Holy Frijoles!!!!!! Anybody else see this?????

[ArnoldTBlumberg]

The rights to generate an electronic version of the Guide are held by Random House, who then subcontracted the actual project. There are currently no plans that I know of to create anything electronic or of any other form in-house, as I think (but don't hold me to this) that we can't do anything like that even if we wanted to for as long as Random House holds those electronic rights.

[joe_collector]

I've gotta say this has to be the dumbest idea I've heard in a long while. It's more expensive than the actual softcover, the company limits it to a single PC install EVER, it's an electronic download, and it's in PDF form?

 

What a SCAM!

 

Only Heritage could get away with this.

[fantastic_four]

The rights to generate an electronic version of the Guide are held by Random House, who then subcontracted the actual project. There are currently no plans that I know of to create anything electronic or of any other form in-house, as I think (but don't hold me to this) that we can't do anything like that even if we wanted to for as long as Random House holds those electronic rights.

 

Feel like giving up how long Random House's hold on the rights has left on it? I'm just asking out of general interest; that GPAnalysis site is the strongest showing I've personally seen for an electronic price guide, especially since the owner is openly considering allowing other web sites to feed his collected data into theirs.

[joe_collector]

The rights to generate an electronic version of the Guide are held by Random House, who then subcontracted the actual project. There are currently no plans that I know of to create anything electronic or of any other form in-house, as I think (but don't hold me to this) that we can't do anything like that even if we wanted to for as long as Random House holds those electronic rights.

 

But don't you retain some control over the quality of the produced electronic guide? I know I would never let my good name be sullied by such an amateurish POS as this, but that's me.

[ArnoldTBlumberg]

I don't actually know what the duration is on that.

[BestOf7-migration]

I've got to agree...what's the advantage of having it as a PDF other than slightly faster searching?

 

I'm guessing mostly for security reasons; FileOpen Systems has a security handler that is used with Adobe Acrobat (FOPN_flock) that won't allow the file to be shared or copied once installed on a system.

 

 

[BestOf7-migration]

I've gotta say this has to be the dumbest idea I've heard in a long while. It's more expensive than the actual softcover, the company limits it to a single PC install EVER, it's an electronic download, and it's in PDF form?

 

What a SCAM!

 

Only Heritage could get away with this.

 

 

Your kidding right?!? The only SCAM I'm seeing is your thought of sharing copyrighted information (the OPG).

[CosmicBob]

Typically, license agreements allow you to make a copy for backup purposes. It sounds like you can't do this with this data, so if your HD crashes, you're hosed.

[BestOf7-migration]

Typically, license agreements allow you to make a copy for backup purposes. It sounds like you can't do this with this data, so if your HD crashes, you're hosed.

 

Your right, but software is a little different from online publications. This is kind of like walking into a bookstore asking them if you could buy the book and return it because you intend to make a copy. I have bought e-novels online, and I make a point of reading the fine print before purchasing. A lot of e-novels and online publications are using some kind of file encryption or security handler like the one used on the OPG. Nothing new here.

[garthgantu]

Totally agree with RedFury, FF, et al. - the primary point of putting this in digital form is to make it dynamically accessible... porting the linear experience of the book to a different 'platform' doesn't accomplish much. A nice companion to the hardcopy (book) format, but only if it's $9.95, which of course it can't be 'cause they've sunk a lot of money into it I'm sure...

 

If you have your comics listed in some sort of dbase or spreadsheet form already, this would be a nice cross-referencing tool... but they could have *included* a modest database very easily and made this a really worthwile solution.

 

Maybe they thought that would kill sales of the book version in short order?

 

Garthgantu

[CosmicBob]

Your right, but software is a little different from online publications. This is kind of like walking into a bookstore asking them if you could buy the book and return it because you intend to make a copy. I have bought e-novels online, and I make a point of reading the fine print before purchasing. A lot of e-novels and online publications are using some kind of file encryption or security handler like the one used on the OPG. Nothing new here.

 

Yeah, I guess it is a little different for publications like this. I woudl like to see an electronic price guide that is just a database with a really nice interface and some kind of ODBC (or web service) for writing your own queries.

 

But I won't hold my breath.

[PovertyRow]

porting the linear experience of the book to a different 'platform' doesn't accomplish much.

 

That is a beautifully turned and most phrase!

 

After reading this not even sure if full-blown Acrobat would allow dumping the data. Looks like a horrid thing.

[fantastic_four]

A nice companion to the hardcopy (book) format, but only if it's $9.95, which of course it can't be 'cause they've sunk a lot of money into it I'm sure...

 

What makes you think they've sunk a lot of money into it? If they have, it sounds to me like they got ripped off...the guide is done in Quark, and I'm pretty sure there's a way to save Quark documents to PDF form directly. Although I could be wrong since it's been a while since I used Quark.

 

I guess there could also be a bit of necessary reformatting in Acrobat, depending upon how the export went...hmmmm.

[BronzeBruce13]

The rights to generate an electronic version of the Guide are held by Random House, who then subcontracted the actual project. There are currently no plans that I know of to create anything electronic or of any other form in-house, as I think (but don't hold me to this) that we can't do anything like that even if we wanted to for as long as Random House holds those electronic rights.

 

Hey Arnold,

 

I figured that something like this was the case. I PM'd you once on the subject for some insight. If Gemstone (people with some sense) had control instead of RH, I feel they would have taken George (GPA) up on his proposal to create the guide into a database format similar to the GPA product. There would have been so many possibities... monthly/quarterly database updates for subscribers reflecting market changes?, an online guide with favorites at your fingertips and customizing options?.. etc.

 

Hopefully, we'll see this option in the future whether or not GPA is involved. Maybe you guys can talk some sense into Random House? Even they might respond to the possibility that Krause could bring their product to market in that fashion first .

[fantastic_four]

I woudl like to see an electronic price guide that is just a database with a really nice interface and some kind of ODBC (or web service) for writing your own queries.

 

But I won't hold my breath.

 

GPAnalysis is working on a web service to their data...and if he can figure out a business model that doesn't cost too much, it shouldn't even be that hard for him to do. He may not be able to make it work business-wise, though...we'll see.

[Ares]

Id say they made an electronic copy of the guide not a version.

Version denotes some substantial changes like searching rather than straight reading

[OldGuy]

Id say they made an electronic copy of the guide not a version.

Version denotes some substantial chages like searching rather than straight reading

 

A .pdf file is searchable.

[Ares]

Id say they made an electronic copy of the guide not a version.

Version denotes some substantial chages like searching rather than straight reading

 

A .pdf file is searchable.

 

Searchable but what else?

[OldGuy]

Id say they made an electronic copy of the guide not a version.

Version denotes some substantial chages like searching rather than straight reading

 

A .pdf file is searchable.

 

Searchable but what else?

 

First of all you're the one that said serching was a change substantial enough to denote a version. I was just pointing out that it was searchable. But, what else? Let's see, Printable, cut and paste text and pics (you could e-mail pages), zoom in/out........there's a lot of things you can do with a .pdf file.

 

 

 

[Ares]

Id say they made an electronic copy of the guide not a version.

Version denotes some substantial chages like searching rather than straight reading

 

A .pdf file is searchable.

 

Searchable but what else?

 

First of all you're the one that said serching was a change substantial enough to denote a version. I was just pointing out that it was searchable. But, what else? Let's see, Printable, cut and paste text and pics (you could e-mail pages), zoom in/out........there's a lot of things you can do with a .pdf file.

 

Point well taken.

I guess I was hoping for something along the lines or exporting to a text file, adding pics, sending file names to a PDA while visiting a comic-con.