Just received the current copies of the above 2 mags. Almost 20 pages shorter than previous issues. Articles are being duplicated from one to the other. I hope this is not the beginning of the end. Feature columns like 'Smiley's Corner' are gone along with 'Questions/Answers' from readers. I know they are sister publications so possibly drastic reduction in staff? Ivan Vegvary
A while back there was a mention of some friend of Smiley that died and his column went away shortly thereafter. I looked online and haven't found out why. Eric
But what state is it in otherwise?
Every so often I check the nuts and volts website, and all they throw at us immediately is a sort of blog, which seems to duplicate the "Make" party line. It does not give an appealing image of the magazine, especially given they've been around before "Make" was a glimmer in someone's eye.
Michael
I liked the old format of the magazine, when it was physically larger and not so slick. But I do like the new version too. I tried Servo when it was first published but Servo is really aimed at a different crowd, more of the "Make" type crowd. The servos I deal with are the type used in machine tools. Though I am working on a thumb for my backhoe that will incorporate a hydraulic servo cylinder so that the thumb will move with the hoe. No electronics involved. I can see why Nuts and Volts is the way it is but there is a recent article about tubes and since I am feeling like building a tube amp, just because I want to, because they look cool to me, I am hoping there is an article soon about building a tube amp. Eric
EDN and EE Times sorts of mags are either pitiful or gone.
-- John Larkin Highland Technology, Inc picosecond timing precision measurement jlarkin att highlandtechnology dott com http://www.highlandtechnology.com
All print media is in decline. Pretty much everything either needs to transition successfully to the web (with a very different publication model), or die.
Textbooks, at least, seem to have some life, but at some point an 8-1/2 x
11 tablet plus a Calculus book in some 'lectronic book format is going to be cheaper than the gawdaful price that my kids are paying for Calculus books, and then the bottom will fall out of that market, too.-- Tim Wescott Wescott Design Services http://www.wescottdesign.com
I flip through EDN and then pitch it. They send me renewal notices every month or something. With threats they will cancel.. I wish they would! It's been going on for years! Maybe 3-5 years ago I tried to renew it.. I filled out their questionnaire, and they said I didn't qualify for free delivery. (I figured that would be the end of it...)
George H.
It's a constant battle to try to cancel NASA Tech Briefs; they keep restarting it. I comes in a plastic bag so to properly recycle it, you have to unwrap the stupid thing first.
The microwave and optics mags are still fat, have decent articles, and are worth browsing. "High Speed Electronics" is OK, sort of a hybrid.
Electronic Design is a sad farce. They will post any nonsense as an "idea for design" and the mag is so thin it practically floats away.
I browse the semi web sites (TI, ADI, LTC, etc) and check their new product lists, to keep up. The Digikey new products flyer is worth looking at.
-- John Larkin Highland Technology, Inc lunatic fringe electronics
Any chance your kids can get the ISBN of the textbooks and then buy them from Amazon? Usually they're cheaper there than from the school bookstore.
Michael
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