Printer Drivers
10 messages in this thread
Why Transactor folded. Hmm…
I guess the primary reason was not getting the ad revenue. I see small
magazines with 4 people in the masthead for editorial and a dozen for
advertising. At our best we had only one and for far too much of the time
had none.
Despite having worked there for two years, I don't have any inside
information. They played it close to the vest, I think. I suppose the thing
could've been handled differently.
Malcolm
It's too bad that a magazine like that couldn't survive. I liked it
because it dealt with the computer, not just by flashing ads about cheap
games. Like I said to Betty, I hope that the new Amiga World technical
magazine will make us happy!
Chris
Chris,
Unfortunately, the lack of "flashing ads about cheap games" in
Transactor was one of the reasons behind it's collapse — they were forever
searching for advertisers. In the mag business, it's the advertising that
pays the bills — the subscriptions prices are lucky to cover mailing.
-sja
Chris,
Sad to say, but flashing ads about cheap games is a large part of the
reason why we have ANY magazines to read!
Malcolm
You should have priced it higher. I'd pay $10.00-$15.00 an issue for a
high-technical content rag, specifically like Transactor. Sometimes I'd
rather not see the ads anyway, you know? :^)
I suspect anyone involved professionally *or* "seriously" with the machine
would pay those rates.
BBS->Williams.Ben[AA7AS]
Hi. Are you aware that Amazing Computing magazine is also publishing a
techincal journal w/disk for the Amiga ? I just reserved mine a few days
ago. The magazine will be available in January and Amazing is offering it
for $11.95 for those who reserve a copy now. Off the shelf the new magazine
will sell for $14.95. We (the Amiga community) need this type literature
and I'm glad to see that 2 long time publishers Amazing Computing and
AmigaWorld are picking up the ball. To be frank I like AmigaWorld for the
gloss but it has no 'byte'. Amazing Computing gives you the technical stuff
but it's a poor print quality magazine. I hope the new publications will
make up for their respective faults.
The Brother has spoken->Darrick West
Couple of things I found out today: Amazing will come out with 1 issue
initially, and "test the waters". If everything works out, they hope to
print four issues/year. AmigaWorld's Tech magazine is apparently going to
be a bi-monthly magazine.
Steve
Ben,
I agree. Towards the end we got lots of letters that said, "Is it money.
Charge more! I'll pay. Gotta have my Transactor". One day Tim brought in a
MicroSoft publication that was $10 or $15. I thought it was a good idea
then, but my input was only used for pages and not administration.
Paul & I would STILL like to do another (ducking) 8-bit magazine and we
probably could charge that kind of money and get back every T reader. But I
don't see it happening, due to serious lead time costs that neither he nor
I can bear. We'll be doing an on-line magazine (downloaded) in the 8-bit
forums soon. Ssshhhh! Don't think it's public knowledge yet.
It's going to be pretty sharp! But the economic aspects are the least of
it. "Don't quit your day job (or your night job)." kind of thing.
Right now it infuriates me that I can't work too hard doing something that
will make a difference in people's computing lives cause I need to sit in
an office all day doing next to nothing cause I need the money. I think
capital is getting stiff in its old age. It doesn't flow where things are
happening. It's being held too tight. IMHO. Things are probably different
in America.
Malcolm
Not all that different, Malcolm. It takes a lot of money to start up a
magazine here, too.
Betty
Oh, I don't doubt THAT, Betty. I just think that it's easier to get hold of
the money in America. I recently read about a local robot manufacturer who
couldn't get any money from banks at the outset. Now that they're a
multi-million dollar concern, selling robots to Japan (!), a bank has given
them a line of credit.
In America, if you can make a dollar, you're in business. In Canada, if you
have an idea, you're obviously socially deviant and suspicious.