"Decent" is being generous...
And if $60 is too much for you, there might not be any point in getting the hard copy, considering that the Alphaware box (where all of the good stuff is at) is priced at $60. Together with the Beginner's Box, it's $80.
I've been backwards-converting the modules in Plots and Paydata for SR4A. It's definitely doable, and that in that regard, not much difference between the two editions.