Price hike? Goodbye

[lysaer]

They can't increase the price mid-contract, but since you have to renew every 6 months or year, depending on your sub they are not doing anything wrong.

If your sub was like 10 years then unless there was a clause allowing them to increase the price then they couldn't do it.

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G with Beats Audio using Tapatalk 2

[modd1uk]

Ah well maybe i misunderstood. Will still be cancelling it as i feel its gone downhill.

[fdbh96]

If you have a tablet/other eMagazine reading thing then a subscription to CPC is £34.99 which I believe is cheaper than normal.

[hamza_tm]

The magazine with all the new changes about doing stuff that isn't available on the web and less whacky reviews more group tests and all that sounded like absolute garbage.

For God's sake I only bought the mag cuz of the masses of reviews that I could refer to from my shelf any time with easy accessibility. It just beats reading from any kind of screen. I couldn't care less that the same reviews can be found online, stop filling the mag with garbage!

Mine was cancelled a few months back, I'm not sure why. The way its currently going I won't be renewing the subscription

[Shangri-La]

Originally Posted by hamza_tm

I only bought the mag cuz of the masses of reviews that I could refer to from my shelf any time with easy accessibility. It just beats reading from any kind of screen. I couldn't care less that the same reviews can be found online, stop filling the mag with garbage!

^This x 100000, though I'm not quite ready to cancel my sub yet (until I source some new bog-reading material), a new edition dropping through the letter box is no longer exciting and to be honest is slightly depressing. The reviews were what the mag did best, better than anyone else IMO. When I flick through old editions I only look at reviews.

I can't be arsed to trawl around the net looking at reviews. I'm interested in CPC because I am a self builder, both for myself and friends/ family, I need to know about the hardware which is out there. The notion of reviews being quickly out of date applies doubly to games so why are these worthy of review and hardware isn't. And games previews, don't get me started, why waste a page or two on something which, when released, turns out to be awful by anyones standards (that Gettysburg game being a prime example)? In fact, the positive preview of that game might be responsible for people pre-ordering and wasting their money. That can't be good.

I'm seriously struggling to find any love for the Mobile Tech Watch column, which is basically telling me that, at some point in the future, my mobile phone will be better. And yes, I do play games but the new gaming column is as dull as dish water. The new science column is good, I'm happy for it to stay.

Well, that's my grump over, to sum up, more reviews or I'll be even less happy.

[Gareth Halfacree]

Originally Posted by Shangri-La

I'm seriously struggling to find any love for the Mobile Tech Watch column, which is basically telling me that, at some point in the future, my mobile phone will be better.

This gives me a sad. Any constructive comments on what would, in your opinion, make it better?

[Shangri-La]

Originally Posted by Gareth Halfacree

This gives me a sad. Any constructive comments on what would, in your opinion, make it better?

I'm really sorry, I don't intend to be mean, it's not the writing, it's the concept. I really don't think CPC is the place for mobile phone news, CPC for me is about customization and choices that can be made within a given structure, mobile phone hardware does not possess this feature. Saying that, I did enjoy the bit about spray on antennas.

[longweight]

Originally Posted by Gareth Halfacree

This gives me a sad. Any constructive comments on what would, in your opinion, make it better?

Remove it and replace it with proper PC hardware reviews, bit is not the place for mobile news.

[Gareth Halfacree]

Originally Posted by Shangri-La

I'm really sorry, I don't intend to be mean, it's not the writing, it's the concept. I really don't think CPC is the place for mobile phone news, CPC for me is about customization and choices that can be made within a given structure, mobile phone hardware does not possess this feature. Saying that, I did enjoy the bit about spray on antennas.

I didn't think you were being mean - I just wanted to know if there was anything I could do to make it better!

You may have a point about Custom 'PC' being an odd place for a column about mobile technology, but we're seeing a pretty obvious convergence in the industry today. Devices like the Asus Padfone are blurring the lines between mobile technology and PC technology, and the impending launch of Windows RT for ARM processors is only going to accelerate that.

Finally, for those who are a little less tactful than yourself (naming no names,) it is only two pages of the magazine - and, as far as I'm aware, neither the page budget nor the remuneration budget for reviews is affected in any way by its presence.

If anyone else has any suggestions for improving the column, by the way, I'm all ears!

[fdbh96]

Im liking the how-to guides and I think its getting better in my opinion with all the articles rather than reviews. I read the reviews on bit-tech even if I try not to.

[longweight]

Originally Posted by fdbh96

Im liking the how-to guides but other than that, its getting better in my opinion with all the articles rather than reviews. I read the reviews on bit-tech even if I try not to.

I think the magazine is headed in the direction of T3 or other tech mags, Jack of all trades, master of none.

[Shirty]

I still enjoy the mag with or without the non-pc articles, it's a good bog read and I trust the reviews as much as I ever have. Ultimately, a pure modding mag would have too few readers to be viable, and a pure hardware mag would be competing with bigger players.

A Custom PC award is still one of the proudest and most valuable marketing tools in the enthusiast market, so the mag is still very important.

[Shangri-La]

Originally Posted by Gareth Halfacree

we're seeing a pretty obvious convergence in the industry today.

I know you've got point there and I'll openly admit that I'm just not particularly intestested in mobile technology, I can see it's popularity though. So I guess I'm really not the person to offer advice on improvement and you shouldn't read too much into my critisism, I would more than likely always be hostile to the column.

