Pocketmags withdraw Windows 7 and 8.0 Support

[SteambuffParticipant @steambuff]

Hi,

My Pocketmags offline reader has just stopped working, it will no longer display the covers of any magazine that I have downloaded, therefore I can't read them.

I am running the latest version of Windows 7.

I reported this to Pocketmags and their response is below. (If this is not resolved I will be terminating all my digital subscriptions as I do a lot of travelling where I have no access to the Internet, so I rely on the offline reader.

I am sorry to hear that you are experiencing difficulties!

 

Unfortunately, the offline reader has had a number of issues with recent Windows updates, and so at present we have removed the support, because of the problems inherent in maintaining it across so many versions, which only cause more frustration for the reader.

 

If you have Windows 8.1 or 10 on your computer, you can download the Pocketmags app, which allows offline reading and works perfectly. In addition, there are Pocketmags apps available for most mobile and tablet devices if you have one.

 

 

Therefore I think this needs to be addressed by MTM

 

 

Dave

Edited By Steambuff on 02/06/2017 18:41:05

Edited By Steambuff on 02/06/2017 18:41:45

[SteambuffParticipant @steambuff]

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Hello Dave,

My recollection is that Pocketmags has strictly been W8.1 and W10 only for some time, however people with older versions of the reader have been able to access their magazines with it.

I will draw this to the attention of MTM and see what they say.

Neil

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Neil,

we've been round this buoy before, pocketmags stated that w7 and linux users cannot use off line, and so cannot download mags to their own device. I've copied the correspondence to you

regards

[I.M. OUTAHEREParticipant @i-m-outahere]

I wonder how long it will be before they pull the support on ios9 ? Oh well i'm due to upgrade my trusty old ipad soon as it doesn't support ios 10 and i would say Apple is not going to issue any security updates for ios 9 anymore .

I had to upgrade to win10 as i built a new pc with a 7th gen processor and win7 is not really supported for the new cpu . Microsoft will drop all support for win7 eventually anyhow .

Ian.

[Enough!Participant @enough]

I just fired up my PM Offline Reader for the first time in a few weeks to be greeted by a Windows (8.1) message that the reader has stopped working and would be closed. 100% repeatable.

It's always been a piece of absolute garbage to me and this latest isn't any surprise. I won't miss it.

[VicParticipant @vic]

I gave up on the digital subscription of MEW years ago not least because the viewer was so bad. I was sent, unsolicited I should add, several dozen issues of MEW amongst some other stuff in PDF format some years back and what a difference. High quality, easy to read and you can print out drawings to take to the workshop. It says something when the "knock off" is better than the "original" doesn't it. I do of course realise why the publishers don't produce the magazine in a universally accepted format like PDF but surely they could come up with something better than that awful viewer. Why should you constantly have to upgrade your computer just to read something simple like a magazine?

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by duncan webster on 02/06/2017 21:07:09:

we've been round this buoy before, pocketmags stated that w7 and linux users cannot use off line, and so cannot download mags to their own device. I've copied the correspondence to you

That was my recollection.

A google for 'pocketmags windows 7 reader' will find you can still download it from various sites, I can't promise it will work or verify if the sources are kosher.

To get the latest W8.1 /10 reader:

"On your Windows 8.1 or 10 tablet or desktop launch the Store.

Search for 'Pocketmags' and download the Pocketmags app here

Once installed, launch the app. (On desktop if you can't find it after install, press the Windows key and then type 'Pocketmags' and then click on the app which appears in the search bar).

Please note – you will need to use (or create) a Windows account to download apps from the Windows Store"

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Vic on 03/06/2017 12:08:01:

Why should you constantly have to upgrade your computer just to read something simple like a magazine?

Sadly, we are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Computers and operating systems are constantly updated, so they have to change the app to work with the most popular versions.

I do agree it is unfortunate that W7 is only eight years old, but it seems to be MS policy to make it 'obsolete' with the 'free' availability of W10 used as justification as no-one was 'forced' to keep W7.

Neil

[TrickyParticipant @tricky]

I'm using Windows 10 and when I launch the offline reader I get a message that there is a problem and the program has stopped working and Windows will close the program so it looks like a general problem!

​Richard

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Have you tried re-installing the latest version?

Neil

[TrickyParticipant @tricky]

Neil,
​I cannot find a copy of the offline reader anywhere. Most of the search references point you back to the Pocketmags site and there is no reference to the offline reader on there. I have downloaded the Pocketmags app but that is useless as it can not find all the magazines I previously downloaded. The promise made when subscribing to a digital subscription was that magazines paid for would always be available to read offline. This is patently not the case any more and so I suggest you need to sort this out.

Richard

[JourneymanParticipant @journeyman]

Posted by Tricky on 03/06/2017 16:29:32:

Neil,
​I cannot find a copy of the offline reader anywhere.
Richard

To find the PocketMags App for Windows you need to be logged in with your Windows account and then go to the Microsoft App Store. Search for PocketMags will bring up the app which can then be downloaded and installed. The app is the off-line reader, the app and it's data are stored in a folder you can't normally access and I havn't worked out where the actual magazines are stored but I can definitely read them when off-line so they are in there somewhere!

