It was interesting to see that not only was the long form feature article on Portal 2 released as an iPad app, but that it was also well received by fans of the game. Perhaps most surprising is the fact that it wasn’t simply part of a high quality digital magazine.
We all know that publishes were celebrating the arrival of the iPad as the saviour of magazine and newspaper publishing. As well as incorporating the ability to get your favourite mag on a device you carry around with you all the time, it also let traditional print publishers incorporate video and social media elements into their publications.
But despite the publisher’s positivity, the overall response seems to be underwhelming towards digital magazine publishing. There’s plenty of reasons why it would work nicely, but why hasn’t it taken off, especially given how many millions of iPads have been sold around the world?
Do you read magazines or newspapers on the iPad? If you do, what do you read? If not – what’s stopping you? Let us know in comments.
Rob H
Friday, May 20, 2011 at 1:36 PMAbsolutely! Zinio app is the best, a huge range of local and international magazines, with many of the international ones quite cheap (11 AUD for 12 issues!)
Perfect for long plane trips/train rides. I also occasionally use Zinio on the iPhone even when i don’t have the iPad and am bored…
I also use the local ACP magazines “Mag Shop” iPad app for getting things like Wheels and 4×4 Australia – although i admit I still do occasionally buy the print versions of these (as the price difference is minimal)
Hope i’m not the only one, I don’t want them to stop publishing for iPad!
Rob
Brad
Friday, May 20, 2011 at 1:46 PMI’d like to, but can’t reconcile paying 30% or more for a digital version compared to what people in the US are paying (check out The New Yorker 12 month subscription difference for iTunes US versus iTunes AUS). It’s even more galling considering the current exchange rate.
There’s currently no Australian mag that I’m interested enough to purchase digitally, but would definitely consider a sub to The Australian in the near future, if only so I didn’t have to deal with the massive broadsheet.
Mark
Friday, May 20, 2011 at 2:36 PMI find it harder to reconcile specifically giving Apple a 30% cut for doing absolutely nothing after the initial app approval. The world is doing itself a disservice by validating these tactics and ensuring a future for itself where you have to pay through the nose to achieve even the simplest of tasks.
As it is, companies are having to abandon the platform because 30% is greater than their profit margin. Thank you Apple for that all we will never have if you are in control.
steve
Friday, May 20, 2011 at 2:13 PMipad 2 is the best reader out there but its still:-
– way too heavy.
– non friendly grip
– harsh on the eyes, needs eink or oled.
– unusable outdoors in sunlight
Myles
Friday, May 20, 2011 at 2:17 PMMagazines and news? Yes.
+1 on Zinio. Brilliant app for reading magazines with great prices.
I suppose one of the major reasons is due to the screen. Brightness, image sharpness, contrast, yadayadayada. None of these are good enough for reading yet.
Also gotta consider the amount of promotion (news stands ads, bookstore ads) as well as variety of magazines get over the iPad apps as well.
iPad still too heavy to enjoy reading too. Even the iPad 2 is still too heavy. A magazine is easier to carry around.
Simon
Friday, May 20, 2011 at 2:22 PMLike Rob I use Zino to read two mags
Tom
Friday, May 20, 2011 at 2:48 PMI’ve tried out a bunch of the iPad magazines (Wired, PopSci, Pop Mech, SI, Nat Geo, etc…) and never went back for more. Although I’m not a big reader of dead tree editions.
I personally much prefer the likes of Zite, Pulse and Flipboard for my ‘magazine’ and ‘newspaper’ reading on my iPad.
Gibbo McCool
Friday, May 20, 2011 at 2:48 PMWell I thought I would when I got my iPad, but it hasn’t turned out that way. I was particulary excited about wired but it seems the quality of their content of late has gone down hill.
The iPad also has plenty of distractions right there at your finger tips, so you might be reading the article on how pixar works , then suddenly you have this urge to have another go at getting 3 stars on that Angry birds level !
damo
Friday, May 20, 2011 at 2:52 PMYes, I read Project and one other
Richard
Friday, May 20, 2011 at 3:18 PMI have just subscribed to Vanity Fair for 12 months $20
Great value
I have just cancelled my dead tree version of wired, and will follow the $20/12 subscription of that when Conde Naste offer it
Josh
Friday, May 20, 2011 at 4:01 PMI have just started using Zino, but it seems quite good
I also read 3D creative
I find that the iPad is great for magazines, even better for comics :)
John Xenos
Friday, May 20, 2011 at 4:16 PMAbsolutely. I used to have magazines lying everywhere, but the iPad has made it so much easier. The key is in the formatting and keeping the price low. i didnt like it on the iphone as you needed to keep on scrolling but, especially with the brightness turned down and a matte screen protector, you almost forget you’re reading the digital version. Zinio is a lot better than it used to be (now actually interactive), the Economist is optimised and most blogs look good too.
