Zinio... Friend of the Nomad

I was cleaning out my computer (as I'm loathe to reformat my Mac but this HD is not a bicycle built for two) and found a program file for Zinio. Judging by the free copy of MacWorld, this was surreptitiously installed during an update.

I love magazines and have always loved them. Even as a kid I would read any glossy that came into our house, cover to cover. Beyond the content, I actually enjoy fashion advertising. As lovely as digital information sources are, they've never given me the cozy feeling of an "issue."

However, a nomad faces the following problems:

(1) Subscription changes are still incredibly difficult to get processed, issues get missed, I weep

(2) I like trees.

(3) I don't like hauling paper products to a recycling depot.

(4) It takes me longer than it should to want to give up old copies of my favorites. I still have an early issue of now-defunct JANE and a random collection of Euro fashion magazines you will have to pry from my cold fingers, along with every copy of Blueprint I could salvage. Um... yes.

(5) Subscriptions in Canada for many tomes cost an unholy amount due to the paid-value-sticks-around-longer advertiser attraction.

Enter Zinio. Sure, some like Women's Health are charging by the issue (and far too much, although it is my preferred fitness magazine), but there are a significant number of others that are yearly subscriptions... for $10. That's about 75 cents an issue. Even Marie Claire or Glamour has at least .75 worth of information. The view is crisp and as realistic as possible, and the issues are neatly stored digitally. Download is automatic, like podcasts. The only downside is the glare of my screen instead of a paper copy in bed Saturday morning.

They allow some 'flipping through' online and some free issues. I haven't subscribed yet but it may be on the horizon.