Regretfully, indicated interest in a 2010 Compendium hasn't exactly been as strong as we'd hoped since we provided the PDF version of the 2009 edition. Given this, Mike and I have decided to probably skip it for this year and not produce a 2010 Compendium. We'll gauge interest again half way through next year via a poll and produce a larger 2011 edition for (hopefully) less than it cost us to produce the 2009. If that succeeds, then we'll look at maintaining it bi-annually.
Apologies to those who expressed interest in providing their material again in the hope of including it this year, but hang on to it for next year! Producing one of these books is frankly an incredible amount of work, and to make it a worthwhile exercise we simply need more interest. While it was great fun producing the last one, I'm certainly looking forward to the privilege of creating the next one, but only if you guys indicate that you want one. If we get a pile of people battering down the door threatening our lives to get one out this year, we'll look at the situation at that time.
I've already nearly done an iPad version Andrew. I haven't released it because we let the PDF out of the bag instead. It's a possibility that I'll create an eReader version for the iPad, Kindle (lost in greyscale unfortunately) and other readers that'll no doubt be out by then. It'd be fantastic to release a Kindle Store and iBook version soon.
Apps are a different matter... but there are also interactive magazines such as the Nat Geo Interactive magazine that I subscribe to through Zineo for the iPad. Interactive magazines are mind-bogglingly good. I wouldn't buy another paper Nat Geo, and I've been buying them for pretty-much my whole life.
Here's the book on the iPad - in its first conversion draft. Andrew... recognise it?
Al - if we get a good deal of interest it may still be on. It's already August, and these take a good couple of months to produce, so we'll see. I'd seriously like nothing more than to go ahead with it.
I wasn't hanging around you guys last year, so I do not have a copy of last year's book even. Can I still get one? How & how much please? And if I can't get a hold of last years book, I'm with H, I demand one for 2010 - *bang* *bang* on the door with a skunk in my arms ( I don't like violence, was the only thing I could think of quickly).
If it's canvassing interest then I'd be up for an image or two (as I didn't submit last year) and I'd be looking at buying a number as well. Would you need help with one this year? If another pair of hands would make it easier then count me in.
I wasn't hanging around you guys last year, so I do not have a copy of last year's book even. Can I still get one? How & how much please? And if I can't get a hold of last years book, I'm with H, I demand one for 2010 - *bang* *bang* on the door with a skunk in my arms ( I don't like violence, was the only thing I could think of quickly).
Hi Suzy
Mike mentioned it in his post on the 17th of last month:
If it's canvassing interest then I'd be up for an image or two (as I didn't submit last year) and I'd be looking at buying a number as well. Would you need help with one this year? If another pair of hands would make it easier then count me in.
Hi Keith. It certainly wasn't intended to be that, but may have morphed a little. Mike posted the PDF version on the 17th of June and we were watching that to see if there was still any interest. There didn't appear to be any (8 replies), so hence this post. If we're convinced otherwise, it may yet happen.
Thanks for the offer, and I'll let you know. I tend to work by myself, but with things the way they are for me and our business this year, as well as the time I'm dedicating to our MAS "m a g n i t u d e" week-long imaging event in early October, you never know. I'm very happy to pour my time into this for you guys as long as the economics work out.
We'd need at least 100 people committing material to it and at least three times that number to commit to buy it just to cover costs. Indications are that we would more than oikely have trouble reaching those numbers. I'd love to told I'm wrong
Chris I was not even aware that you were thinking of doing one this year. Perhaps a sticky at the top of the general astronomy board would give you a better idea of who is interested.
Chris,
Dont forget that a few of us, myself included will purchase more than one (I know I will order at least 2...to match the number of images that get accepted in the book)
I know...I'm a shocker
frank
