Only because we had a good round robin argument about this (Luddites vs Technophiles) while one the convention circut.
PDF advantages:
1. Fits on your computer, allowing computer things like page search. Bookmarks etc.
2. Easily Stolen by computer savy people. Note: Most computer savvy people don't consider file sharing to be stealing. Yar Matey.
3. Only weighs as much as the computer system it's installed on.
4. Technophiles like PDF's.
5. Supposedly, faster. (Erroneous information proven at many convention)
6. May be flung across exhibit halls, as a CD copy, HOWEVER, this is not recommended if already installed upon a computer.
7. May be printed into a book format, at only twice the cost of actually buying the pocket guide. You may then bootleg, the product indefinitely to those poor sods without computers. handy for cheap friends that always mooch your books.
8. Profit Margin is considerable for source company until all the bootleg copies hit the bit torrent sites.
And then..........
Pocket Guide Advantages:
1. Works, when you have no place to plug in your computer.
2. Easily handled by other people without fear of damage.
3. Can be thrown at wayward players.
4. Can be caught easily when it's thrown back.
5. Can be read without the assistance of a 250 to 4000 dollar piece of electronics.
6. Does not cause retinal damage and eye strain unless whacked in the eye when someone tosses it at you.
7. Only out 20 bucks per copy if someone steals it. That means people can steal 32.5 Pocket Editions for every one Cheap laptop stolen.
8. Actually worth the money you paid for it, relatively speaking.
9. May be used as a potential fuel source when the Big One drops.
10. Easily shared, but not as easily stolen as a PDF.
11. Proven to be FAR faster then a PDF copy of a 1 page index, at Conventions.
12. Much more visually pleasing and recognizable; from a sales marketing point of view, then a shiny CD (though this is disputed by those with various attention deficit disorders).
13. May be taken away from cheap friends that mooch books, with a violent action that causes fear and generates apologies while still leaving the minion beholden to you for a book to use.
14. Able to run a game with it, Anywhere, any time, any conditions, power or no power, provided there is at least 2 candela worth of light to read by.
Could add more, however I do believe, Pocket Guide > then PDF's.....
~Rex
