Mon 10 Mar 2008
Make Magazine: Good News / Bad News
Posted at 13:22 +1100
I ducked into the local Borders to see what was new when I was out to buy some lunch today. Interestingly, they've decided to start stocking Make in the magazine section. This is good news, because it indicates some sort of tipping point in popularity when an Australian book store chain that doesn't specialise in technical books feels it's worthwhile to import something like that.
The bad news is that after adjusting for currency exchange rates, it's selling at 230% of the US recommended retail price for a single issue.
Apparently it's shipped here in gold plated boxes on the back of rare Antarctic albino camels, and heavens knows you pay for that kind of service. This is why you hear Australians complaining about having to pay the Far Away Tax on so much stuff. It's not just transport plus exchange rate. There's a hefty amount of highway robbery tacked on the top as well.
So, nice, but no thanks. If I decide I want to read Make on more than a sporadic basis (I tend to pick up an issue or two when I'm the US), I'll subscribe. If I was to subscribe to Make and have it shipped to Australia, a one year (four issue) subscription would cost around 50% more than a single issue at Borders.