Issue Reading New Digital Viewer

[Micky TParticipant @mickyt]

Ive just tried the print function on the Pocketmags web site using Chrome and I've had no problems printing pages from the current ME and MEW magazines. I am using a PC running Win 10

Mickyt

[Peter SansomParticipant @petersansom44767]

Yes, I agree Pocket Mags have fixed the issue with Chrome.

Now teh new archive viewer needs to be fixed.

Peter

[Donald WilliamsonParticipant @donaldwilliamson36047]

Hi Neil

I have just been trying to read the latest issues of ME and MEW with great difficulty the new format is not an improvement , I cant print a page. On occasion when turning a page the right hand page disappears I have sometimes lost the hole mag to retrieve it I had to go back to square one. The only way to read a page is to zoom in any printing before that is blur .

Is this the shape of things to come?

Not being able to print is a big issue for me especially from back issues.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Donald Williamson on 23/02/2019 10:28:03:

Hi Neil

I have just been trying to read the latest issues of ME and MEW with great difficulty the new format is not an improvement , I cant print a page. On occasion when turning a page the right hand page disappears I have sometimes lost the hole mag to retrieve it I had to go back to square one. The only way to read a page is to zoom in any printing before that is blur .

Is this the shape of things to come?

Not being able to print is a big issue for me especially from back issues.

Hello Donald,

As I've posted above we are looking into ways of enabling rpinting.

Neil

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Peter Sansom on 19/02/2019 00:38:33:

Which means the archives will be unavailable to most people who keep their software up to date. Google removed Java support from Chrome several years ago as part of security updates, you cannot install the Java plugin for Chrome and run Java plugins. Yes, today Java is still used on websites, but that is running Java on the server.

Firefox changed their plugin method about 18 months ago. They provided about 6 months ability to run legacy plugins. If the plugins were not rewritten they stopped working.

That is the future of Flash it will die and we will not be able to access the archives.

Surely, after they get the new viewer working someone can find a script on the web to convert from flash to the new viewer. Certainly there will be one to convert to HTML5, the Java replacement.

Withthe PocketMags viewer I have had an email confirming that the is a bug in the current release preventing printing when using Chrome, the bug is confirmed. They are working to fix the printing bug.

Peter

I hope the outlook isn't that grim!

Flash is just one way of delivering content stored on a server and displaying it on a client. There are several alternatives. It's unlikely that the archives are stored in a special Flash proprietary format that can't possibly be delivered to a client by anything else. More likely, the source documents are standard file types that most packages can read.

It is true that moving from one reader to another isn't always glitch free! The chief danger is that someone was persuaded in the past to archive magazines produced by long obsolete software in a non-portable way. Such can be difficult to disentangle.

The demise of Flash is a good thing – although it met a real need, the software was designed before security was well understood, and then programmed naively with little concern for security. Over several years it became apparent Flash was built on sand. It turned out to be difficult and expensive to retrofit security without breaking functionality and the product was involved in multiple security incidents. An analogy would be building a bungalow and then trying to convert it to secure £100M in cash. You can't just put a few bars on the windows and fit a B&Q burglar alarm…

At the same time industry learned a lot from Flash and other security experiences, and its replacements are more functional, performant, and trustworthy.

On the other hand, when it comes to upgrading software, we all know " if something can go wrong, it will!"

Dave

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Not seen it mentioned, but I often simply take a screen shot of anything I want to save. I can print from there if necessary. Don't know how it might affect other attributes, but generally works for me.

[Gerd VanhaevereParticipant @gerdvanhaevere52695]

Somthing IT folks never seem to learn : LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE .

I never had issues with theflash versions .

This abomination is useless .

I think I have to agree with other posters , if a decent print function doesn't return , my subscription

is useless and will be cancelled .

I'll be better off going to the library and scan the pages I like .

Sorry , my 2cts

Gerd

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Gerd, you can still print from Pocketmags viewer.

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Posted by Gerd Vanhaevere on 04/03/2019 07:20:32:

Somthing IT folks never seem to learn : LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE .

I never had issues with theflash versions .

This abomination is useless .

… as is that heap of carp PocketMags imo. But the whole thrust these days seems to be to push the latter on everyone.

To be fair, Neil has indicated several times that the issue with printing from the online viewer is being looked at. If/when it happens there's no telling at this stage what it will look like. The constant pushing of PocketMags as alternative doesn't give me a warm feeling though.

[Geoff FarmerParticipant @geofffarmer30446]

Dear Moderator.

