Every month, there is a feature that discusses a topic regarding a financial issue, and the article provides in-dept instructions regarding that issue. I have not seen another financial magazine that is as thorough regarding financial instructions to improve one's financial capabilities and assets as this magazine.

I got a hold of a 6 months issues of "Money Adviser". In the nutshell, Money Adviser is an 16-page publication without advertisement (hence the cost of publishing is transferred to the subscriber). Here is the content of the November 2011 issue (and my summary of the article). Tell me if it is something you don't hear elsewhere...

1. Article: "Watch out for the new bank fees" (Summary: Banks ramp up fees, examples of fees; consider switching to a small community bank; how to switch)

2. "Why you can't judge a deal by its list price" (Don't believe the list price stated on the price sticker, check the price on the internet. Examples)

3. "Black Friday survival tip" (Check prices carefully, sign up for email alerts, check return policy)

4. "Don't sabotage your portfolio" (Stick with a long-term plan, Maintain the balance, Keep the right amount of cash, Don't invest impulsively)

5. "Refinance to a shorter-term mortgage?" (Calculate savings in interest, Can you afford higher payment? Are you better off investing the difference in stock market?)

6. "Dividends or stock buybacks" (What's better for a shareholder dividends or stock buybacks? Bottom line either one is good)

7. "Is another recession on the way?" (Economists can be wrong, so stay put and stick with your long-term plan)

8. "Real estate that pays dividends" (Look into REITs for they pay high dividends, Table with REIT Mutual Funds)

9. "When did charities get picky" (Some charities got picky, so have a plan B when your old sofa is refused by the charity)

10. "A plan for charitable bequests" (Your heirs will benefit more from appreciated assets than your IRA and why)

11. "Get the best deal on a used car" (Don't reveal what you can afford, negotiate, be ready to walk away, check vehicle history)

12. "Rebalance and consolidate" (Rebalance and consolidate)

13. Q&A (Q: Should I tip a workman? Q: Where to check annuity issuers? Q: Cashier wants my security code why?)

I hope by number 5 you realized (like I did), that Money Adviser is no different from any other financial publication (in terms of contents). However, it's much smaller (compare with 80 pages of Kiplinger's or Money Magazines).

Bottom line Decide for yourself if it's worth extra 20 dollars a year.

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It took a little while to get this product (maybe 2 weeks). They indicated when I subscribed it would take longer so I wasn't too disappointed. I read through the magazine and it reads much like the regular Consumer Reports magazine it appears to be unbiased and trustworthing information that I can trust. I do wish it was a little longer but for the price I believe it is fair.

Read Best Reviews of Consumer Reports Money Adviser (1-year auto-renewal) Here

After a year's subscription I honestly have to say that I am disappointed. Most of the financial info is the same as some of the websites that get my daily news and from one of the major big box stores that issue a free magazine. The only thing this is really good for and what I got out of it is that it confirms what I already know. After a year's time and a few dollars spent on this, I would rather ask my financial adviser instead of renewing another year.

Update. While this subscription may not be for me, I do have to say that for someone who does not have a financial background it would be worth the money because not everyone is familiar with finance and CR is very credible for the general public.

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I've been a subscriber for several years and still look forward to getting the publication in the mail and reading it. And I usually read it a couple of times there aren't a lot of pages so it doesn't take that long. Much of the info is general in nature and is available elsewhere if you keep up with basic financial news and events. But I occasionally pick up a "gem" from the publication which makes the cost worth it. I wish it contained more information in each issue (had more pages). And in the title of this review I say "mostly unbiased" because every person, organization, and company in the world is biased in one way or another, including Consumer Reports. In conclusion, 4 stars = very good, but not great. Will I continue to subscribe? Yes.

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Monday, July 14, 2014

Gray's Sporting Journal (1-year auto-renewal)

Gray's Sporting JournalThis magazine is a pleasant change from "Field & Stream" and "Outdoor life" The articles are well written and harken back to a day and age when one had time to sit by the fire and read a good story. 5 stars for writing quality. It's expensive per issue but you'll get your money's worth out of the reading time. Ad's but far fewer than those other pulp journals.

This roughly bimonthly magazine contains a wide range of generally well written fishing and hunting stories, plus some photo-journals of hunting and fishing trips to exotic locales. There are occassional articles about making guns, gunsmithing, etc. I'd pretty much agree with G. Powell's short review, the quality of the writing here is better than `Field and Stream' or similar publications, definitely worth the money. Probably about the same as `Sporting Classics', but without so many ads. I got started reading this magazine after devouring Robert Ruark, Peter Capstick, and Gordon MacQuarrie. This magazine (and perhaps `Sporting Classics') is about the only thing that is comparable to that style of writing these days. One thing I really like about GSJ is that there is a wide range of hunting and fishing stories from simple tales about deer camp or bass fishing in the local lake (which virtually everyone can associate with to some degree), to exotic and dangerous safaris in Africa, waterfowl hunts in Argentina, and fly fishing in Mongolia. There are stories that I can relate to, and stories that make me dream about (probably unattainable at least by me) hunting and fishing adventures. An evening with this magazine will get me primed for the upcoming season no matter if it is turkeys, trout, or ducks.

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More often than not offers entertaining, compelling coverage that should appeal to the true outdoorsman and conservationist.

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This periodical is one of the best I have ever received. The articles are well thought out, and the photography is spectacular.

