Time pops tablets to take magazines electronic
Haven't we already tried that?
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Time Inc. has seen the future, and it's electronic magazines rendered on an Apple tablet, assuming Apple ever makes one.
The publisher has been working out how to sell magazines in an electronic format. It reckons advertisers will pay extra for video inserts, while punters will want access to more pictures and video content - so a bit like a web page only with more touching, as the breathless video demonstrates:
It's not clear why we need a new interface to read magazines - designed using Adobe's AIR - when the web already does a pretty good job of providing multimedia content. Zinio offers a pretty interface for electronic versions of magazines, though it's PC only.
But Time is betting that tablet devices are going to be big, and will need specialist content to take advantage of them. It's probably not coincidence that the Editor of Sports Illustrated, Terry McDonell was interviewed by TechCrunch on the subject, given the CrunchPad would have made an ideal platform for the kind of content envisioned by Time, if it had only existed.
Mr. McDonell is adamant that punters are desperate to pay more money for the digital version of Sports Illustrated, as well as the other Time titles, though even he admits that their market research is "in no way scientific".
The lack of suitable hardware (the demonstrations run on a Windows-based Tablet PC) and inevitable competition from the web makes us dubious to say the least. Making electronic magazines incompatible with the latest eBook readers seems counter intuitive, but who's going to buy the Swimsuit Edition for display in glorious greyscale? ®
COMMENTS
Everything going digital
Everything, and I do mean everything, that is currently done on paper will most likely end up in digital.
Even things that are not covered usually by local newspapers will go digital, and allow the "unwashed masses" to report on items.
For example, where I currently live, local school sports and general outdoor "sports" items are not covered to well by the local paper and news.
An associate worked at a local paper and after leaving, and a few of the reporters at the paper got fired due to "limiting costs" he rounded up a couple of the reporters and built a website www.carsonsports.com.
Now, he is actually beating the local paper on getting sports/outdoor news out to people, and covering a LOT more then they are.
As planning for future capabilities and expansion, we have discussed the option of providing users with a "e-reader" that will allow either instant updates via wireless or via usb. The reason for this:
1. e-readers is larger then a phone.
2. e-reader is portable.
This means that the end user will not need to carry a traditional "paper", wil be able to be updated "on the fly" unlike a traditional "paper" and will offer better readability for those you do not have good vision, as well as possibly allowing video.
Everything will eventually go digital as we move forward in the world.
The one benefit if everyone goes digital, less and less trees needing to be cut down.
"It's not clear why we need a new interface to read magazines"
Tell that to all the fucking marketing idiots who insist on "e-zines".
Oh look, it's a web page that doesn't work on all web browsers, requires a download of a proprietary plug-in, is a pain in the arse to edit, doesn't get indexed by search engines and, instead of clicking "next", you have to select and drag an irritating flashy folded corner thingy (try doing that on your mobile - oh no, you can't because you're a fucking marketing droid so you've got an iPhone with no Flash support).
Feedback
Is quick and easy with online magazines, newspapers, etc. I often agree with comments which fill in detail the author left out. (written early morning on my iTouch while wife still sleeping)
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