Using Windows 10, Can't read in Firefox, can't print either. My subscription is due in 2 weeks so what am I paying for?

Best option – cancel subscription.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Geoff Pocketmags should work fine with firefox if not use Chrome and you can print from there. Until printing from the new viewer is sorted then Pocketmags is the best option to print current issues.

Edited By JasonB on 08/03/2019 19:50:03

[Keith RoweParticipant @keithrowe57572]

I wish people would stop saying you can print from Pocketmags, because I can not print from my laptop or my tablet or phone which I could do before, my subscription is also up soon so as Geoff has said what am I paying for?

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

What sort of phone are you using?

I have just printed a page from the latest ME ( to PDF ) and can view that on my Android phone or on my PC. Can't be bothered to waste the ink and physically print it on paper.

 

Edited By JasonB on 17/03/2019 19:02:30

[Keith RoweParticipant @keithrowe57572]

A samsung. I have just tried to print and can't. I can not print from any device I have.

Trying to read the magazine on my laptop with chrome is useless the viewer is not fit for purpose.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Try using Puffin browser when looking at Pocketmags on Android and it will view and print OK, I'm using a Samsung too, issue is more likely Chrome than the viewer.

EDIT, Just done it using Chrome on The Samsung so working my end.

Edited By JasonB on 17/03/2019 20:34:40

[Keith RoweParticipant @keithrowe57572]

Tried Puffin will not work for me.

Is it intended to fix this problem so that it works in all browsers ?

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

What other browser are you using?

Edited By JasonB on 22/03/2019 19:32:05

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

The SMEE manages to supply printable copies of their Journal back numbers………

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Gerd Vanhaevere on 04/03/2019 07:20:32:

Somthing IT folks never seem to learn : LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE .

I never had issues with theflash versions .

This abomination is useless .

Sorry Gerd,

Support for flash is being withdrawn at the end of the year, which leaves us little choice in replacing it.

We used to get as many complaints about flash as the new system, which just goes to prove you can never please everyone.

I hope that, as people get used to the new controls, they won't feel the new system is quite as bad as it seems at first.

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by DMB on 01/04/2019 14:26:53:

The SMEE manages to supply printable copies of their Journal back numbers………

The SMEE doesn't have a business model that is undermined by pirate copies being sold.

We had well over 3,000 take down notices for pirate copies of MEW and ME served on our behalf last year.

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Keith Rowe on 22/03/2019 18:30:49:

Tried Puffin will not work for me.

Is it intended to fix this problem so that it works in all browsers ?

Hi Keith,

It's always very challenging when people have problems with software setups that work for other people.

If you could email me details of which computer, operating system version and browsers (including version) I will pass them on to our tech support and see if they can suggest a solution.

neil.wyatt@mytimemedia.com

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Geoff Farmer on 08/03/2019 18:22:52:

Dear Moderator.

Using Windows 10, Can't read in Firefox, can't print either. My subscription is due in 2 weeks so what am I paying for?

Best option – cancel subscription.

Hi Geoff,

I've never had issues reading the magazines in Firefox/W10 (since 2014, Firefox always kept up to date).

Can you clarify if you are using Pocketmags or the archive?

As above, if you could email me details of which computer, operating system version and browser(s) (including version) I will pass them on to our tech support and see if they can suggest a solution.

neil.wyatt@mytimemedia.com

Neil

[Keith RoweParticipant @keithrowe57572]

Is this ever going to be sorted out or is it a question of like it or lump it.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

As i have said before:

The problem of the new viewer not being so easy to view the mag on can be sorted by using the Pocketmags viewer.

Likewise the problem of not being able to print from the new viewer can also be sorted and infact improved upon by using the Pocket Mags viewer.

[SteambuffParticipant @steambuff]

Jason,

But what do the new subscribers use to view/print the archive copies (Jan/Feb/Mar 2019) …. They will not be able to use PocketMags for issues prior to the start of their subscription.

The only way I can print a full page from PocketMags is by setting the page size to A2 … It is easier for me to take a screen shot on my iPhone and paste the image into Word … but should not have to do that if the viewer was fit for purpose.

Any company who cared for its customers/subscribers whould have fixed the issues by now or rolled the viewer back.

My MEW is due for Renewal next month and ME a couple of months after that …. What with the subscription increase and loss of functionality and a view wher you consistantly have to zoom … I have cancelled my Direct Debits and will not be renewing. (My local Library/ME club has copies, I will read them and copy as required)

Dave

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