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I have enjoy the variety of articles in this magazine. It was shipped promptly .MAgazine is nice quality paper nad well worth keeping on hand for reference

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Friday, April 25, 2014

Organic Gardening (2-year)

Organic GardeningI subscribed to Organic Gardening decades ago when the magazine was digest size, printed on non-glossy paper, and jam packed with in-depth, substantive articles that took hours to read and even longer to think about. Now I can read the entire magazine in a brief sitting, and rarely find much to mull over afterward. It's departed from its origins as an intelligent publication focusing on the precepts and practicalities of growing organically, in favor of pandering to the attention-challenged reader who can't--or won't--concentrate on anything beyond quick bytes and pretty pictures. In short, it's abandoned a grown up approach for that of a little child's picture book without much content. I may or may not renew my subscription when it expires in another year. The few interesting bits that crop up--surprisingly--from time to time may keep me engaged. We'll see what the next year brings.

I've received the magazine for a few years and its pretty good. Not so much groundbreaking, but some interesting articles. But I give it one star because of new policies in place. I got a pretty nasty letter from the "Rodele Credit Department" (the publisher of OG) with harsh phrases like "in an attempt to collect this debt...", "to give you a chance to resolve this matter before it goes further...". "You must respond to this letter to resolve this matter." I thought, wow, this is how you ask me to renew my subscription? Using strong-arm tactics for renewal of a Green Magazine? This is unexpected. I'm feeling bullied.

Talking to their customer service today, twice, they freely admit that customers are slammed into auto-renewal if they don't respond saying "no" to something I don't even remember receiving. Then they are threatened with collection procedures for not paying "what I already owe". Yuk! Double yuk! This can be straightened out with a phone call, and they say they won't ding my credit report for "non-payment", they allowed me to "cancel". But who needs this? Who wants a magazine that wants to add stress to my life?

Come on Rodele, clean up your act please. Treat us with dignity and courtesy and we'll be loyal customers. Hazing and threatening us is not the experience we're looking for.

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This is a pretty decent magazine for organic gardeners. It is rather thin though. I haven't found myself needing some of the info given, but other articles have been useful. This of course makes sense because we all grow different things! There are articles that aren't related to gardening. For example, the issue of organic & non organic milk. I think this would relate more to an issue on farming not gardening. Plus it wasn't even about raising your own cows, it was about factory cows, milk in the store. Anyway, it's a decent source for the beginner. The best resource out there is the Rodales Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. It is simply PACKED with useful information.

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So far I am dissatisfied with the format change in this magazine. I agree with other reviewers that I find fewer useful articles that describe techniques I can use in my own garden. They seem to have expanded the cooking/recipe sectionthis doesn't impress meif I wanted recipes, I would subscribe to a cooking magazine specific to the kind of food I like to cook.

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Love the magazine but the customer service is not to my liking. Right

at this moment the "contact customer service" feature is not working

online. I cannot send them an email.They have made a mistake with my bill and I want to talk to someone. There is no number available to talk to a real person.I did contact customer service earlier and got

back what seemed to be some pre-programmed answer that did not help

me and that I was not able to forward a response to. They also have

an automatic renew feature that you have to be careful about. I was

able to cancel this feature with no problem.Love the magazine. Poor

rating because of customer service(it's just a magazine!). I can go

to the library. I have 2 subscriptions and I will not renew.

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Friday, November 29, 2013

Wine Press Northwest

Wine Press Northwesthaving lived in the puget sound area for 17 years, and loving northwest wines. the magazine brought me a bit of home, nice pictures, great stories, and the chance to catch up on wineries in the pacific northwest!

If you enjoy wines from the northwest, this is the best resource available for news, tasting notes, and reviews.

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Saturday, August 3, 2013

Air Forces Monthly

Air Forces MonthlyThis magazine provides comprehesive coverage of worldwide military aviation events and achievements. Consistantly well organized, with clearly written news and feature articles, all written from a unique British perspective give the reader a global overview of military aviation. Feature articles on the Air Forces of the world, from Albania to Zambia leave no details uncovered. Equipment inventories, attrition rates, maintainence capabilities, and personnel interviews precisely summarize the military aviation capabilities and performance of air forces the world over.

I regularly buy it but do not subscribe (8/10 issues per year out of 12). The only problem is in US market it is only available after it is taken off from UK or it arrives a month late.

I have written to AFM editor but according to its management shipping to US from UK in today's day and age takes > 1 month. This is a monthly magazine so does not make sense.

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Definitely the best magazine available in the US that covers timely military aviation news. I really enjoy seeing the British/European perspective on a lot of combat aircraft developments, even when I don't necessarily agree with it. I know that some of their articles and air force profiles are actually quoted in certain US military materials. I also was able to get one of my pictures from an airshow published once, which I thought was fantastic. Contrary to one of the reviews, I've subscribed to it (in the US) for almost ten years and have not had a problem, I've even moved three times and they did not have any trouble getting the address changed.

Even if you choose not to subscribe to it definitely check it out at Barnes & Nobles sometime.

Read Best Reviews of Air Forces Monthly Here

While this magazine is a high quality periodical about military aviation, getting a subscription of this UK magazine to be delivered to a US address was impossible. I put in a subscription in September 2010, and I never got a single subscription. despite 5 months of waiting. This is despite three separate, fruitless phone calls to the US vendor handling subscription requests from US residents. I suggest that you spare yourself the inconvenience and forget the idea of taking a subscription if you are in the US.

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