 Dead Tree vs PDF, what do you prefere |
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 Nov 28 2007, 09:10 PM
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#51
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Running Target  Group: Members Posts: 1,180 Joined: 22-January 07 From: Rochester, NY Member No.: 10,737  |
Nope, I haven't moved, I've just been moping for the last day or so; a failing grade on a major exam has that sort of effect on me. |
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Nov 28 2007, 09:59 PM
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#52
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,269 Joined: 18-September 06 Member No.: 9,421 |
Ew, ouch, sorry man.
Chris |
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Nov 28 2007, 10:07 PM
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#53
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 704 Joined: 20-November 06 From: The seemingly unknown area of land between Seattle and Idaho. Member No.: 9,910 |
I vote hardcopy& PDF. I love books, but it is useful to have the PDF because when I'm working on the computer and the book is in the other room I don't have to interrupt my thought train. Also, at the gaming table, or between sessions, one person can reference the book while the other references the ebook. Still, convenience aside, I would prefer to have the physical book everything. Heck, without convenience aside I would still prefer the hardcopy. I just get the PDF when it is feasible or required [out of print].
Tangentially, what is a splatbook? |
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Nov 28 2007, 11:28 PM
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#54
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 212 Joined: 30-November 04 Member No.: 6,858 |
I vote for hardcopy, easier to use I find. I also really object to being asked to pay for the pdf separately, so I don't.
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Nov 29 2007, 11:55 AM
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#55
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Target Group: Members Posts: 18 Joined: 24-August 05 Member No.: 7,608 |
Both.
English PDF and german hardcopy. |
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Nov 29 2007, 12:35 PM
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#56
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,328 Joined: 28-November 05 From: Zuerich Member No.: 8,014 |
I first heard the term "Splatbooks" in relation to the optional additional rulebooks released for different classes in D&D. As far as I know, "Splatbooks" are optional rules released in addition to "core rules", related to classes and such, not settings/background, but I am not sure. |
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Nov 29 2007, 01:48 PM
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#57
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Great, I'm a Dragon... Group: Retired Admins Posts: 6,699 Joined: 8-October 03 From: North Germany Member No.: 5,698 |
Really? Crappy translated stuff like the SOTA-books or the SR4 BBB? I prefer the english versions. |
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Nov 29 2007, 05:19 PM
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#58
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,579 Joined: 30-May 06 From: SoCal Member No.: 8,626 |
I voted hardcopy myself, I love the weight and feel of a nice book. I happen to have some PDF copies but I use them for reference at work where its difficult to have a book out and work at the same time.
Also, I thought splatbooks were those paperback books that contained expanded rules or settings information. If I had to guess I imagine the name came from the nice splat sound they make when you drop them on a table. |
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Nov 29 2007, 07:24 PM
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#59
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Target Group: Members Posts: 18 Joined: 24-August 05 Member No.: 7,608 |
Yes. German books are good for playing (except that critical glitch of BBB), because they expand the setting (I do like the AGS. I just don't really care about consistency this much. ;) I just miss page count for the Rhine-Ruhr-Metroplex) and include stuff from the BBB. English books are a good tool to reference rules, check translations, get the stuff before it's translated, get the newest errata... Plus, they are dirtcheap if you can pay them with Euros. So, the best of both worlds. |
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Nov 29 2007, 09:18 PM
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#60
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 704 Joined: 20-November 06 From: The seemingly unknown area of land between Seattle and Idaho. Member No.: 9,910 |
Thank you both for the edification.
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Nov 30 2007, 09:04 AM
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#61
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,629 Joined: 14-December 06 Member No.: 10,361 |
I seem to be the minority here finding it easier to reference and run rules on my PC. I have acrobat reader open, running Cannon Companion, the SR3 BBB, Man and Machine, Magic in the Shadows, The Ultimate Shadowrun Equipment List, The SR Companion, The GM Screen at once. I can easily switch pdf's with the Window tab. With OEF copies, I can just CTRL + F any words I like, such as "Damage and Healing", and if not, I just click on the contents and CTRL + N and then tap in the page number.
I also have several word docs with NPC files, photoshop layered maps, google sketchup 3D diagrams (that I prepared earlier) a calculator and mood music running. I find that constantly rifling through hardcopies results in spine wear and tear (and at the exorbitant prices, it scars the soul to see). It's nice for reading in bed, but I started using PDF's and am not going back on a pure gaming point of view. The downside of course is the constant temptation to go wildly illegal. |
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Nov 30 2007, 07:11 PM
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#62
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,002 Joined: 22-April 06 From: Canada Member No.: 8,494 |
I like both Paper and PDF.
