My digital experiment isn't working...

[Tiplodocus]

I switched to digital progs around 5 months ago and have only managed to read about ten issues.  So I'm way behind.  I struggle to find the time to sit down in front of the PC uninterrupted and read a prog.  And now I've got a backlog of 3 and half months worth to catch up on, there's even less chance.

Naturally, when I was a subscriber reading the prog was a doddle. It would go with me on train or bus journeys or, more often than not bed or the bog. 

I'm planning on building in an appointment for Monday nights at 1030pm where I sit down and read the latest prog with a cup of tea (but it's hard when you have a wife and kids, something *always* comes up that needs seeing to right away). 

Any other hints and tips?

Does anyone else have the same problem or do you all have tablets?

[JOE SOAP]

Yes, it's a problem all right and I usually end up reading about a month's progs in one go but I intend to get a tablet at some stage when they're either cheaper or can take flash cards/usb keys.

[radiator]

I don't think I'd ever want to sit and read comics off a desktop screen.

A digital sub seems a little pointless if you don't own a tablet of some description, and I'm wary of even that until the technology improves a lot.

[JOE SOAP]

I don't think I'd ever want to sit and read comics off a desktop screen.

I disagree, reading 2 pages spread across a 30-inch screen is...epic, brings new life to the older artwork too.

[JOE SOAP]

A digital sub seems a little pointless if you don't own a tablet of some description, and I'm wary of even that until the technology improves a lot.

Not when you're conservative about space it's not, unless you have a comics-wing at your house.

[DoomBot]

I've downloaded a couple of digital progs and found the experience pretty terrible. I have a netbook with 9" screen which is too small for comfortable reading on the sofa, and I spend too long on my main PC already to want to spend even more time reading the prog on it. A tablet might make more sense with its portrait orientated display but as I have a netbook I can't justify it right now.

Besides, I like the feel of real pages, they add a sense of something (not sure what) that digital altogether lacks. And I get excited when the prog drops through my letterbox (sad yes). And I can take it anywhere as it weighs next to nothing and has little bulk. Therefore digital is really a non starter for me

[Pete Wells]

It's horses for courses though, I've got an iPad and find it brilliant for reading comics on. Almost as light as a prog for reading on the bog and because its backlit, I can read comics in bed without the missus moaning. You can have a shitload of comics on it too, so for travelling it's fantastic.

I completely sympathise with Tiplodocus though, as a parent, if I was tied to reading on my  desktop PC I'd be as behind as him. So Tips, I reckon you need to save for a tablet if you can...

[Pete Wells]

Bah, don't like the lack of an edit button...

The other thing I was going to say was, with many artists working digitally these days (Clint Langley, Neil Roberts, Karl Richardson and the likes,) their work looks even better on a computer screen. Their colours glow and covers pop!

If I had the choice of a digital copy that came to me on a Saturday or paper one, I'd certainly choose the former...

[Radbacker]

digital is definatly not the way i'd go, seem too much like work tryng to read off a screen plus everyone knows that 2000AD paper stock is loaded with thrillsotropic drugs that give you satisfaction for your urge for Thrillpower, its even strogr if you lick the pages

Cu Radbacker

[DoomBot]

its even strogr if you lick the pages

Cu Radbacker

Don't like the taste though

[Colin_YNWA]

As space is probably the biggest factor in my collecting I have been thinking about investigating in a digital platform. For example I don't get the Meg and only read whatever comes out in trade from there. The reason is  I don't have room to get a complete collection of it, which its hard to kid myself that I wouldn't if I started buying it. Second to that is its cost which I've kinda moved past. I very nearly broke at 300 and used that as a jumping on point but for one reason or another stopped myself. If however I moved to a digital platform that barrier would go. I could easily get all the issues  that are available electronically and as the back catalogue is released start getting those.

The trouble I'm having is making the leap, finding a platform I'd like and feel is justified. The impending DC relaunch almost made me make the jump. There was a point in time I could detach from my physical collection as the vast majority of comics I read are DC. Finish off the few mini-series I get from other publishers and allow my physical collection to develop only with back issues and the Prog (which I have no intention of letting go). I bottled it pure and simple. An iPAD2 is not entirely out of my budget for an exceptional purchase but I keep waiting for the perfect platform, thinking that was the reason I've not made the plunge. In reality I think its just that I don't want to yet.

The thing is I keep seeing more and more reasons to do it. It makes perfect sense to me as a collector of comics and a fan of the media and remove barriers to stupid anomalies in my habit, like not getting the Meg. As my 40th birthday approaches I see another time when maybe, just maybe I might take the plunge.

All of which self obsessed rambling leads to my point.  There's no way I'd be happy reading off a computer even my laptop. So when thinking about platforms is the iPAD really the only way to go or are there alternatives out there?

[radiator]

Surely it's only a matter of time until Kindle or someone makes a tablet/reader specifically for comics?

[Colin_YNWA]

Surely it's only a matter of time until Kindle or someone makes a tablet/reader specifically for comics?

I was wondering about this. Not necessarily specifically for comics but for magazines and the like which would suit comics more. Its got to be on the way. Larger screen lighter wait. Don't think the technology is affordable yet but this type of thing must be coming.

[IndigoPrime]

Amazon will inevitably create a reading-focussed colour Kindle at some point, but a larger screen would be very expensive, while dropping the weight means reducing the battery life. (Open up an iPad and most of the internals are a giant battery.)

As it currently stands, I quite like the iPad (I have the original one) for comics and magazines, especially when travelling. I caught up with a couple of mags while on holiday and read all of Starlord as CBR files, because I didn't have the luggage weight to take my originals with me. I think it's a pretty good platform, not least because you have Comic Zeal (CBRs), a couple of dedicated comics apps, and then a ton of PDF readers—even iBooks is fine for PDF mags and comics.

As for alternatives, there really aren't any yet. Other tablets exist, but they're mostly a similar price to the iPad and inferior in various ways.

[JOE SOAP]

For me, the problem with the ipad is just its inability to deal with USB/FLASH-CARDs without the need for work-arounds or add-ons. It's a lot of money for limited connectivity. Otherwise I'd have have one either by robbery or hard work. There's been a rumoured coloured Amazon tablet for a while, I see it as the only competition for the ipad.