Dean Mandareen
Friday, May 20, 2011 at 4:27 PMSure do! But I get them free at a ‘certain site’ ;)
Matt
Monday, May 23, 2011 at 8:22 PMWhich site would that be?
Ian Hollis
Friday, May 20, 2011 at 5:03 PMTried a few digital magazines but haven’t been inspired enough to go back. I buy mostly music via iTunes and for that it’s fantastic. The fact that I can share with my iPods is also a real treat. So far the books and magazines I’ve looked at seem over priced and lite compared to paper. I’m a bit of an impulse magazine purchaser, so I guess that works against me. Also there’s a browser factor to buying mags from newsagents that is missing in subscriptions. Lack of consistency in magazines is also a factor (plus missing included CDs and DVDs by going digital). Thumbs down so far.
Eddie A
Friday, May 20, 2011 at 8:10 PMYeah for sure!!! loving it as well.. can take all my mags with me and the experience is much richer… it’s alot cheaper as well..
tsengan
Friday, May 20, 2011 at 8:50 PMYep, love the iPad for magazines.
But then, I’m a little biased, working in the magazine publishing industry.
Go iPad.
And no, we don’t see it as a saviour. That’s a bullshit hype machine. Conde Nast and a few other major publishers have invested huge amounts of money promoting print, at the same time as developing for iPad.
The real future of magazines is far more complicated.
Steve
Friday, May 20, 2011 at 11:57 PMNope. Though I’d reconsider at the point when e-readers have full-colour displays so I can read stuff like Empire without the glare of an LCD screen.
Big Windows
Monday, May 23, 2011 at 11:00 AMHave really swung to the ipad for Comics. In particular Dark horse. In a few short weeks I have a collection numbering 90(ninety) and I love reading them on the ipad, however, there is one issue. The Ipad is not quite big enough. The comic format has generally been fixed for a long time (and I bring this up because it is reasonably close to a magazine size… maybe a bit smaller) with the exception of specials and one shots. Over time it will frustrate me unless digital comics get better at using the medium and I suspect the same can be said of magazines. At the moment most (not all) magazines have stuck with static reading models… The Ipad needs to be slightly bigger for this. If it were interactive or added animation or good hyperlinking and return functions then I think we would see an uptake in magazine subscriptions… otherwise they will die down to a very select few. Apple is not helping publishers with their 30% ‘lets kill off a minow and then use it’s rotting carcass to kill a shark’ impost either… That simply cannot fly long term. Anyhoo… that is my 1.79 cents worth… P.S. I will still by darkhorse comics because they are portable and if a better reader comes out… I won’t loose them… Woohoo!
Jacob
Monday, May 23, 2011 at 11:18 AMI read WIRED. That’s it though, and I realise I’m in the minority.
WIRED seems to be the only one worth reading because it is optimised for digital. The other Conde Nast magazines all use this ghastly template which makes it hard to enjoy.
And I don’t even count Zinio, because they’re not optomised for the iPad.
D-Barkles
Monday, May 23, 2011 at 2:33 PMI’m another zinio user. National geographic does an amazing digital mag, with imbedded videos, slideshows and interactive graphics. I also sub to US Rolling stone, Juxtapoz, macworld and spin.
digital magazines
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 5:33 PMWired is available on Other Edition newsstand. Free to download. Its available on iTunes.
Chris
Sunday, June 26, 2011 at 12:58 AMI do? It’s especially good if you don’t have your glasses on as you can zoom in close eg. When you are getting a haircut! Need more titles though. Currently limited to gadget mags, need more design, architecture, lifestyle and Homewares mags.
Bruce
Friday, March 9, 2012 at 7:32 AMI read OTG Magazine in Australia, otgmag.com.au, not to be confused with the American one at .com. It is a digital interactive golf mag optimised for the iPad there isn’t an app for it just view from the web. Great imbedded videos and best of all it is free, though they may charge for it in distant future. As for a golf mag it’s up there with the best of them.