PDF: Quick to find something I need (you can't run a search on paper... yet) Paper: Makes a good common sense indicator :] (you can't smack someone over the back of the head with a PDF) I think that it is vital for SR to continue to be published in both Paper and PDF format. They should look into PDF bundle packages though (the main source book + the basic equipment books, together as a bundle for a reduced price). |
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Dec 2 2007, 06:26 AM
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#63
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,532 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Calgary, Canada Member No.: 769 |
I like having both. For a straight read through though I prefer dead trees. Especially with gaming books where the text is arranged in columns it's annoying to constantly be scrolling up and down to read something. To look stuff up fast or for rules referances while creating a character I love PDF's.
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Dec 3 2007, 07:01 AM
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#64
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 458 Joined: 28-March 05 From: NA/UCAS/IN/ Member No.: 7,246 |
I haven't got myself a laptop yet, and my SR4 pdf is a little hard to read on my Tungsten E2 (and don't think I haven't tried!), so I had to vote for dead tree. Besides, it's a little awkward to take a computer with you when you go read on the can.
But, if I had a laptop, and a group to play with, pdf's would seriously rock, and I would have had to vote for both. After I've read through the books enough I can usually turn to or near enough to the page needed for whatever rule at will with the paper book, so the search function probably wouldn't do me much good. |
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Dec 4 2007, 01:25 PM
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#65
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,002 Joined: 22-April 06 From: Canada Member No.: 8,494 |
You guys should check out the new Amazon Kindle. It allows you to view PDFs in a semi-book format. If my finances allow for it, I'm picking one up.
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Dec 4 2007, 01:52 PM
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#66
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,009 Joined: 25-September 06 From: Paris, France Member No.: 9,466 |
@apollo: if you want to read your pdf on your Tungsten you could be interested by SR4Light. You can find it in the Community Project. You can use it to convert your pdf into small html files (one file per page) with a simple and efficient navigation system while keeping the layout of each page.
I don't know how it'll perform on a Tungsten, but on my Zodiac it's perfect! It is much faster than the PDF viewer, and one column fits in the screen (in landscape mode). I read my copy of Augmentation in the bus thanks to this, and except for some bugs at the beginning of each chapter, I didn't have any trouble. And I can use it to look up references at work! ;) |
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Dec 4 2007, 07:59 PM
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#67
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
The Kindle does not browse PDFs. |
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Dec 5 2007, 05:48 AM
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#68
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 458 Joined: 28-March 05 From: NA/UCAS/IN/ Member No.: 7,246 |
Thanks for the info, Blade. Unfortunately, the Tungsten can't read HTML, but I appreciate the thought. I can read the PDF on my Palm, but not with the Adobe Reader for Palm program. Documents to Go version 8.0 or later has PDF support and does much better.
TBRMInsanity, if I could afford $400 for a Kindle, I think I would buy me a cheap laptop that can pretty much do everything my desktop does. |
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Dec 5 2007, 12:20 PM
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#69
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,002 Joined: 22-April 06 From: Canada Member No.: 8,494 |
You should look over the specs again. I'm pretty sure it does. |
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Dec 5 2007, 12:22 PM
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#70
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,002 Joined: 22-April 06 From: Canada Member No.: 8,494 |
I suppose, it is not for everyone. |
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Dec 5 2007, 03:06 PM
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#71
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ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
You guys got me curious, so I checked it out:
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Dec 5 2007, 06:48 PM
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#72
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,009 Joined: 25-September 06 From: Paris, France Member No.: 9,466 |
apollo124 : Don't you have a web browser on your Tungsten? My Zodiac runs PalmOS too and it does have a web browser and I think there are some free web browser available...
All you need is a browser that accepts to open html files stored on the device. |
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Dec 5 2007, 09:10 PM
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#73
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,002 Joined: 22-April 06 From: Canada Member No.: 8,494 |
The best Palm based browser I have seen so far is Opera. But there are others that are good as well (AvantGo, and there is Palms official browser (I think it is called Plucker or something like that)). |
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Dec 6 2007, 05:47 AM
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#74
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 458 Joined: 28-March 05 From: NA/UCAS/IN/ Member No.: 7,246 |
I think it did have some kind of browser, but since I don't have a wireless connection, I deleted it.
We now return you to your hijacked thread, already in progress. |
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Dec 7 2007, 09:16 PM
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#75
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Target Group: Members Posts: 37 Joined: 27-January 04 Member No.: 6,028 |
Hard copy is the only way to go.
But, my hard copy is starting to come free from the spine. I've tried using super glue to keep it together, but it's only a matter of time. :( |
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