Alternate Ways to Read: Zinio
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.23.06
We read a lot for Treehugger, and often the online content lags the paper version, so we buy hard copies that are piling up. There is something about the flow of magazines, where experienced art directors put them together to look good and give you the information in a logical order. Then there are the ads, which in print can be as interesting, informative and beautiful as the editorial content. As an experiment we subscribed to Architectural Record using a magazine service called Zinio and now get all of the content, layout and ads, without cutting trees. It is a digital reproduction of the magazine with some extra bells and whistles.
One would think that this would be a step backwards- The magazine format is dictated by the technology of paper, printing, binding and distribution- why should one use that form on a computer? But in fact, those art directors of have been at it a long time and if it looks good on paper, it can look great on screen. On our widescreen 21 inch monitor it lays out perfectly, and much of the copy can be read without zooming. On one of the new 24" monitors it would be spectacular with no zooming required at all.
I find I learn more as well- instead of focusing on my interests, I turn every page and my eye catches things that I might have passed over.
Add in hyperlinks for every firm or product and you get a real merger of the magazine format with the ease of use of the internet. I am now looking at what magazines I can subscribe to here instead of print editions. I can't read them in the tub or on the bus, but I am also not cutting trees or filling the recycling bin. I don't think it would make much sense for newsmagazines where where the internet delivers it as it happens, but for design and graphics heavy magazines it won me over. You can test a free back issue of Architectural Record at ::Zinio.
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If you check out zinio, be aware that once they have your email address they will start sending you endless junk mail trying to get you to subscribe.
I already have a personal reader for online content, I call it a web browser. If i can't read it in my web browser, why would i bother? This just looks like a waste of money and resources to me. Not very tree-hugging at all.
I tried Zinio a while back. I was greatly interested in it when I first began downloading the software. But I quickly lost interest. They make it impossible to move downloaded material from computer to computer. And since in my particular situation I have to download material onto a relative's or friend's computer and then transfer the info onto a memory stick and then to my computer, it means I can't use the Zinio system. Their loss.
I have been using Zinio for about a year and have had no problems moving form computer to computer; I have a 4 GB thumb drive with Zinio installed and bootable from it.
A thumb drive? I'm a little weak on computer technology. Does this drive act like its own computer then? Does it easily connect from one computer to another? Is a thumb drive the same as a memory stick?
don, there's an option to not receive any promotional email from zinio in the email preferences section. try checking that box.
erm...they are still cutting down trees, they're just increasing the footprint with scanning and storage! 100% online is the way to go! http://zoozoom.com