My hostility must also be seen in context of the wider changes to the mag. I associate new columns with the loss of what was for me, the core experience of CPC, hardware reviews. The 'Reviewed this month' contents strip for issue 105 makes me want to cry, 'Custom kit' has more items (6) than reviews (5) (not counting the Labs Test). And 'Custom kit' is what? Toys, mouse mats, fancy heaters, fancy vacuum cleaners and the odd interesting thing. Don't get me wrong, I used to like 'Custom kit' but now it throws the lack of other hardware content into sharp relief, making me want to punch it.

[bdigital]

Not pleased about the price rise. But having read some of this months mag, i really like it. THe how to guides being the highlight for me.

Seeing the pump top how too put an instant smile on my face THen went on to read the lapping guide and the overvlocking guide (even though using the guide settings with the same chip + board as me gives me a BSOD!)

[semper_si]

I've let my subscription expire after 3 years. Annoyingly the magazine had started to pick up again with the last two issues - the prior ones had become progressively less interesting and a struggle to read. So I'm just going to buy the odd one from the shops, and if things make a marked improvement, then I'll consider resubscribing.

I think CustomPC targets a difficult demographic. Most people who build a PC will tinker with it a bit, but won't necessarily upgrade for a good while after. So, for example, an almost entire magazine dedicated to SandyBridge E that was acknowledged as too expensive for many to consider, was really a big snoozefest - and the straw that broke this camel's back.

I'm now subscribed to PCPro which has more general articles about the IT industry. Perhaps I'm just not so interested in games any more, but I do think the new series of article writers at CustomPC is a good thing and hope they continue. I may, after all, be back.

[cerbrus2]

I think the main thing about the mag, And you have to look at it from a new persons perspective. The the mag says Custom PC on the cover. But yet their are only around 10 pages that have any content in it that has anything to do with Customizing PC's. At the momeant it may as well be Store Brought PC magazine.

The folding section is great, but I would love to see a A large article on Folding oneday, with a guide of how to start folding, What client to use, how to get AMD cards folding advanced units, Best hardware for folding etc.

I would also like to see less of the boring reveiws, I may be on my own here. but 20 plus pages of SSD's HDD,s monitors, and PC cases is what I like to call the SKIP it section of the magazine, some people may fined this section interesting, though. maybe just shrink them down a bit.

I dont know maybe I am being to harsh on some of the content of late. The magazine just doesn's feel very Custom lately.

Although the HOW too tips that have been getting better latly, would make an awsome Haynes manual of PC modding if it was bundled up togeather, These section and Daves section on Overclocking in the new mag, sadly my last. Are very good indeed. But thats the problem lately I have been skipping so much of the mag it like buying a newspaper just for the very few pages on the sport at the back. I am actualy opening the mag at the back nowdays, And just reading the interesting "custom PC" parts. then chucking the mag under the coffee table.

[Deders]

I find it can be useful to have a group test section to refer to when looking for new hardware, even if it's just a starting point.

[bawjaws]

Originally Posted by cerbrus2

I think the main thing about the mag, And you have to look at it from a new persons perspective. The the mag says Custom PC on the cover. But yet their are only around 10 pages that have any content in it that has anything to do with Customizing PC's. At the momeant it may as well be Store Brought PC magazine.

The folding section is great, but I would love to see a A large article on Folding oneday, with a guide of how to start folding, What client to use, how to get AMD cards folding advanced units, Best hardware for folding etc.

I would also like to see less of the boring reveiws, I may be on my own here. but 20 plus pages of SSD's HDD,s monitors, and PC cases is what I like to call the SKIP it section of the magazine, some people may fined this section interesting, though. maybe just shrink them down a bit.

I dont know maybe I am being to harsh on some of the content of late. The magazine just doesn's feel very Custom lately.

Although the HOW too tips that have been getting better latly, would make an awsome Haynes manual of PC modding if it was bundled up togeather, These section and Daves section on Overclocking in the new mag, sadly my last. Are very good indeed. But thats the problem lately I have been skipping so much of the mag it like buying a newspaper just for the very few pages on the sport at the back. I am actualy opening the mag at the back nowdays, And just reading the interesting "custom PC" parts. then chucking the mag under the coffee table.

It's funny, because folding really doesn't interest me - I'd much rather see the occasional article about distributed computing in general, rather than several pages a month of leaderboards. Folding just seems like a very "niche" area, and while I'm not saying that Custom PC shouldn't cover it, I think that there's no real need to devote so much space to folding every single month.

On the other hand, I am interested in reviews, and think that these are something that Custom PC does well - so to a large extent my preferences are the exact opposite of yours!

Unfortunately, this just goes to show what a difficult job Custom PC have on their hands - what's their target audience, and what does that audience actually want from the magazine? You can't please everyone, but for me the magazine lacks a real identity now and is trying to be a jack of all trades - and a master of none.

[longweight]

I don't care about folding but it would be interesting to read about how the results are used and whether it is actually doing any good.

I loved the hardware reviews but I find the opinion pages annoying, if I wanted to read a blog I would go on the website. The two pages that show the general cheap geek tat seem to be a massive waste, I would rather see full page adverts in place of that double spread.

I enjoy the how to guides when they cover something that isn't pretty obvious such as how to cut a window into a side panel, I would love to see some guides covering electronic mods such as changing the LED backlight to the capslock key etc.

I loved the magazine about a year ago, now I love the bit forums and will not be buying the magazine again.

[Deders]

I guess they have to cater for all tastes, am quite glad that the obsession with folding has died down in the mag.