What a lot of faffing about. Would be much easier just to download a PDF but Neil and I have had this discussion before…

John

Edited By Journeyman on 03/06/2017 17:22:40

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Tricky on 03/06/2017 16:29:32:

Neil,
​I cannot find a copy of the offline reader anywhere. Most of the search references point you back to the Pocketmags site and there is no reference to the offline reader on there. I have downloaded the Pocketmags app but that is useless as it can not find all the magazines I previously downloaded. The promise made when subscribing to a digital subscription was that magazines paid for would always be available to read offline. This is patently not the case any more and so I suggest you need to sort this out.

Richard

The app and offline reader are the same thing. If it can't find all your magazines, try a reinstall.

If it still fails, email help@pocketmags.com they can offer much more informed help and advice than I can.

The reader is available free through the Windows App store, I gave the link further up this thread:

Search for 'Pocketmags' and download the Pocketmags app here

Neil

 

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 03/06/2017 17:36:20

[VicParticipant @vic]

Posted by Journeyman on 03/06/2017 16:57:51:

What a lot of faffing about. Would be much easier just to download a PDF.

John

Agreed.

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Posted by Vic on 03/06/2017 17:38:17:

Posted by Journeyman on 03/06/2017 16:57:51:

What a lot of faffing about. Would be much easier just to download a PDF.

John

Agreed.

Wash your mouth out with citric acid, PDFss can be easily copied and we know from past experience that MHS or whoever are terrified of it going online for FREE?

Stable horse and bolted seem to spring to mind. Bad enough MS not supporting its own OS without third parties getting in on the act.

Regards Ian.

Good to know NHS is still using XP, just like Trident.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I just loaded the reader onto a W10 laptop following the link Neil posted earlier at 12.12 and repeated at 17.32 today and it has all my mags back to No 4463 which was when MTM started to use pocket mags in 2013.

Very simple and straightforward

 

J

Edited By JasonB on 03/06/2017 18:35:57

[TrickyParticipant @tricky]

Neil,
​The Offline reader I was using is NOT the same as the current app. The version I have is dated 19/05/14 and is referenced appref-ms.
​I have downloaded the current app but it cannot see any of the hundred or so magazines I have already downloaded which means that if I want to have an offline copy I have to re-download them all. As the internet connection here is not very fast this would take a long time.. Fortunately I am on an unlimited broadband tariff but if I was on a capped download tariff I would be even more annoyed.

Richard

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Does look like they need downloading to each device which seems fairly obvious as you need to get them onto the hard disc, just seeing if there is a way to do it in bulk

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I understand that the frustrations, but all I can do is pass these comments on (which I have done already – I have sent a link to this thread to colleagues at MTM).

If there are any developments, I will let people know, but it will be next week before I can fairly expect a response.

I think it is worth people sending feedback to Pocketmags as well – they need to know a large percentage of their users still depend on W7.

Neil

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 03/06/2017 12:35:49:

Computers and operating systems are constantly updated, so they have to change the app to work with the most popular versions.

Why? There are many, many programs that were written for XP that still work happily with the latest windows versions. In fact I still use the Eudora email program (Hi DC1!) that has consistently worked with every version of Windows since 3.x. I use it with 8.1 but I know it also works quite happily with Windows-10. Same old code (hasn't been supported for ~15 years).

It simply isn't true that apps have to be constantly updated along with new OS versions just to keep them working. (They may choose to do that to take advantage of newer OS features but it shouldn't prevent older versions from working).

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Bandersnatch on 03/06/2017 19:02:44:

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 03/06/2017 12:35:49:

Computers and operating systems are constantly updated, so they have to change the app to work with the most popular versions.

Why? There are many, many programs that were written for XP that still work happily with the latest windows versions. In fact I still use the Eudora email program (Hi DC1!) that has consistently worked with every version of Windows since 3.x. I use it with 8.1 but I know it also works quite happily with Windows-10. Same old code (hasn't been supported for ~15 years).

It simply isn't true that apps have to be constantly updated along with new OS versions just to keep them working. (They may choose to do that to take advantage of newer OS features but it shouldn't prevent older versions from working).

You are more likely to get old programs working under, say W10, than some more recent ones because the old stuff only uses only core DLLs. There are some issues, the help on many old programs no longer works at all.

Unfortunately people want new 'aps' top use all the bells and whistles of new OSs. Despite having Photoshop and Paintshop Pro, my favourite image program is an old version of Photo Paint, but it looks sooo last century!

I agree a lot of it is change for change's sake but I'm not going to reverse the situation on my own!

Neil

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 03/06/2017 20:46:49:

Unfortunately people want new 'aps' top use all the bells and whistles of new OSs. Despite having Photoshop and Paintshop Pro, my favourite image program is an old version of Photo Paint, but it looks sooo last century!

I agree a lot of it is change for change's sake but I'm not going to reverse the situation on my own!

Neil

Sorry, not the case. Why in Hades should I be assaulted by a mobile telephone interface on a 27" monitor?

I suffer this on my Win 2k12 server, but it hasn't been permitted on any of the 6 other Windows desktop or laptop machines in the household.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

So why doesn't MTM tell Pocketmags if they don't sort the situation within 4 weeks they can stuff their contract where the sun don't shine and go somewhere else, or are MTM and Pocketmags one and the same?

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 03/06/2017 20:46:49:

You are more likely to get old programs working under, say W10, than some more recent ones because the old stuff only uses only core DLLs. There are some issues, the help on many old programs no longer works at all.

You do need to install winhlp32.exe to use the older help files ….. which works up to Win-8.1 I think. For Win-10 I believe you need to convert them to chm files qg (Latin abbrev. "for which Google"  )

Edited By Bandersnatch on 04/06/2017 01:17:10

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