So Uncle Rupert’s The Australian newspaper is hoping that the iPad will be the defibrillator the newspaper industry has been praying for. So it’s jumped on the bandwagon nice and early, announcing its iPad app 11 days before the iPad officially launches in Australia.
And how much will it cost the regular punter to save journalism the dying behemoth of Australian broadsheets? Just $5 a month.
The app builds on what News Ltd built for the Wall Street Journal app, so it should actually be pretty decent.
If you can’t hold back your excitement, The Australian has a website allowing users to register their interest for the app here. Go nuts!
The Australian launches Australia’s first dedicated newspaper iPad app
17 May, 2010
The Australian newspaper today announced the launch of country’s first ever dedicated newspaper iPad app that brings together all the best features of The Australian on the latest technology platform.
The app will be available to download on iTunes from midnight on 28 May when the iPad is released in Australia.
The Australian app offers a vibrant, dynamic and portable reading experience that brings readers the best news, analysis, politics, sport, business and entertainment from a team of the country’s most respected journalists.
It is updated constantly, provides superior navigation and offers interactivity for readers.
The Australian’s iPad app will appeal to longstanding readers of The Australian and to a new generation of readers who want the latest news on hand whenever and wherever they are.
With an introductory price of just $4.99 a month from launch, The Australian’s iPad app delivers outstanding value, featuring stories from The Australian’s daily print edition, updated as news unfolds.
Over the coming months, additional exciting content and user features will be added.
Chris Mitchell, editor-in-chief of The Australian, said his team was proud to lead the publishing industry in driving Australia’s first dedicated newspaper iPad app in time for the iPad’s Australian launch.
“This is an exciting development for our readers, who want The Australian’s agenda-setting news and authoritative comment as it happens, wherever they are,” Mitchell said.
“We are investing significantly in digital media as this will be the way a new generation of readers will choose to consume our journalism.
“The Australian’s iPad app marries the best of print and digital: its layout and browsing features offer a similar reading experience to the physical newspaper. Being digital the reader is guaranteed to be up to date with breaking news.
“Over the coming weeks we will be adding numerous features and more content to the app. We will actively engage with our readers, seeking their feedback on the app, helping us develop future versions.”
Readers can register interest in The Australian’s iPad app by visiting theaustralian.com.au/ipad
The Australian’s iPad app, the first of many that News Limited is developing for its mastheads, has been created by the newspaper’s editorial team in conjunction with News Digital Media.
The Australian is the second News Corporation newspaper in the world to launch an iPad app and has benefitted from the experience of its Wall Street Journal colleagues who collaborated closely with Apple on its launch.
Mitchell said The Australian expected take-up of the app to build over the coming months, given the intense interest in the iPad following its US debut.
Apple reported that just 28 days after launching in the US it had sold 1 million units, users had downloaded more than 12 million apps from iTunes and 1.5 million books from Apple’s iBookstore.
The Wall Street Journal has already massed 64,000 active users of its iPad app.
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