User's Guide- Hard Copy PLEASE

K

KC5689

Cathlete
Will you reconsider making a user's guide book for ICE (and future programs) instead of an online version? I'm sure many others would like this too. I was just doing a XTrain workout and admiring the guide that came with it. Because of the wonderful user's guide, I was able to quickly reference what was needed. I know that you used the same format with Ripped w/ HiiT online version but it's so much more convenient to have a hard copy. Plus, it's a lot of paper and ink used to print it. Maybe make a limited amount only for preorders?
I hope you will consider. :)
Thanks
KC
 
Unfortunately it's not feasible to do this for several reasons. To begin with it would delay the release date of the DVDs by about a month as you can't finish writing the guide until the work on the DVDs is finished. You then have to send the book to the printer and lastly to a bindery facility. This all takes time and would mean a delay in releasing the DVDs until after Christmas. Secondly, books weigh a lot and this means shipping costs would skyrocket three to four times what they're now. We offer free Worldwide shipping so there is no way for us to absorb this kind of an increase in cost. Lastly, though there is something to be said for a good old fashion book, e-books have become more popular nowadays and they offer several advantages such as the ability for streaming customers to click on a link and go directly to the video or premix they want to view. Also remember, you can always print the e-book on your printer if you like.
 
I agree with the OP on this. Printing out the pages just isn't the same as having the guide. I enjoy the user guides and would be willing to pay extra for it and wait a month or two on the shipping of it so it wouldn't interfere with the workout DVD ship schedule. Books could be sent via media mail, which is cheaper, albeit slower, but there really wouldn't be a hurry for it since the online version would be available. You might be surprised as to the demand for this.
 
Actually, I prefer the e-book. It's easy to refer to on the computer and it doesn't take any space on my bookshelf. I'm just glad they're providing a guide at all.
 
Yes, the guides are a bonus that they don't have to provide. I think they spoiled us with the XTrain guide because it was so nicely done. I too would be willing to pay extra (not too much though :)) and wait on the shipping.
 
sweatie said:
Actually, I prefer the e-book. It's easy to refer to on the computer and it doesn't take any space on my bookshelf. I'm just glad they're providing a guide at all.
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E-book is just the way to go. We need to preserve the environment and other program do not even offer hard copies.
Will preciously keep X-train and STS hard copies--- I am slighly dubious about getting more
comprehensive well made as these ones:):)
 
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I agree with the e-book. As much as I love the XTRAIN book, now I only use the pages with my weights on it. So for RWH, I only printed the pages I wanted and I use. I can also print up more if needed. If you mess up a nice book, you have to pay for another, if there are any more. I agree with sweatie, I'm happy they are providing one at all.
 
I prefer both. I am fortunate at work I have access to the equipment to do so. With the RWH guide I was able to print out in color on a heavier card stock and added a spiral spine. I like having the guide readily available on my ipad but when working out it is easier for me to have the paper guide handy. I did the same thing with my STS guide and the opposite with my Xtrain guide. Here I took the spine off then scanned and emailed it to me to save in my Dropbox. Then put a spiral spine on the original guide to keep with my other guides. I bet for cheap money you can do the same thing at a Staples or similar office store.
 
I like the online version too. I printed it & put it in binder then printed the
" cover" a second time and taped it on the front of my notebook! I also just
Downloaded it into my iBooks and that is great! I didn't realize that I could
Do that on my iPad, thanks to the above post that mentioned that.
 
forum_admin said:
Unfortunately it's not feasible to do this for several reasons. To begin with it would delay the release date of the DVDs by about a month as you can't finish writing the guide until the work on the DVDs is finished. You then have to send the book to the printer and lastly to a bindery facility. This all takes time and would mean a delay in releasing the DVDs until after Christmas. Secondly, books weigh a lot and this means shipping costs would skyrocket three to four times what they're now. We offer free Worldwide shipping so there is no way for us to absorb this kind of an increase in cost. Lastly, though there is something to be said for a good old fashion book, e-books have become more popular nowadays and they offer several advantages such as the ability for streaming customers to click on a link and go directly to the video or premix they want to view. Also remember, you can always print the e-book on your printer if you like.
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I would prefer a hardcopy book also, but understand the reasoning why it isn't being offered.

