iPad News Apps: 'NYTimes' Revamp, 'New York Post' In-App Subscriptions

[notjustjay]

Why would anyone pay for information that is available free????

At least when you pay for a newspaper, you have a tangible, printed copy of the article that you can file away and keep for decades to come. You're paying for the cost of the paper, the ink, the delivery to your front door.

However, let's not forget that there are costs involved in online distribution too (not the least of which is the salaries of the editors and writers).

 

[mac jones]

Geesh, about time

 

[jb1280]

I am not in the New York area, so I do not know how subscribing to the Times or Post would work if you are already receive their paper editions.

I don't think you should pay twice for the content. For example, I subscribe to the Chicago Sun-Times. I get it delivery to my house. Before, the Sun-Times offered on-line access to the paper through their e-paper service for free as a home delivery subscriber. A couple months ago they stop that service and now you have to pay for the e-paper.

I can understand asking for a charge if you don't get home delivery, but I shouldn't have to pay for the content twice.

This is the same issue with the magazines. I already get Time magazine delivered to my house. Why should I pay again to read it on my iPad.

This is the one thing stopping me from getting these on-line magazines and newpaper.

Devil's advocate: I am a subscriber to the Economist. I am at the airport and forget my copy from home. Am I able to just go to a shop and get a free copy if I have a subscription number?

I highly suggest that newspapers and magazines provide free electronic access to their paper subscribers. I think it is a nice value-added thing. I also can't fault publishers, particularly magazine publishers, for not doing this.

The reason I stopped subscribing to newspapers and magazines was not because I could get the content online for free. It was because I dislike newspaper and I dislike magazine stock. They are clumsy and a waste of paper.

I think if publishers offer really competitive subscription rates and daily newsstand rates in apps that let users read material offline and archive it, they will find a sustainable business model.

 

[levitynyc]

I pay $4000 a year to be a NY Rangers Season Ticket holder. I just got an email that the 2010 - 2011 Media Guide / Yearbook will be a PDF file this year, rather than a nice colored book. There are better ways to save money James Dolan.

 

[Swift]

Let's Have Apple Censor Content!

Really, why do we have to have the New York Post on the App Store? It belongs in the toilet.

 

[MrMoore]

Devil's advocate: I am a subscriber to the Economist. I am at the airport and forget my copy from home. Am I able to just go to a shop and get a free copy if I have a subscription number?

In that scenario, I won't expect to get another physical copy of the magazine for free. The cost of printing and distribution are in the price of the magazine. My point is that if I get a physical copy of the magazine, I should not have to pay for the electronic version.

 

[observer]

iPad app and registration don't work?

Am I the only one who's having trouble with this app? First, the nyt web site won't let me sign in from my iPad -- that is, when it asks for the registration, I fill in the email and password, and then it asks again, endlessly. This happens only from the iPad, from the macbook it's fine.

Then, using the new iPad app, it asks me to sign in, I do, I go back to the article, and again it puts up a screen asking me to sign in.

In addition, the iPad app puts up huge intrusive ads. not good.

The iPhone app works fine on the iPad, but it's such a squnched little area it's not really usable.

 

[leep]

Am I the only one that isn't 100% amazed by this upgrade?

In the past I could quickly jump between sections. Now, if I go to, say, Technology, and don't see anything of interest on the first page and want to go to Arts, I must.. click Sections, flick up to make Arts appear, and then click on Arts. Previously, I could simply use the section buttons at the bottom portion of the screen to jump between sections. The previously set up allowed me to quickly view the top page for a few sections to see which section I want to settle down with and further explore. Doing the same thing with the new version is a bit tedious.

 

[rtdunham]

Am I the only one who's having trouble with this app? First, the nyt web site won't let me sign in from my iPad -- that is, when it asks for the registration, I fill in the email and password, and then it asks again, endlessly. This happens only from the iPad, from the macbook it's fine.

Then, using the new iPad app, it asks me to sign in, I do, I go back to the article, and again it puts up a screen asking me to sign in.

In addition, the iPad app puts up huge intrusive ads. not good.

The iPhone app works fine on the iPad, but it's such a squnched little area it's not really usable.

me too. told me i'd been sent an email i'd need to register. It's been nearly two hours and nothing's arrived. gonna try again despite their saying i'd proceeded correctly...

 

[124151155]

Loving the headline here. Perhaps it is a subtle hint on how to get your magazine subscription without worrying about Apple causing it to be delayed or whatnot

 

[Doctor Q]

I'll be very curious to learn if the New York Post signs up a lot of subscribers at the price points it chose. This is a good test of the market.

 

[Thomas Davie]

The New York Post app seems pretty good. Don't know and really don't care if it has all of the sections from the print version; it's convenient (for me), and at 1.99 for a month of testing, it's more than decent.

The layout is good, and if I like it at the end of the 30 day period, I'll subscribe at the listed price points (6.99/month or 74.99/year).

The NY Post app has got it right.

Tom

 

[drditty]

Free content

Why do we have to assume that journalistic ouptut, content, needs to be paid for by the user? Why can't they make their money like Google does? Give away a quality product tied to advertising? They never survived on subscription pricing anyway, it was always advertising the provided the bulk of their revenue. Maybe they can find a way to sell iAds embedded in their reporting.

 

[andy603]

NYT app is crap!

crashes after about 30 seconds..repeatedly....just check out the reviews....How can an institution with such a powerful brand release such a pre-mature product? They are doing major damage to their reputation. Crap Crap Crap.

 

[apple1990]

I really like the ny times app. I hope the english newspapers see this and produce their own versions.

I guess The Guardian are taking a long time to produce their iPad app because they want it to be as great as their iPhone app.

 

[leep]

Why does the list of sections have to be in a scroll box? There are about 2.5 pages of sections to scroll up/down through. Why can't it display all the settings at once using more of the screen? (Or at least have an option to display it like this.) One argument may be that they want people to "just use thumbs" to navigate. But one can't use thumbs to open up stories that appear towards the middle of the screen.