SNM - would you please have a friendly "printable" eBook, meaning it just has text and not the big black banner on the top or sides or middle that use up all of my ink? I print out STS and Xtrain and RwH each time I do a rotation and I swear I need to replace my ink each time!
 
Gobias said:
SNM - would you please have a friendly "printable" eBook, meaning it just has text and not the big black banner on the top or sides or middle that use up all of my ink? I print out STS and Xtrain and RwH each time I do a rotation and I swear I need to replace my ink each time!
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This is a good point! Thanks, Gobias, for bringing this up.
 
I like both, but I'm fine with printing my own. I usually just print the pages I'll need. Another option if you want a nice bound book and don't have the resources to do it at home would be to bring the pdf to Kinkos (yeah, I know it's FedEx Office, but I still call it kinkos :) ) or Office Depot and have them print and bind it for you. Not sure what that would cost, but I bet it would look great.
 
I understand that the cost maybe prohibitive but I would pay extra for it. I don't have an internet connection, computer, smart phone, e-reader or any such thing. I use a public computer and the print outs are terrible. I would love to have the option to have a hard copy just like you have the option of just dvds or dvds and downloads or just downloads. I love Cathe and her workouts and have pre-ordered regardless. I guess I'm just old fashioned--I even still write letters to friends and rarely email except for business.
 
The hard copy user's guide to XTrain is awesome, and the printable downloaded guide for RWH is not anywhere near as useful or complete.

If the downloadable guide for ICE is more the quality of the guide for XTrain and not so much the quality of RWH, I am happy with a downloadable guide.

I understand the work that it must take to make a printed hard copy user's guide for ICE, but it seems like your followers/ clients/ purchasing audience really wants one. So, no matter what SNM's reasons are for NOT making a printed user's guide, your "public" seems to want one. Would it be possible to take preorders for a guide (separate cost from the DVDs). If enough people sign up for the printed guide, SNM could make the guide. If the demand is not high enough, then the project would not move forward.
 
Sorry, but no, we're not going to make a printed version of our User's Guide. I realize some people may want a printed version, but nowhere near enough to make designing and printing a book even close to being feasible. Printed books are just no longer all that popular and e-books are what most people are doing nowadays. I'm surprised you liked the XTrain book and not the Ripped With HiiT online e-book. They're pretty much the same thing. What did you find the RWH e-book didn't have that the XTrain hard copy did?
 
jodijodi said:
Another option if you want a nice bound book and don't have the resources to do it at home would be to bring the pdf to Kinkos (yeah, I know it's FedEx Office, but I still call it kinkos :) ) or Office Depot and have them print and bind it for you. Not sure what that would cost, but I bet it would look great.
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I looked into the price at FedEx Office and to bind a 70 pg, front-to-back, book would cost over $200! I don't know if that's correct and will probably go in with my XTrain guide to show exactly what I want. But, even if it costs 1/4 of that for SNM to print, I see why it isn't cost effective.
 
You can certainly get a book like a User's Guide done more cheaply than $200, but it is still expensive to do. And printing is just one cost, the bigger expense is the increased cost of shipping. We're not talking a few hundred or a few thousands of dollars - we're talking many tens of thousands of dollars with no way for us to recoup the cost because we ship worldwide for free. We charge more for series that come with a hard copy of our User's Guide and less for series that don't. There is a huge difference in sales when you cross the $100 price point and we find that keeping the prices of our series without User's Guide's under $100 is better for us and the consumer.
 
I already stated my preference for the e-book, but one reason for this is that corrections and additions are much easier to make. Someone at SNM posts the updated book, announces it in the forum, and we download the corrected/updated book. These books always have an errors because there is so much detail. Yes, the e-book is the way to go.
 
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